CHAPTER III
THE MAN WHO MARKED CHARTS
It was a little before midnight when the "Spitfire" came to anchor inCraven's Bay, after having been piloted to anchorage by a quartermaster'stug that put off from Fort Craven on signal.
"Fine place, if your searchlight is keen enough," yawned Eph, gazing offinto the darkness.
Eph and Williamson had slept through the evening, after supper, and werenow to take the night watch tricks, the machinist's deck watchbeginning at once and lasting until four in the morning.
About an hour after daylight, Eph Somers deserted the deck, except foroccasional intervals. After a while the odor of coffee and steak was inthe air. Then, snatching up a bugle, Somers sounded the reveilletumultuously through the small cabin of the submarine torpedo boat.
Not long did the other members of the crew take to turn out and dress.They came out into the cabin to find Eph trotting between table andgalley, putting things on the table.
"This seems like old times," chuckled Williamson, as he seated himselfwith the boys.
"Yes; because you don't have to cook," grimaced Eph. "Wait until afterbreakfast, when you have to clear away and wash dishes!"
"Even so, I have the best of it," laughed the machinist, good-humoredly."I have something in my stomach to work on."
"I always do get the tough end of any job, don't I?" grumbled Eph,resignedly, then buried his troubles under a plateful of steak andfried potatoes.
"You hoisted the signal, 'N.D.', yesterday afternoon," laughed CaptainJack, laying down his coffee cup. "If you don't watch out, Eph, I'llhoist the 'N.G.' flag over this table."
"Breakfast no good?" demanded Eph, looking much offended.
"No; 'N.G.' will stand for 'no grouch.'"
Somers joined heartily in the laugh that followed.
Just as they were finishing a really good meal, for which everybreakfaster had a royal, salt-water appetite, a steamer's whistle washeard, not far off to port.
"I'll bet that's the Army tug!" muttered Captain Jack, rising hastilyfrom the table. "Tell you what, fellows, we've got to begin to havesomething like Navy discipline aboard this craft. In that case, we'dhave had breakfast over an hour ago."
Jack was off up the steps as though pursued. Eph went after him as soonas that youth with the sun-kissed hair had time to pull on his visoredcap and button his blouse. No matter what the need of haste, Somersnever appeared on deck looking less natty than a veteran naval officer.
Forward, on the tug, stood a major of engineers, a young lieutenantbeside him.
"Good morning, Mr. Benson," hailed Major Woodruff. "We're going to tryto come in close enough to put a gang-plank over. Can you take a bowline from us?"
"Yes, sir," Captain Jack saluted the Army officer, and Eph hurried toreceive the line.
In less than two minutes Major Woodruff and Lieutenant Kline were on theplatform deck of the "Spitfire."
"This is the first one of your craft we've seen," declared the major, asEph cast off the bow line, and the tug backed water. "Will you show usover?"
This the submarine boys gladly did, as the Army shares with the Navy inthe defense of the country.
"You see what you have to do, Kline," said Major Woodruff, presently.Then the older officer turned to Jack to say:
"Mr. Benson, since Mr. Farnum has been kind enough to place you and theboat at our orders, Kline is going to remain on board, today, during thetests. He will give Mr. Somers whatever orders are necessary in orderto make the tests most successful."
"Why not give the orders to me, sir?" Jack asked.
"Why, you see, Mr. Benson," replied the major, "I plan for you to be onshore, out on the neck, to make certain observations regarding the workof your craft. Those observations you will turn in to me."
"Very good, sir. The neck, I take it, is the narrow strip of land thatseparates this part of the bay from the ocean?"
"Quite right, Mr. Benson."
It was to be observed that the major, like naval officers, addressed Jackby the title of "mister," not "captain." This was because, in themilitary service, Army and Navy titles are not recognized unlessconferred by government appointment or commission. Hence, though youngBenson was "captain" to his crew and to civilians, officers of theUnited Service could address, him only as "mister."
"The neck, Mr. Benson," continued Major Woodruff, "is the land bestsuited for watching our work from to-day. And now, I will state whatthe object of to-day's tests is. This morning our tug will be engagedin planting certain submarine mines. Mr. Somers will watch our work ofplanting. Of course the mines will contain no explosives. You youngmen have, I understand, solved the problem of leaving a submarine boatwhile it lies on the bottom? You are also able to enter the submarineagain from the surface?"
"Quite right, Major," Jack nodded.
"Then, if Mr. Somers watches the planting of the dummy mines, he willhave the same advantage as would the commander of an enemy's submarinein knowing where our mines are planted. We shall plant four of them,this morning, and Mr. Somers, after seeing each mine planted, will markdown its position on a chart of the bay. He will then take the boatoutside, enter under water, and, without touching any of our mines,while handling the boat, will see if he can stop close by and cut theconnecting wires."
"If your mines contain no explosive, Major," Eph inquired, "how are yougoing to be able to tell whether I collide gently with one of yoursubmarine mines?"
"We shall know at once," smiled Major Woodruff. "If you should collidewith one, you will cause, a bell to be rung in the camera obscura roomover at the fort. The bell that rings will show us which one of themines you touched against."
The "camera obscura," as used at a modern fort, is in itself a mostinteresting contrivance. While no elaborate description of it can beattempted here, it will be enough to explain to the reader that, in thecamera room, which is darkened, is a large white table covered withwhite oil-cloth, or other white substance. On this white surface isdrawn a plan of the harbor to be defended. The position of each minesunk under the water's surface is indicated on this map against thewhite background. Each mine is numbered. Overhead is a revolvingshutter, somewhat on the plan of a camera's lens shutter. This shutter,which turns a reflecting lens on the harbor, can be turned in anydirection. Any vessel in the harbor can thus be "caught," and itsreflection, in miniature, thrown upon the white map surface.
Suppose an enemy's battleship to be entering the harbor. The cameraobscura shutter, in being turned about, suddenly throws upon the whitescreen-map the miniature picture of the hostile battleship. Henceforththe officer in command sees to it that the shutter is so operated asto keep the image of the battleship always upon the white screen map.Thus the course of the battleship is followed--absolutely. At anysecond the exact position of that battleship in the harbor is known.
Let us suppose that the officer in command at the white, map-coveredtable finds that the battleship is gradually approaching the positionindicated in the harbor as mine number nineteen; as the officer watchesthe moving image of the battleship, he sees it going closer and closerto the exact spot numbered nineteen or the white map.
"Be ready, Sergeant," calls the officer, warningly, to a non-commissionedofficer who stands before a board on the wall on which are severalelectric push-buttons, each numbered.
"Yes, sir," replies the sergeant.
At this moment the officer sees the image of the battleship passingfairly over the dot on the white map that is numbered nineteen.
"Fire nineteen, Sergeant," calls the Army officer in charge.
The non-commissioned officer quickly presses electric button numberednineteen. As he does so the electric current is sent flashing, perhapsalong four or five miles of insulated wire on the bottom of the harbor.At the other end of that wire is submarine mine number nineteen. In abreathless instant the current traverses the whole length of the wire.The spark has reached the gun-cotton! There is a dull, booming sound;
a great column of water shoots up from the surface. In the midst of thecommotion the enemy's battleship is rent, and all on board, perhapskilled. The cool, dry-eyed Army officer bending over the whitescreen-map sees all this scene of horror depicted under the whitesurface beneath his eyes. He knows that submarine mine number nineteen,planted out there in the harbor, has done its duty in protecting thisportion of the coast of the United States.
Here, at Fort Craven, it was desired to find whether an enemy's submarineboat could creep in, below the surface, find the mine, whose locationwas already known through spies, and effectively cut the firing wire.If this could be done, then, in war-time, it might be that the sergeantat the wall-board would press the button in vain. No explosion wouldfollow. With the current thus cut off, the officer bending over thewhite screen would not see the miniature reproduction of the destructionof the enemy's battleship.
A submarine torpedo boat, coming into a harbor underneath the surface,is not pictured on the white table under the camera obscura. So it wasdesired to see whether Eph could come in, knowing the exact locations ofeach of the four dummy mines, and quickly cut the firing electric wires.If this could be done, the Army would have to revise its method of firingsuch submarine mines by means of the camera obscura detection.
As Eph listened to the explanation his mind began to revolve plansrapidly whereby he hoped to succeed in cutting the mine wires.
"You will keep sufficiently below the surface, too, Mr. Somers,"continued Major Woodruff. "We do not want you so close to the surfaceof the water that a ripple would show on the camera obscura table. Youcannot, of course, rise and use your periscope to see where you are.Even the periscope would betray you."
The "periscope" is a device also of the nature of a camera obscura. Inthe case of the periscope a narrow metallic tube is thrust above thewater and the shutter turned about, reflecting all the scene about on awhite-covered table in the boat's cabin.
"I think I can beat you, Major," smiled Eph.
"I certainly hope you can," replied Major Woodruff. "That is what wewant to see today. We shall watch closely, too, and see whether anyplan can be devised for beating a submarine torpedo boat at its owngame."
Lieutenant Kline was to remain on board the "Spitfire," both in order towatch the work and to give Eph any instructions that might be necessaryin order to make the tests more conclusive.
"If you will come along with me, then, Mr. Benson," suggested MajorWoodruff, "I will put you ashore on the neck. On the way over I willgive you your instructions."
As the tug came alongside again Jack followed the major over the gangplank to the deck of the other craft.
"Good-bye, Captain Somers," called Jack, laughingly. "Give a fineaccount of yourself as an enemy of the United States!"
"Oh, you--" began Eph, flaring red, but wisely cutting his speechshort.
On the way over to the strip of land known as the "neck" Major Woodruffmanaged to make his instructions wholly clear to young Benson.
"Now, you know what to watch for, and what observations, to report tome," finished the major of engineers, as the tug came to a stop. Asmall boat was lowered, and, in this, Captain Jack Benson was put onthe desolate shore.
Then the tug went back over by the fort. Jack grew tired of waiting,for it was some two hours ere the tug finally left the ordinance wharfat Fort Craven.
It was warm out there, on the low, sandy cliffs, provided one got intoa position sheltered from the ocean winds. So Jack, in the wearinessof his waiting, threw himself down in a sheltered hollow.
Finding that the sun shone disagreeably in his eyes, the submarine boypulled his cap forward over his face.
Then, in the course of a very few minutes, the inevitable happened. JackBenson drifted off into sleep.
He awoke with a fearful start, for he had no idea how long he had slept.Yanking out his watch and noting the time, the submarine boy concludedthat he had not been asleep more than twenty or thirty minutes.
"But I might just as easily have slept for hours," Benson reproachedhimself. "Then what a hero I'd have felt. Asleep on post!"
At that moment Jack Benson heard a faraway whistle, across the bay.Showing just the top of his head above a ridge of sand, Captain Jacksaw the Army tug just pulling out from the dock across the bay.
But Jack saw something else, too, in that brief instant.
A slim, soldierly-looking man of perhaps thirty, tall and of naturallygood carriage, was skulking along in front of the submarine boy, yethidden from the bay by a sand ridge.
Under one arm the stranger carried a draughtsman's board and a book. Astrap over one shoulder held a field-glass case.
"Where in blazes have I seen that chap before?" wondered Captain JackBenson, staring hard. "For I have seen him--somewhere. I'd declarethat under oath."
Figure, carnage and face all strangely haunted the submarine boy, whocrouched lower, watching.
"By the great turret gun! He's skulking for a reason!" muttered Benson."Is he spying on the mine-planting? I wonder? Yes! That must be hiswork! Long-legs, I'll keep my eyes on you!"
The stranger hastened along for perhaps a quarter of a mile further.Then he threw himself down on the sand, choosing a position in which hecould lie flat, his head fairly well hidden behind a low ridge of sand.
Unslinging the field-glass, the stranger brought it to his eyes, closelywatching the progress of the tug.
"Ha-ha!" muttered watchful Jack, who had followed, keeping behindanother sand ridge. "So, sir!"
The minutes passed, though Jack Benson was so absorbed in watching thislong stranger that the boy had but the vaguest notions of the flight oftime.
The tug had halted, now. A great crane at the bow swung around, and asubmarine mine hung poised in the air. Then, with a rattle of chainsnot audible at the distance, the mine was slowly lowered until ittouched on bottom.
While this was going on, the long-legged stranger, wholly absorbed inhis own work, made some observations and some hurried calculations.Then he pulled the drawing-board toward him, jotting down a point.
Jack Benson, standing stealthily, got a good look, for the first time,at the top of that drawing board.
"A chart of the bay, of course," muttered Benson, savagely, between histeeth. "The fellow is marking down the exact position of that mine!"
Still, the submarine boy did nothing to betray his own presence. Hewatched and wondered. The thought struck him that this long-leggedone might be an officer of the Army, on observation duty like thesubmarine boy himself.
"But that isn't right; I'm sure it isn't," decided young Benson, quickly."If they fellow were here on honest business, he wouldn't have sneakedout here to get in position. Besides, I have a vague remembrance ofthis fellow, and I don't connect him with anything honest!"
The Army tug, out on the bay, was now engaged in planting a second mine.Again the slim stranger was all attention. When the crane began tolower the mine, a second mark was made on the chart on the drawingboard.
Now, once more, the fellow lay at full length, watching intently offover the bay. At his right hand lay drawing-board, the book and thefield-glasses.
"I'll give him a little excitement!" grimaced Jack Benson, stealingsoftly forward.
Suddenly the boy swooped down upon drawing board, book and glasses,then, with a panting whoop, wheeled and started off on a dead run.
"Here you--stop!" yelled the slim one, hoarse with sudden anger.
Like a flash the stranger was up and in pursuit. As he quickened inthe chase this stranger drew a revolver that glinted in the sun.