CHAPTER VI
SCOUTING
Harris remained prostrate on the deck.
Quickly, Jack pulled off his gloves and, leaning down, he picked up theunconscious man and carried him to his own cabin. There he bathed theman's face and brought him back to consciousness.
"How do you feel, old man?" he asked.
Harris looked at the lad queerly.
"So you beat me, eh?" he said. "Well, to tell you the truth, after thefifth round I expected it. I am no match for you and I know it. Do yourealize that you are the champion of the British fleet now?"
"I hadn't thought of that," was Jack's reply.
"You have defeated the champion, so your title is undisputed," saidHarris.
He rose from the bunk where Jack had placed him and felt tenderly ofhis chin.
"Quite a wallop," he said calmly. "Well, let me congratulate you. I amglad that, as long as I had to be defeated some day, it was you whoturned the trick."
He extended a hand and Jack grasped it heartily.
"You would probably down me next time," he said.
"Not a chance," replied Harris. "I know when I have met my superior."
He moved toward the door. There he paused for a moment and said:
"Well, I must go and dress now. I hope that I may see you again beforelong."
"I am sure I hope so, too," returned Jack.
Hardly had Harris taken his departure when running feet approachedJack's cabin. A moment later a crowd of sailors burst into the room.Before Jack realized what was going on, they had seized him, hoistedhim to their shoulders and rushed out on deck again. There, for perhapshalf an hour, they paraded up and down, cheering wildly.
They lowered him to the deck, however, when Captain Raleigh and CaptainReynolds approached. The former spoke first.
"I must congratulate you upon your remarkable exhibition," he said."You are a brave boy."
Jack flushed and hung his head.
"When I am mistaken I admit it," said Captain Reynolds. "You are morethan a match for Harris at any time."
"I did the best I could," said Jack, sheepishly.
"Well, it was pretty good," said Captain Reynolds.
With Captain Raleigh he moved away.
Frank now approached and accompanied Jack back to their cabin, whereJack got info his uniform.
"Some scrapper, you are," said Frank. "I thought you were done for onceor twice, though."
"I thought so myself," returned Jack, with a grin. "I was pretty luckyin that last round, if you ask me."
"Harris was pretty unlucky, I know that," said Frank, grimly. "Hurryup, it's time to eat."
Jack's fight was the talk of the day aboard the _Queen Mary_; andaboard the _Indefatigable_, too, for that matter. In fact, all theBritish fleet within wireless radius knew before night that there was anew champion of the British fleet; and they cheered him, though hecould not hear.
It was upon the following morning, while the _Queen Mary_ steamed aboutin the North Sea, that Jack and Frank embarked upon their first pieceof work since they had been assigned to the giant battleship.
Both lads were in their cabin studying, when an orderly announced thatCaptain Raleigh desired their presence. They obeyed the summons atonce.
"And how do you feel today?" asked Captain Raleigh, as he eyed Jack,quietly.
"First rate, sir."
"Feel like another fight?"
"No, sir. I don't make a practice of that sort of thing."
"I'm glad to hear that. How would you like to take a little trip?"
"First rate, sir. Where to, sir?"
"Well, that's rather a difficult question," returned Captain Raleigh."Here, read this," and he passed the lad a slip of paper.
Jack did as commanded. This is what he read:
"Large number of enemy aircraft reported flying over North Sea, fiftymiles south of you, every night. Investigate.
(Signed) "BEATTY."
Jack passed the slip of paper back.
"Well?" exclaimed Captain Raleigh.
"Yes, sir," replied Jack. "You want me to find out what's going on,sir?"
"Exactly. Can you run a hydroplane?"
"No, sir; but Frank here can."
"Who?"
"Lieutenant Chadwick, sir."
"Oh," said the commander, "so he is Frank, eh? All right. Then here iswhat I want you two to do. Take the hydroplane aft and fly south. Takeyour time and see what you can find out. The matter may amount tonothing, and then again it may forebode something serious."
"Very well, sir," replied Frank. "When shall we start, sir?"
"You may as well start immediately. It is hardly possible, judging bythe tone of that message, that you will find anything by daylight, butat least you can be on the ground by night."
"Very well, sir," said Jack, and waited to see if there were anyfurther instructions.
Captain Raleigh dismissed the two lads with a wave of his hand.
"That is all," he said. "Report the moment you are able to do so."
The two lads saluted and returned to their own cabin.
"You see," said Frank, "we didn't have to wait very long to findsomething to do."
"I see we didn't," agreed Frank. "Now, the first thing to do is shedthese uniforms."
"What for?"
"So that we shall not be taken for British should we fall among theenemy. We'll put on plain khaki suits."
"Well, whatever you say," said Frank.
This was the work of but a few moments; and half an hour later the twolads soared into the air in one of the _Queen Mary's_ largehydroplanes.
"This is something like it, if you ask me," said Frank, as he bent overthe wheel.
"Pretty fine," Jack agreed, raising his voice to make himself heardabove the whir of the propellers and the noise of the engine. "Iwouldn't mind flying all the time."
"Where do we want to come down, Jack?" asked Frank.
"Let's see. The message said the enemy was flying about fifty milessouth. They probably won't be out before dark, so I should say it mightbe well to go a little beyond that point."
"All right. But we may miss them in the darkness tonight."
"By Jove! That's so! Funny I didn't think of that. Let me think amoment."
"No use of thinking," said Frank, "I have a scheme that will work allright."
"What is it?"
"Why, we'll stop right in the path taken by the enemy planes and thendrop down upon the water."
"So the Germans can see us as they fly by, eh?"
"They won't see us in the dark," said Frank. "We'll be a pretty smallspot down on the water. They will be looking for nothing so small."
"I guess you are right, after all," Jack agreed. "At least it's worthtrying. We'll be sure to hear them flying above; and if we went beyondthe lane of travel, or didn't go far enough, we might not even seethem."
"Exactly," said Frank. "Well, there is no hurry, so I may as well slowdown a bit."
He did so and they went along more leisurely.
"Can't see what the Germans would be flying about here for," said Jack,"and I have been trying to figure it out ever since I read thatmessage."
"So have I," declared Frank, "If they were Zeppelins I could understandit; they would be going and returning from raids on the British coast;but surely they would not venture that distance with aeroplanes."
"I wouldn't think so. Still, you never can tell about those fellows.They do a lot of strange things."
"So they do. Say!" Frank was struck with a sudden thought. "You don'tsuppose the presence of many of those fellows heralds the advance ofthe German fleet, do you? They might be just reconnoitering, you know."
"No, I hardly think that could be it. The Germans are afraid to ventureout. They know they'll get licked if they do."
"Well, those aeroplanes come out every night for some purpose, that'ssure," said Frank. "It's a wonder to me the Germans haven't tried tosneak out in great force before now. They could come along here
withoutany trouble, or they could make the effort farther north, say nearJutland."
"Well, I suppose they'll try it some day," said Jack, "but not rightaway. How much farther do we have to go?"
Frank glanced at his chart and then at his speedometer.
"About fifteen miles," was his reply; "and then we'll be there toosoon."
The lad was right. It was not three o'clock when the hydroplane came tothe spot the lads had selected to descend.
"Well, here we are," said Frank.
"Guess we may as well go down, then," said Jack. "Some of those fellowsare likely to be prowling about and spot us."
"Just as you say," agreed Frank.
He set the planes and the machine glided to the water, where it came torest lightly.
"Glad there is no sun," said Jack, "it would be awfully hot down here."
And there the lads spent the afternoon. Darkness came at last, and withits coming, the lads made ready for whatever might occur. Eight o'clockcame and there had been no sounds of airships flying above. The ladsstrained their ears, listening for the slightest sound.
And, shortly after nine o'clock, their efforts were rewarded. Jacksuddenly took Frank by the arm.
"Listen!" he exclaimed in a low voice.