CHAPTER III
THROUGH THE STORM
“What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wonderingcompanions.
“That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
“They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be ableto work it quickly,” came from Bob. “Why, that old gentleman wasn’tdown inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the wholething was under water. The hatch must have closed automatically when hewent down it.”
“I guess that’s it,” said Jerry. “You can’t see so much as a bubble ofher now.”
The boys gazed at the surface of the sea. The heaving and rolling waveswere all that was visible.
“She must have gone down deep,” observed Ned. “You couldn’t even seeher periscopes.”
“She didn’t have any,” asserted Jerry. “If she had they would havestuck up for a second or two, for usually they’re about twenty feetabove the deck. She doesn’t use periscopes, that’s evident.”
“What are periscopes?” asked Bob, who usually didn’t take such aninterest in mechanics as did his chums. When taunted with this Bob usedto say it kept him so busy cooking for Ned and Jerry that he had notime to brush up on the latest inventions.
“Periscopes are the eyes of a submarine, when it is running in abouttwenty feet of water,” explained Jerry. “I mean at that depth below thesurface. They are hollow tubes, and are just above the surface when theboat is down about twenty feet. They run through the deck, and into thepilot house. By looking into the lower end of them the observer can geta view all around him at the surface.”
“I don’t see how,” spoke the stout lad.
“It is done by means of reflecting mirrors, lenses and prisms,” Ned putin. “I looked through one once on a submarine that was being built.It’s great. It beats a telescope all to pieces. A telescope, you know,means an instrument by which you can see far off--‘tele,’ meaning afar,and ‘scope’ to look--Latin or Greek words, I guess.”
“Say, is this a recitation?” asked Bob, with a smile.
“No, I’m just explaining,” answered Ned. “Periscope is made up in thesame way, from Latin or Greek words, and it literally means to ‘lookall around’.”
“Good!” exclaimed Jerry. “But even looking all around doesn’t seem toshow that submarine. It has completely disappeared. And I’d have givena good deal to have a good look at her.”
“So would I,” spoke Ned. “I’d like to have gone aboard.”
“You would!” cried Bob. “Would you go under in her?”
“I would--yes, if I had the chance,” replied Ned. “But I’d prefer oneof our own United States boats to that foreign one. I didn’t like thelooks of that man with the white beard, and if what I read is true----”
“Say, what was that you started to say?” interrupted Jerry. “You wereon the point of remarking it when the craft went to the bottom.”
“Yes, I was,” admitted Ned. “I saw something in the papers not longago--it was a foreign dispatch, I think--to the effect that a Germanhad perfected a most wonderful and dangerous submarine. It had motorsoperated by a new electrical chemical, that could be stored in a smallspace, and the article intimated that the submarine could even crossthe ocean.”
“Of course that’s remarkable, in a way,” admitted Jerry, “but youseemed to have something else on your mind. What was it? Loosen up,Ned.”
“Oh, it’s no great secret. I didn’t just want those fellows on thesubmarine to hear me; that’s all. But this article went on to say thatthe inventor was a sort of crank, with a very vindictive disposition,and that he imagined all other nations were the enemy of Germany. Heseemed to think that if the German war officials took a sufficientnumber of his submarines the Kaiser would be Lord of the Sea, and couldwipe everything else out of existence. That’s one reason I wouldn’tcare to go aboard that boat.”
“That is, if it’s the same one,” suggested Bob.
“Oh, yes,” assented Ned. “Of course it’s only a notion of mine thatthis craft may be the product of the brain of that eccentric German.But he looked like a foreigner, and the way he seemed to get excitedwhen he saw us--acting as though he feared we were spying on him--mademe a bit suspicious.”
“But what does he want over here, in American waters?” asked Bob.
“That’s the point,” responded Ned. “What’s his game--if it is he? Butwe don’t have to worry about it, I guess.”
“I don’t know about that,” spoke Bob, and his tones were serious. “Ifhe’s going to scoot about under water, practicing evolutions fordestroying our ships, it may mean trouble for us.”
“For us?” repeated Jerry, looking at his fat chum curiously. “What doyou mean?”
“Well, not exactly trouble for _you_ fellows,” explained Bob, “butfor my family. Of course it’s quite remote, but it might happen. MyUncle Nelson Sheldon, and his daughter Grace, are on their way to thiscountry from Germany. They are coming in a small steamer, and my uncleis bringing something very valuable with him. That is, valuable to ourfamily.”
“If it was something valuable for _you_ I suppose it would be a fullcourse dinner; eh, Chunky?” asked Ned with a chuckle.
“Oh, let up; can’t you?” begged the stout lad. “It isn’t anything toeat, I’m sure of that, though I’m hungry enough now. I don’t know justwhat it is, but I overheard father and mother talking about it. It’ssomething that Uncle Nelson has been on the lookout for a good manyyears, and at last he found it in Germany.”
“In Germany!” exclaimed Jerry.
“Yes, and that’s what made me speak as I did when I heard what Nedremarked,” went on the fat youth. “If that’s a crazy German in asubmarine he may hit the boat my uncle is on.”
“Say, this is getting mysterious, all right,” spoke Ned. “Not thatI think there’s the slightest danger though, Bob. Your uncle hasa million chances to one in his favor. What steamer is he and hisdaughter on?”
“The _Hassen_. It’s a German boat. He said he took that to avoid thecrowds. He’s due to land in a few days, I believe, and then I’ll knowwhat it is he’s bringing over that’s so valuable.”
“How about his daughter?” asked Ned. “Have we ever seen her, Chunky?”
“No, and I believe she’s considered a very pretty girl, too,” spoke thestout youth.
“Then you’ve got to introduce us to her as soon as she lands, my boy!”stipulated Jerry. “Pretty girls are too scarce to miss.”
“Oh, you’ll meet her,” said Bob. “I’ve told her about you fellows, andshe wants to know you.”
“Good for her!” cried Ned. “Well, we seem to have run into acomplication of matters just through sighting that submarine. That’sout of sight, of course, but there’s still your uncle, his prettydaughter, and the mysterious thing he’s bringing over, Bob. It gives ussomething to look forward to, at any rate.”
“Yes, and we’re going to have something else to look forward to, andthat right soon,” spoke Jerry, suddenly.
“What is it?” inquired Bob, looking about. “Is that submarine in sightagain?”
“No, but we’re going to have a storm, if I’m any judge, and prettyquickly, too. We’re quite a few miles out to sea, and we’d better runto shore, I think.”
“Same here,” agreed Bob. “But say, what about grub? I can get it whileyou and Ned manage the _Comet_.”
“Ha! Ha!” laughed Jerry. “I was waiting for you to say that, Chunky.But there--don’t get riled! Of course you can get up a meal. But letit be a simple one, for we may be in the midst of a blow any minute.And we’ll need your help, now that part of our gear is out of order. Sodon’t fuss too much, Chunky.”
“I won’t. But I’m awful hungry!”
“Just to show that there are no hard feelings I could eat a bitmyself,” added Ned. “Go to it, Bob, my boy.”
“Yes, and we’ll have to get busy ourselves, Ned,” spoke Jerry. “We’dbetter make everything as snug as we can, and th
en go up. We may getabove the storm centre, but I doubt it. It looks as though it was goingto be pretty general.”
The weather had indeed changed suddenly. Gray banks of clouds, fringedwith ominous black, hung low on the horizon, while above the sky was acoppery-yellowish cast that seemed to indicate the coming of a greatwind.
The sea, too, was heaving restlessly, as if anxious to join in therevel of the elements, and there was a low moaning sound that told ofthe howling gale to come.
But just at present it was calm enough--the threatening calm before thestorm--and Jerry was about to take advantage of it to start toward land.
The _Comet_ was still hovering over the spot where the submarine haddisappeared. The motorship was moving slowly, her propellers barelyrevolving enough to give her steerage-way.
Jerry, with one last look at the surface of the sea, to discern, ifpossible, whether the strange boat had come to the top again, set aboutmaking all snug in preparation for the battle with the elements.
This was soon done, and while Bob was busy in the small galley, gettingready a meal, Ned and Jerry started the boat. The big propellers beatthe air fiercely, and, as a dirigible balloon, the _Comet_ darted highabove the restless sea, and toward the shores of Boston Harbor, nowmany miles from sight.
But the craft was not to reach a safe haven without a fight. Scarcetwo miles had been covered before the storm broke, its fury increasingevery minute.
The _Comet_ heeled over until, had she been a water ship, she wouldhave been on her beam ends. Jerry and his chums had to grasp supportsto avoid falling.
“Throw in the automatic gyroscope balancer!” yelled the tall lad toNed. “We’ll turn turtle in a minute if you don’t!”
“In she goes!” cried Ned, springing for the motor room.
The gale howled about them. Below the waves were whipped into suddenfoam, and they tossed themselves on high as though reaching for the_Comet_, which rushed on through the storm like a frightened bird.
“Some blow!” panted Bob, as he jumped aside in time to avoid thecontents of the scalding hot coffee pot on the galley stove. “Someblow!”
“Yes, and it’s getting worse every minute!” Jerry cried.