CHAPTER XXI
TRAPPED
Gain the _Monitor_ spoke the _Bergerhof_ and received in turn a summonsto come alongside and take on fresh stores of fuel.
"If we do we will disclose our identity and it will be all off," said"Little Mack" in a quandary.
Then Jack had an inspiration.
"Tell them we are having some trouble with our diving rudders and willbe along shortly," he offered.
"Little Mack" seized upon the suggestion and acted promptly. In codethe mother submarine answered that she was coming to aid. "Let hercome; we'll give her a hot reception," said McClure grimly.
As the _Bergerhof_ neared them McClure submerged a little and jockeyedhis vessel into position for a sure shot.
This aroused the suspicions of the German and she asked whether thesteering apparatus of the U-los had again gone wrong.
"Here is our answer," exclaimed McClure, and catching the big submersiblefull on the sight of the periscope glass, he released a torpedo.
Their suspicions now fully confirmed the Germans sought vainly to gettheir vessel under way; but the movement came too late, as the torpedofrom the _Monitor_ cleft the waters like an arrow and buried itsnose against the hull of the gigantic mother ship just abaft theconning tower. With a mighty roar and a flash that illumined thenight the speeding projectile crashed through the hull of the_Bergerhof_ and rent the vessel like so much paper.
"Seems like a pity to put them out of business, don't it?" saidMcClure with a tone of wistful regret as he surveyed the picture.Jack was viewing the whole spectacle through the periscope, his chiefat the observation port in the conning tower.
"We sure did get them," commented Jack. There wasn't the leastpossibility of the mother ship offering resistance, since it was nowa matter of a few minutes at the longest until she would be takingher last dive. So the conning tower of the _Monitor_ was opened andthe officers climbed on deck to watch the death struggle of the_Bergerhof_. The _Monitor's_ torpedo had done its work well, for itwas quite evident, as the American craft drew near the scene of theexplosion, that the German vessel had been blown out of the water.
"Probably a half dozen men were out on deck when we hit them," saidMcClure. "Suppose we get right up close and see whether we can fisha few of them out of the water."
He rang the _Monitor_ ahead directly for the spot where the German shiphad disappeared under the waves, and as it drew closer slowed down theengines.
"There's one poor chap directly off the port bow," observed Jack as hepointed to a bobbing figure in the water. The _Monitor_ was stoppedand in a few minutes the unlucky German was hauled on deck. He provedto be a petty officer, suffering several slight wounds, and he graspedeagerly the rope extended to him by several of the American sailors.In like fashion six other Teutons were hauled out of the water, amongthem the captain of the doomed ship.
"We thought you were friends and not enemies," said the German executiveas he looked first from McClure to Jack and then ran his eye along thedeck of the _Monitor_, with surprise written in every feature.
"Sorry, but we had to sink you," was Commander McClure's rejoinder.
The prisoners were hurried below deck and made comfortable. They werea sorry looking lot after their narrow escape from death. McCluredebated with Jack for a time just what to do with the prisoners, butdecided finally to keep them until he could deliver them to a largerunit of the U.S. fleet. In the meantime they were herded into thespacious men's quarters just forward of the control chamber and astrong guard posted over them in charge of Bill Witt.
"If they start any funny business in here, they'll find themselvesworse off than if they had gone down with 'mother' to the bottom ofthe deep blue sea," volunteered Bill as he assumed charge of his wards.
Anxious now to inform the Allies' fleet of the intended U-boat raidplanned for the following evening McClure decided upon a flying tripdown the Belgian coast during the night and then a dash across theNorth Sea to intercept speedy American destroyers and convey to themthe valuable information that it might be relayed to the flagship andthe warning given in due time.
"We'll stick to the coast for the next six hours," said the _Monitor's_captain to his executive officer, "and may be able to lay out anotherU-boat hurrying to the tryst with Mother _Bergerhof_."
Cruising on the surface the _Monitor_ settled down for the night's runwith Jack in command while his superior officer went below for a fewhours' rest. It was a calm moonlight night with a smooth running seaand a breeze out of the south. Jack threw open the conning tower andclimbed into the deck steering station. From his vantage point hehad a commanding view of the sea for many miles in every direction andthe young ensign reveled in the glories of the night.
Suddenly, at a distance of not more than two miles off the starboardbeam, Jack spied a vessel driving leisurely toward the east with atrail of smoke floating along in her train. Taking up his glasseshe was able to make her out plainly in the moonlight---a destroyer!
Without calling his captain Jack decided to follow her for a whileand accordingly altered the course of the _Monitor_ to east by southeastuntil she was cutting in at right angles toward the speedy warship.After a chase lasting the better part of half an hour Jack found thatthe _Monitor_ was rapidly approaching the mainland off to port, withthe destroyer running into what appeared to be a convenient harbor onthe Belgian coast. He decided to report to McClure before proceedingfurther, and forthwith sent Ted to waken the ship's commander. In afew minutes McClure climbed into the conning tower.
"What's up now?" he asked as he swept the horizon.
"Destroyer right ahead, sir," reported Jack as he indicated theposition of the vessel. McClure picked it up with his glasses, andby taking the _Monitor's_ position was able very shortly to determinethat the vessel was off the entrance to Ostend.
"We might as well run up a bit closer and take a shot at her anyway,"he announced shortly.
Crowding on full speed, the American vessel edged in closer and wasthen partially submerged. The German vessel had not noticed thesubmarine as yet; at least, she gave no indication of being cognizantof the proximity of the American vessel. At a distance of threethousand yards McClure decided to loose a torpedo.
"We'll take one shot and then dive," he said. "The coast is studdedwith guns everywhere here and we are too close to them to loiteraround long."
In another moment, after sighting carefully on the fleeing destroyer,McClure gave the signal to fire and Jack sent a torpedo whirling fromthe bow of the _Monitor_.
"And now down we go," said McClure as he signaled to take in ballast.
Not waiting to note the effect of their fire, the officers of the_Monitor_ sent their ship careening into the depths and went down toa depth of fifty feet with a greatly decreased speed.
"Guess we had better turn now and make for the open sea," said McClureas he grasped the rudder key to swing the _Monitor_ around.
But at that moment came a sharp rasping sound on the forward hull ofthe American vessel and then a mighty ripping sound aft followed by agrinding in the region of the propeller blades and an almost suddenstoppage of the _Monitor_. McClure and Jack looked at each other,dismay written in their faces.
"Trapped!" ejaculated the little captain. "We are caught in a submarinenet!"
Brighton Boys with the Submarine Fleet Page 21
