CHAPTER VI.
FACE TO FACE.
The hissing sound stopped. Instead, under a pressure of nearly two anda half atmospheres, the water rushed into the disconnected valve. Infive seconds it had risen to the sub's knees. Then the inrush waschecked.
It was useless to struggle, but with an uncontrollable longing to wrenchhimself away from his captors, rather than be drowned like a rat, Hythepersisted in his efforts, till he realized that he was in no immediatedanger of being suffocated. In the place of the air pumped in fromabove--air that was anything but fresh--came a cool, invigorating vapourstrongly charged with oxygen.
He no longer appealed for aid. He knew that with the air-tube andlife-line the telephone wire had been severed. He was cut off from allintercourse from above. Even his air supply was self-contained.
Instinctively he felt certain that he would be carried off to themysterious submarine. Curiosity prompted him to accept the situationwith equanimity, his inborn fighting disposition urged him to resist.If he were to be made a prisoner he would let his captors know that theliberty of a British officer is not lightly lost.
It was a strange procession on the sandy floor of Cawsand Bay, forothers of the submarine's crew had come upon the scene, and surroundedand held by five weirdly-garbed and helmeted men Hythe was frog-marchedtowards the huge submerged vessel.
A dull patch in the side of the craft indicated that a portion of herplating had been swung back, revealing on closer inspection a door aboutfive feet in height and thirty inches wide.
Here the sub saw his chance. With outstretched arms and legs he defiedthe crowd of captors to pass his resisting body through the narrowaperture. Twice he almost freed himself from their clutches. Theoxygen-charged vapour he was breathing accentuated his fightinginstincts, and mainly through sheer delight at being able to thwart hisantagonists he lashed out right and left.
Still retaining their hold the men began to lose patience. One of themturned and looked at another who was standing by. The look wasunderstood. Drawing a small instrument resembling a two-pronged fork,from a sheath attached to his belt, the fellow advanced towards theyoung officer.
Hythe, still resisting, saw the action.
"I wonder what he's up to?" he muttered. "Going to puncture my suit, Isuppose, and half-drown me. Take that, you under-handed rascal."
With a sudden wrench he freed his right hand, and clenching his fist hitmadly at the diver's front plate. Had the blow struck home the glasswould in all probability have been broken, but the man stepped backwardsand the sub's fist encountered water only. That attempt led to Hythe'sundoing, for two stalwart fellows seized him by the arm of hisindia-rubber suit between wrist and elbow. Held as in a vice he wasunable to draw back his hand, the diver with the fork-like instrumentimmediately applied the points to the officer's bare knuckles.
A powerful electric current passed through him. He writhed; his limbsjerked with uncontrollable spasmodic movements, till, his spiritliterally cowed, he was unresistingly carried through the aperture inthe side of the submarine.
The panel glided to, smoothly and easily, leaving the compartment inutter darkness. Then came the sound of powerful pumps at work, and soon,by the weight of his helmet, Hythe realized that the water was beingexpelled. Within a minute and a half of the time of entering the placethe sub was no longer in the sea, although he was under it.
A bell rang and another door opened, revealing a fairly spaciouscompartment well lighted by electricity. The floors, walls, and ceilingwere of metal coated with a substance resembling coarse cement. Alongone side were racks and pegs to take the diving equipment, severalcomplete suits being not then in use. On the other side were coils ofrope, lengths of chain, oars, grapnels, boathooks, and other gear usedon board ship, while a folding canvas boat in three detached sectionsoccupied a considerable part of the available space. On the bulkhead inwhich was the sliding-door by which Hythe and his captors had enteredthe compartment were various switches for controlling the ejectingpumps, the intake valves, and the lighting of that section of thevessel. In the other transverse bulkhead was also a door, fitted with awatertight sliding hatch. On either side of this doorway werecomplicated machines of which Hythe could neither make head nor tail.
Feeling more like a thoroughly cowed puppy than anything else he couldliken himself to, the sub was divested of his diving-helmet and suit.The former was placed on the rack beside the others, the suit, not beingof the same pattern as that of his captors, was hung up apart from allthe rest. All this while the divers retained their head-dresses. Theydid not even remove the glass plates. As soon as the sub was free fromthe encumbrance of his diving-dress three men entered from anothercompartment.
They were tall, broad-shouldered fellows, clean-shaven, and with darkcrisp hair. From their appearance they might be near relations,possibly brothers. They were clad in dark-blue jerseys and trousers,and dark canvas shoes, and looked more like yacht hands than the crew ofa submarine.
"The captain will be pleased to receive you, sir," announced one in goodEnglish, with a west-country accent that a foreigner could not possiblyacquire, saluting as he spoke. "What name shall I give, sir?"
The young officer hesitated a moment, then, reflecting that it was of nouse beating about the bush, replied, "Arnold Hythe, Sub-Lieutenant ofH.M.S. 'Investigator.'"
"Very good, sir; will you please step this way?"
The effect of the electric shock was beginning to wear off, neverthelessthe sub felt in a very chastened spirit as he followed his guide, theother two men keeping in the rear. Hythe methodically took count of thenumber of paces he made as he walked along a narrow alley-way on eitherside of which were doors in the longitudinal bulkheads. Fifteen stepsbrought him to a stout transverse bulkhead, in which he noticed were twosliding-doors face to face with a space of about six inches between.Beyond, the corridor continued for another twenty paces, terminating ata door that was partially concealed by a heavy curtain.
"Sub-Lieutenant Arnold Hythe, of H.M.S. 'Investigator,' sir!" announcedthe man.
"Come in, Mr. Hythe!" exclaimed a deep, sonorous voice.
The guide stood aside, and allowed the sub to pass.
Standing in front of two electric lamps so that his face was in deepshadow was the modern submarine magician, Captain Restronguet. He hadevidently taken up that position with deliberation, for he had theadvantage of being able to scrutinize closely his visitor and at thesame time partially concealing his own features; but the sub could seethat the captain was a well-made man of about six feet two inches inheight, with broad, square shoulders and massive limbs.
He was dressed almost as quietly as the three men who had accompaniedHythe from the divers' dressing-room and who were now standing atattention just inside the doorway. He wore a white sweater, dark-bluetrousers, a double-breasted serge coat and white doeskin shoes, while ona writing desk by his side lay a canvas-covered cap of the style invogue at Cowes during the yachting season.
"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, sir," continued CaptainRestronguet, holding out his hand.
Hythe hardly knew what to say. Had he been told that a quarter of anhour previously he would probably have told the captain to go toJericho, but the antagonistic spirit had left him.
"And so am I, sir," he replied simply.
"Thank you," replied Captain Restronguet, then addressing his men heordered them to leave his cabin.
"We can talk more freely now," he continued affably. "Pray take a seat.The accommodation in this small cabin of mine does not compare with award-room or the gun-room of one of His Majesty's battleships, but stillI think you will find that chair comfortable."
Hythe sat down. The chair was comfortable enough, but he feltremarkably uncomfortable in spite of the fact that the captain'saffability sounded perfectly sincere.
"Do you smoke? Yes? Well, try one of these cigars. I can guaranteethem as pure Suma
tran."
The sub controlled his amazement with an effort. He had never beforeheard of smoking in a submarine.
Mechanically he took the proffered cigar, lit it, and waited for thecaptain to resume the conversation. For his part he was anxious to knowwhat the latter's intentions were regarding his unexpected guest, butsomething compelled him to await a favourable opportunity.
Captain Restronguet eyed his captive for some moments in silence,then:--
"I am sorry to have to refer to your regrettable failure to takepossession of the 'Aphrodite'--that being the name of this craft--but atpresent the opportunity has not arrived for me to relinquish my command.Perhaps some day----"
The captain paused meditatively. Hythe could see his thick bushyeyebrows narrow till they formed one continuous line.
"Under the circumstances I am compelled to retain you on board for anindefinite time. I trust that you will make yourself as comfortable asyou can, and that the wonders of this craft--for wonders they are,although I myself say it--will be sufficiently interesting to preventennui."
"But why was I seized by your men, might I ask?"
"You were seized because there was no desirable option. You--I think Iam right--you took the initiative by tackling one of my men. They knewperfectly well that three divers were sent down from one of theGovernment vessels; they had their work to do, and were, of course, lothto be hindered by anyone. Since I gave them particular orders not to doanyone personal injuries, and to maintain a strict neutrality unlessmolested, they could do nothing else but make you a prisoner. I mightalso mention that I particularly wished to have a British naval officerwith me, for reasons which I hope to explain at some future date.Chance has thrown you across my path, and here you must for the presentremain. Your treatment rests with yourself, but please do not regardthis as a menace; it is merely a plain statement of facts."
"But you are fairly trapped. You cannot get away!" exclaimed Hythe.
"I think not. At any rate, I will soon find out."
Crossing the cabin Captain Restronguet took up the receiver andmouthpiece of a portable telephone.
"How is the work progressing, Mr. Devoran?" he asked. "All clear? ...Good.... What's that? .... Oh, very well... two hundred revolutions ifyou wish .... Splendid! ... If you want me I'll be with you ... Thanks!"
The captain replaced the receiver and turned to his guest.
"Perhaps you would like to look through the observation scuttle?" heasked, and touching a switch he extinguished lights and left the cabinin total darkness. Almost immediately after a panel in the flat ceilingof the cabin slid back, rapidly, smoothly, and noiselessly, revealing arectangular plate of thick glass through which the pale green lightstreamed, flooding the apartment with subdued hues.
"No need to strain your neck, Mr. Hythe," he exclaimed, as the sub gazedwonderingly at the semi-transparent patch above his head. "Look in frontof you; the result from an optical point of view will be just the same,and far more comfortable from an anatomical standpoint."
The young officer did as his host requested. Simultaneously with thesliding back of the panel a mirror hinged at one side had risen from thefloor till it attained the angle of forty-five degrees, while anothersimilarly inclined, but face downwards, stood on a table in front ofhim, and slightly above the level of his head. Thus, by looking intothe mirror on the table, Hythe could without inconvenience seeeverything that could be observed through the observation pane.
He sat there absolutely fascinated. The "Aphrodite" had escaped thecoils that had, at the cost of so much labour and time, been thrownabout her. She was moving, yet not the faintest vibration or sound camefrom the propelling machinery. Above were numerous dark objectsseemingly in suspension in the pale green vault of water; they were thekeels of various vessels, large and small, that had foregathered inCawsand Bay to witness the capture of the mysterious submarine.