CHAPTER XVIII
A Midnight Encounter
At noon the submarine rose to the surface. All around the sea wasunbroken; not a craft of any description was in sight. Eagerly theofficers and men welcomed the chance of being able to inhale the pureair after being cooped up for hours within the narrow limits of thesteel hull.
Advantage was also taken of the respite to rig the wireless mast.Since the Turks were already acquainted with the fact that a hostilesubmarine had appeared at the very threshold of the Ottoman capital,there was no further need to abstain from the use of "wireless".Accordingly a message in code was sent to the British flagship,announcing the good work performed by "E--".
Promptly came the reply, also in code:
"Flag to 'E--'. Do not attempt the Dardanelles until after the nightof the 11th instant. Situation developing, and movements of oursubmarine craft are in consequence undesirable."
"Plain as a pikestaff," commented Huxtable when the message had beendecoded. "More German submarines, and our destroyers and minesweepersare operating in the hope of netting them."
"Then we are best off where we are, sir," said Dick,
"M'yes," admitted the Lieutenant-Commander grudgingly. "But here weare without being able to let rip at even the most tempting target. Ifthere had been time to slip down to Tenedos and get a fresh supply oftorpedoes from our parentship I wouldn't mind in the least. As it is,we've to mark time for the next three days."
"Might I make a suggestion, sir?" asked Dick.
"By all means," replied Huxtable.
The two officers were alone on the after platform of the little craft.The rest of the officers, having been on deck for some time, were downbelow. Most of the crew were "standing easy" on the limited expanse offore deck--the narrow platform extending from the base of theconning-tower to within ten feet of the snub bows.
"If we make for Prince's Island again," suggested Dick, "we could keepthat tower under observation. There are some of our men imprisoned init, and the place appears to be slenderly guarded."
"Dash it all, man!" ejaculated Huxtable; "surely you don't suggest thata submarine should bombard a fort? That, apparently, is the crux ofyour proposition."
"Not necessarily," replied the Sub. "If it came to the point, our gunswould make small beer of the Turkish garrison. But if you would let mehave half a dozen men, sir, I'd take Farnworth with me, and make anight attack upon the place. We ought to be able to rescue theprisoners and back on board within half an hour, with very little risk."
"What would happen if, during that half-hour, a couple of Turkishdestroyers put in an appearance?" asked Huxtable. "I am inclined tolet you tackle the job; but one must weigh the matter carefully. Idon't want to lose half a dozen hands, nor do I want to leave Farnworthand you marooned on Prince's Island. That's what it would mean, youknow."
Dick did not reply. His mind was set upon the sight of that forlornparty of bluejackets being haled into captivity. Perhaps they mightbe--but no, the possibility was too remote.
"We'll do what we can," declared Huxtable, who rapidly warming to theplan. "At any rate, it will be occupying our time. Let's go below andhave a look at the chart. Mr. Devereux," he called out, "pass the wordfor all hands to bathe, and then a quarter of an hour's 'stand easy'for the men to smoke."
Eagerly the crew took advantage of the permission, and the immediatevicinity of the submarine soon dotted with the heads of the swimmers asthey revelled in the clear waters of the Sea of Marmora. Bedding andblankets were also brought on deck to air while the diminutive "ship'scompany" were enjoying their pipes and cigarettes.
At two bells in the second dog-watch the submarine cleared for runningon the surface. Devereux was in charge, the Lieutenant-Commanderhaving taken the opportunity of snatching a few hours' sleep. Ateleven knots she steamed leisurely towards the yet invisible island,for as the sun sank low in the west a slight mist obscured the horizon.
Directly land was sighted the craft was submerged, until only the topof the periscope was visible. Speed was reduced to five knots, tominimize as much as possible her tell-tale wake and the feather ofspray as the periscope cleaved the water.
An hour of daylight yet remained as the "E--" arrived within twohundred yards of the ramshackle pier, taking up a position so that theslanting rays of the sun tended to render the slender, pole-likeperiscope invisible against the background of deep crimson sky and sea.
Beyond the desultory movements of a couple of Turkish sentries therewas little sign of activity. Above the tower the Crescent flag of theOttoman Empire drooped idly in the still air. From the row of hutsthat served as a barracks for the troops came the sound of stringedinstruments, mingled with the melodious voices of the men.
At sunset every man of the garrison, to the number of twenty-two,appeared carrying his praying-carpet. From a minaret arose the voiceof the _muezzin_ calling the Faithful to prayer, and with one accordthe soldiers prostrated themselves upon the ground with their facesturned in the direction of the Mohammedan holy city of Mecca.
Darkness fell upon the scene. Beyond the shouts of the sentries atregular intervals no sound came from the island. Evidently it was notconsidered to be a place of strategic importance, for no search-lightswere flashed from the shore; but away to the nor'-west and north thesheen of the distant search-lights of Constantinople and Scutari wasplainly visible through the faint haze.
Volunteers had already been invited from the submarine. Every man hadsignified his willingness to engage upon the undertaking, and Dick hadconsiderable difficulty in picking his force, so acute was thedisappointment of those he had to reject.
At midnight the submarine was awash, and her frail canvas boat wasunfolded and launched. At the most it would hold but five.
Giving a final glance to seaward, Huxtable gripped Dick's hand.Silently two seamen entered the frail boat and waited till the Sub hadtaken his place. Then, with greased rowlocks and muffled oars, theBerthon made cautiously towards the pier.
Straining eyes and ears, Dick grasped the yoke-lines. Steadily theintervening distance decreased, yet no stern challenge came from theshadowy shore. Unseen and unheard, the canvas boat ran alongside thepier, at the head of which was moored a large caique or Turkish craftpeculiar to the Bosphorus and its adjacent waters. At a pinch it wouldcarry twenty or twenty-five people, especially as the sea was calm.
It was the work of a moment to cast off the stout cord that was madefast to the stern to prevent the boat from swaying in upon the piles.Then, as cautiously as they had approached, the crew of the Berthonrowed back to the submarine, towing the captured craft astern.
It was a task of considerable difficulty to locate "E--". In theintense darkness--for not the faintest glimpse of a light could beshown--her position was completely invisible; and it was not until hewas within twenty yards of the submarine that Dick detected theperiscope and arched girder showing faintly against the subdued glareof the distant search-lights.
"All right?" enquired Huxtable anxiously.
"Yes, sir," replied Crosthwaite in a whisper.
At a sign from the Lieutenant-Commander the rest of the landing-partytook their places in the caique. Two of the seamen manned the long,weighted oars, each of which worked on a single thole-pin; then inutter silence the two boats headed towards the shore.
Every man carried a rifle and bayonet and sixty rounds of ammunition.The safety catches of the rifles were set, to guard against anaccidental discharge of any of the weapons; while orders had been givennot to fix bayonets, lest the steel, shining dully in the faintstarlight, should betray the presence of the British seamen to theTurkish sentries.
Unchallenged, the boats rubbed alongside the pier. Dick stealthilyascended the perpendicular ladder till his head showed above theplanking of the gangway. He could hear the muffled tread of the sentrypacing his beat in front of the tower. He could not hope to escapedetection much longer; but provided a couple of men were at his back,he felt ce
rtain that they would be sufficient to commence the attackuntil the rest of the boarding-party could fall in and double for theirobjective.
One by one the seamen ascended, until only one man was left in eachboat to act as boat-keeper. Crouching and holding their rifles at thetrail, the bluejackets followed Crosthwaite and the midshipman.
Half-way along the pier they crept; then came the strident hail of theOttoman sentry.
Without a pause Dick advanced. The challenge was repeated, then abullet whizzed high above the heads of the landing-party.
"Double!" shouted the Sub.
The planks trembled under the rush of many feet as the men raced downthe pier. The sentry was running for dear life, yelling at the top ofhis voice, to the accompaniment of a rousing British cheer which wasquickly taken up by the prisoners within the tower.
Releasing the safety catches of their rifles, all but two of thesubmarine's men threw themselves on the ground in anticipation of anattack from the troops in the barracks. The two, headed by Farnworth,made their way to the door of the tower.
"Stand clear, there!" said the midshipman in a loud voice, as a warningto any of the prisoners who might be on the other side of the door;then holding the muzzle of his revolver a few inches from the lock, hefired twice in quick succession.
The stout oaken door and its antiquated iron lock were not proofagainst the heavy Webley bullets, and with a crash the woodwork gaveway. Farnworth pushed aside the remains of the door and entered.Within was a square room, absolutely deserted.
"Where are you, men?" he shouted.
"Up here, sir," replied someone; then another voice exclaimed: "Lumme,Bill! if 'tain't Mister Farnworth."
The midshipman had been sent to rescue his own boat's party--thesurvivors of the ill-starred whaler that had been cast ashore inYenikeui Bay.
Farnworth looked up. He imagined that he saw an opening in the vaultedceiling, but there were no signs of a ladder.
"Can't you men get down?" he asked.
"We're locked in," was the lugubrious response. "They planks a ladderup here in daytime, but we don't know what they does with it at night."
One of the two men of the submarine's crew bent down, while the secondclambered on his shoulders. Even then, when both stood erect, theuppermost could not reach the side of the aperture.
By this time the crackle of musketry told the midshipman that the restof his comrades were engaged with the scanty Turkish garrison. It wasnot Crosthwaite's intention to take the offensive, having once gainedpossession of the tower. All he meant to do was to hold the Turks incheck until the prisoners were liberated, and then to return to theboats.
Farnworth was for the moment at a loss how to act. Without a ladder itseemed impossible to reach the opening in the vaulted roof. Time wasof extreme importance, for the noise of the musketry might bringhostile patrol-boats upon the scene. It was even likely that theisland was in telegraphic communication with Scutari andConstantinople, in which case a swift destroyer might put in anappearance before the landing-party returned to the submarine.
"Shall I fetch the hand lead-line, sir?" asked one of the seamen whohad accompanied him. "There's one in the boat. We can sling it rightover the tower."
"And then?" asked the midshipman.
"One of us'll swarm up. The line will hold, I'll allow."
"Carry on!" said Farnworth.
The man took to his heels and ran towards the pier. A long-drawncouple of minutes ensued, but he did not return. The firing seemed toincrease. Evidently the numbers of the Turkish garrison wereconsiderably in excess of what the landing-party had estimated.Instead of bolting precipitately, the soldiers were putting up a stifffight.
The midshipman went to the door. On the threshold he nearly stumbledover the body of the messenger.
"Here's the lead-line, sir," announced the seaman faintly. "They'veplugged me right enough."
"Where?" asked Farnworth anxiously.
"Through both thighs, sir," was the reply. "There isn't much pain, butI had to crawl the last twenty yards. Don't worry about me, sir."
A bullet splaying against the stonework within a couple of feet of hisface reminded the midshipman that he was exposed to the enemy's fire.Grasping the wounded man by the arms, he dragged him into temporaryshelter.
Without a word the second sailor took the lead-line and hurried intothe open. Swinging the sinker until it obtained considerable velocity,he released the leaden weight. Flying upwards at a tangent, it spedfairly over the parapet of the tower, falling to the ground on theother side. Then, deftly securing the end of the line to an iron ringin the masonry, the dauntless seaman made his way to the farther faceof the building and, gripping the thin yet strong rope, began to swarmup.
It was a hazardous performance. At any moment the line might part, andbullets were mushrooming against the stonework all around the braveclimber. Yet, unscathed, he gained the summit of the tower and drewhimself over the low parapet.
"No go, sir!" he shouted. "There's a blessed hatchway, but it'slocked."
"If I send my revolver up to you, can you blow it off its hinges?"enquired Farnworth anxiously.
"Steady a bit, sir!" replied the man. "Stand clear a moment. Allclear, sir?"
"All clear," repeated the midshipman, wondering what the seaman wasabout to do, yet feeling sure that the reliant fellow had hit upon afeasible plan.
The man had noticed the flagstaff on which during the day the Ottomanflag had been flying. At sunset the Crescent flag had been struck, butinstead of untoggling it from the halyards the indolent Turk to whomthe duty was entrusted had merely rolled the bunting and secured it tothe pole by a bight of the cords.
The sailor deftly detached the flag from the halyards, then, unshippingthe twenty-foot pole from its sockets, lowered it to the ground. Halfa minute later, with the captured Ottoman ensign rolled round hiswaist, he rejoined the midshipman.
"Here we are, sir!" he exclaimed. "All we've to do is to push one endof this bloomin' pole up the trap-door and I'll soon swarm up."
Not without considerable difficulty, the midshipman and the seamansucceeded in getting the stout "stick" into the lowermost room of thetower. When set on end it projected from beyond the opening in thevaulted roof.
"I won't be long, sir," declared the man confidently, as he moistenedhis horny palms prior to climbing the pole. "If you'd let me have yourpistol, sir, as you suggested----"
Just then another seaman burst into the room.
"Mr. Crosthwaite's compliments, sir," he exclaimed, saluting themidshipman, "and he would like to know if you've liberated theprisoners yet. We've got a hard job to keep the enemy back. They'vemade two attempts to rush us."
"Ask him to give me five minutes more," replied Farnworth.
By this time the climber had disappeared through the opening. Thedeafening report of the midshipman's revolver told that its borrowerhad blown off the lock of one of the doors, and before the second shotrang out five of the prisoners were sliding down the sole means ofcommunication with the ground.
One of them, possessing himself of the wounded man's rifle andammunition, dashed out to assist in holding back the Turkish troops.The others, under the midshipman's orders, hastened to the pier-head toobtain the rifles of the two boat-keepers, for every available armedman was needed to fight a rear-guard action.
"All present?" demanded Farnworth, as the last of the rescued crew ofthe _Hammerer's_ whaler slid to the ground, followed by the indomitablebluejacket who had played such an important part in the rescue.
"All correct, sir," replied Coxswain Webb. "Leastwise, what's left ofus."
"Then fall in," ordered the midshipman. "Coxswain, march these men tothe pier-head. You'll find two boats there. Embark, and await furtherinstructions."
He could tell the position of Crosthwaite's party by the flashes oftheir rifles as they replied to the heavy yet almost ineffectual fireof superior numbers. But before he could cover the intervening
stretchof rising ground the whole scene was suddenly flooded with brilliantlight.
A Turkish patrol-boat had arrived to investigate the cause of thefiring. The retreat of the slender British force was cut off.