CHAPTER XXIX
IN THE NIGHT
Frank took command of the submarine. As he had feared, there was someprotest among the men Captain Jack had decided upon to man the vessel,but the pirate chief soon overcame this. Therefore, when the submarineput off from Kaiserland, the men were anxious to obey the lad's everyorder.
From the fort to the place where the submarine lay the paths of bothland and sea parties lay together. According to Captain Jack'scalculations the start from this point, if made simultaneously by landand sea forces, would enable both to reach their destination atapproximately the same hour, if the submarine was held to five knots anhour. It had been deemed advisable for the undersea craft to go somedistance from land and then run south submerged.
From the deck of the submarine Frank waved a band to his friends onshore. The others stood watching while the vessel crept through thewater. At length, upon Frank's order, it submerged.
Captain Jack ordered his men south.
The land party now was divided into three sections. Captain Jack ledthe main body, composed of twelve men. Jack had the same number underhis command. Counting Timothy and Allen, Captain Glenn commandedthirteen men.
While Jack was nominally in command of the party, it had been decidedthat it would be wise to let Captain Jack show the way, this becausethe pirates would feel more secure under his guidance. They movedsouth at a rapid walk.
Darkness fell and still the marchers made their way through the thicktrees and underbrush. The march would be a long one, so after twohours' walking, Captain Jack slowed his men down a trifle.
At 10 o'clock Captain Jack called a halt in the darkness. He glancedat his watch by the dim light of the moon, and passed the word for Jackand Captain Glenn, who approached a moment later.
"Half an hour's march and we shall be within sight of the base," saidCaptain Jack. "The Germans have felled trees between them and theforest proper, apparently with the idea of preventing a surprise fromthis direction. We'll have to trust to luck and the darkness to get ussafely across opening."
"We'll take it at a run," said Captain Glenn.
"That will be the best way," Captain Jack agreed, "but I figure we hadbetter approach from different points. Templeton, I'll wait here withmy men while you make a quarter of a mile detour to the right. CaptainGlenn, you do the same to the left. I'll wait here fifteen minutes.When you see the first of my men move across the opening, you followsuit."
"A good idea," was Jack's comment.
"Don't forget," Captain Jack said, "that the main thing is to get thebombs planted without being discovered. If we can do that withoutinterruption, it would even be well to draw off without firing a shot.But the bombs must be placed squarely within the German settlement orour work will count for nothing."
"Right you are, Captain," said Captain Glenn.
"Very good, then. Now, you fellows get to your places and then movetoward the clearing. As soon as you see my men moving across theopening, advance."
Jack and Captain Glenn returned to their commands and gave thenecessary marching orders. The men moved off in the darkness.
Less than an hour later Jack stood in the shelter of a large tree atthe very edge of the clearing. In the distance he could make out whatappeared to be numerous buildings. This was the point, the lad feltsure, where the blow would be struck.
In his left hand Jack carried a small but powerful bomb, which had beenprovided by Captain Jack. The fuse attached would burn fifteenminutes. In the time after it was lighted this meant that theattacking party had fifteen minutes to get out of the way before theexplosion occurred. Captain Glenn and Captain Jack carried similarexplosives.
Jack kept his eyes upon the place where Captain, Jack's party soon wasto move across the open. For five minutes he gazed without result, andthen he saw several shadowy figures stealing across the clearing.
Jack turned to his men with a command.
"March!" he ordered.
He placed himself at their head and they dashed through the darkness ata run.
A quarter of a mile on the other side of Captain Jack's party, CaptainGlenn also had ordered his men forward.
Meanwhile, what of Frank and the submarine?
Shaping his course by the chart which Captain Jack had given him, Frankkept the course accurately. The speed of the vessel was maintained atfive knots, in accordance with Captain Jack's calculations. As Frank'swatch showed half past eleven, he felt that the time to exercise thegreatest caution had come.
The lad turned the wheel over to Williams and took the latter's placeat the periscope. Directly he was able to make out the coast line, andeven at this distance he felt certain that he could make out a long rowof buildings in the background. The submarine was, of course, stilltoo far away for possible vessels, which would lie low on the water, tobe within the lad's range of vision.
"Where are the mines?" the lad asked Williams.
"Foot of the ladder, sir," was the reply.
"Fuses attached?"
"Yes, sir, and anchors, too, sir."
"Good! Of course, we'll have to come to the surface to let them go."
"Of course, sir."
"Then be ready when I give the word. I can't pick up any submarines atthis distance, but they may all be upon the surface as well as restingbeneath the water."
"I'm ready, sir."
"Torpedoes all right?"
"Yes, sir. I just examined them ten minutes ago."
"Guess there are no other precautions we can take," said Frank. "Beready to grab a couple of mines and follow me on deck when I give theword." Frank turned and summoned one of the pirate crew, a negro, whoanswered to the name of Jefferson.
"Jefferson, take the wheel," he said.
Jefferson did so, grinning.
"Slow to two knots, Williams," ordered Frank.
Williams signaled the engine room and the pace of the submarine sloweddown until the vessel was barely moving through the water.
Frank glanced at his watch. It was 12 o'clock.
"Fifteen minutes in which to lay the mines," he said to himself. "Theymust explode at 12:30--"
At 12:10 the submarine emerged from the depth and floated calmly uponthe surface of what appeared to be an artificial harbor. Frank andWilliams, leaving Jefferson at the wheel and ordering the enginesstopped, sprang on deck, carrying two small packages each. These,bound in little tin boxes, were the deadly mines.
"One off here, Williams," said Frank, putting one on deck and glancingat his watch.
The hands showed 12:15.
"We'll have to work fast," said Frank.
Quickly Frank dropped one of the mines over the port side of thevessel, aft. Williams followed suit to starboard, forward. Frank pokedhis head down the hatchway and yelled:
"Full speed, ahead, Jefferson!" The vessel dashed forward. "West bynorth five points!" yelled Frank.
The submarine veered sharply.
Two minutes from where the first mines had been dropped overboard,Frank and Williams let go the remaining two. As they did so, Frankperceived several long shapes emerging from below. He took one lookand then dived below with a cry to Williams:
"Submarines!"
It was true. Attracted by the impending danger in some unaccountablefashion, the German terrors of the deep were coming from fanciedsecurity beneath the waves for a look around.
Frank grabbed the wheel from Jefferson and turned the head of thesubmarine due north. He rang for full speed ahead.
At almost the same instant one of the German submarines espied thestranger in the midst. There was a hail across the water. Then atorpedo flashed close to the Roger.
Again Frank glanced at his watch. It was 12:25--only five minuteswere left in which the pirate submarine might reach a place of safety.Frank feared to give the signal to submerge for the reason that thespeed of the craft would be impeded.
It was better to run the gauntlet of the submarines on top of thewate
r. Torpedoes passed close, but Frank maneuvered the little vesselfrom port to starboard and back again so rapidly that none struckhome.
And at last Frank, watch in hand, felt that the submarine was safelyout of the danger zone. His watch showed 12:30.
Frank strained his ears to catch the explosion that would tell him thedeadly mines had done their work.
CHAPTER XXX
CAPTAIN JACK PAYS
The attacking party, led by Jack Templeton, Captain Jack and CaptainGlenn, advanced across the clearing toward the unsuspecting Germansettlement at a run.
The distance was perhaps two hundred yards and Captain Jack felt thatif this distance could be transversed without discovery, the success ofthe raid was assured.
But the distance was not to be covered without discovery.
Half way across the open a shot rang out. This was quickly followed bythree more. One of the men under Captain Glenn's command pitchedforward on his face.
"Forward, men!" cried Captain Glenn, springing forward faster thanbefore.
Captain Jack and Jack Templeton also urged their men to redoubledefforts.
Within the German lines, Jack saw men running forward. Apparently theGerman officers were trying to get their men in formation to ward offan attack. The enemy had no means of ascertaining the strength of theattacking party, attack was ordered.
Although Frank did not know it, it was the sounds of the firing onshore that had brought the German submarines in the harbor from thedepths, upon command, to lend a helping hand if need be.
A volley broke from the three divisions of raiders as they dashed forthe German lines. Now that their presence had been discovered therewas no reason for further efforts at concealment, and Captain Jack andthe other leaders had no mind to be fired upon without returning thecompliment.
The result of the volleys, the raiders had no means of determining, butthey felt sure that some of the bullets had found human marks. Timeafter time the Germans fired at the advancing' men, but as the lattershowed no signs of giving up the attack the German commander orderedhis men to fall back toward the water's edge. He naturally supposedthat, his base having been discovered, he was being attacked in force.He could have no idea that the raid was being conducted by a small bodyof desperate men.
The plan of the German commander was to make a stand at the water edgeand then rush his men aboard the flotilla of submarines should he bepressed too closely.
This decision was fortunate for the raiders, for had the Germans made adetermined stand the attack must have failed.
Captain Jack's party was the first to reach the settlement. Volleyafter volley they poured into the Germans. Jack and his men arrivednext, and soon Captain Glenn's command, bearing down from the flank,reinforced the first arrivals.
Captain Jack hurled his bomb as far forward as possible at precisely12:15. From their sections of the field Jack and Captain Glennfollowed suit at the same time. Then each commander ordered aretreat.
As the raiders turned and ran, the German commander's first thought wasto order a pursuit. But he changed his mind quickly, for he feared theretreat might be only a ruse to draw him on. For that reason heordered his men to stay, for the moment, where they were.
As members of the raiding party dashed back over the ground they hadtraversed, however, the German rifles poured volleys after them.Captain Jack was bringing up the rear of his party. So it was that noman saw him suddenly pitch forward on his face. Captain Jack drewhimself slowly to his feet and as slowly retreated again. There was aterrible pain in his left side and he realized that a German bullet,entering his back, had gone clear through him. Blood flowed profuselyand the pirate chief knew that he was badly wounded. Nevertheless, hedid not call after his men, but followed them as swiftly as he could.
Now the German commander decided that the retreat of the foe was not aruse to draw him on. He ordered his men forward and volley aftervolley was fired over Captain Jack's head at the retreating pirates.
At the edge of the forest beyond, the pirates turned, and then, for thefirst time, they realized that Captain Jack had been left behind. Wildyells shattered the stillness of the night. In the face of almostcertain death, the pirates wheeled and dashed to the rescue of theirchief.
But the Germans also were dashing forward. As Captain Jack saw his menrushing back to him, and realized the fate that threatened them, hewaved them away, shouting:
"Go back! I'll make it, all right."
Then, as the pirates disregarded this and still came on, he orderedthem again to fall back.
"Don't forget the bombs!" he cried.
There are few men who will advance into the face of certain death.These pirates were not of these few. A quarter of a mile away toeither side, it was impossible for Jack or Captain Glenn or their mento render assistance; and now the other pirates turned again and tookto their heels.
So Captain Jack was left alone to face the oncoming Germans.
First Captain Jack took time to glance at his watch. The hands pointedto 12:25.
"I would like to live five minutes yet," he muttered.
He discarded his now empty rifle and produced his pair of automatics.
The Germans, seeing but one man opposing their path, rushed forward tomake him a prisoner.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Both of Captain Jack's revolvers were flashing fire.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!" they spoke again.
And so until each weapon had been emptied of ten shots. Captain Jackhurled his useless weapons in the very faces of his foes and againproduced his watch.
The hands showed 12:30.
"Time!" said Captain Jack, and at that moment a German bullet laid himlow.
But Captain Jack was not dead. He raised his head and listened; andthen what he waited for came.
There was a terrible rumble and roar, followed by two ear-splittingblasts. These were quickly succeeded by others. The ground rocked andswayed. Men, huge wooden buildings, steel and iron within the Germanlines went sailing high in the air, to come down for miles around.
Terrible screams and groans and curses shattered the night, quicklyfollowed by more detonations somewhat muffled, as the mines droppedfrom the pirate submarine exploded beneath the water.
The waves were lashed into a frenzy. The ground trembled for longminutes and seemed on the point of dropping into the bowels of theearth.
And then it began to rain men and debris.
Great rocks, brought up from deep in the earth, fell on all sides ofthe place where Captain Jack lay wounded unto death, but as though by amiracle none touched him. Where the pirates were still racing forsafety, with Jack and Captain Glenn at their head, trees were uprootedand toppled over. The rain of steel and iron and rocks carried eventhere, and the men threw themselves to the ground and put their armsabove their heads.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the rain of missiles ceased.
Jack got to his feet, as did his men. Rapidly he led them back towardwhere a moment before had been a German submarine base.
There was no base there now. Nothing but ruin and destruction anddeath. The German submarine base, submarines in the harbor, men whohad inhabited the place, had passed into oblivion.
The raid had been complete.
Captain Glenn also returned to the front with his men, and the pirateswho had been under Captain Jack's command, dashed back to search fortheir captain.
The sea had now become calm again and Frank ordered the submarineheaded for the harbor. Half an hour later he went ashore, accompaniedby Williams and every member of the crew.
Frank was appalled at the extent of the destruction. Rapidly he passedthrough the ruins toward the forest beyond, where he knew he would findJack or some trace of him. And there he came upon the sad band ofpirates.
Into the midst of these Frank forced his way. In the center, his headon Jack's knee, was Captain Jack. Blood flowed from wounds in the backof his hea
d, from his forehead and from his sides. He wasunconscious.
But as Frank bent down beside him, the pirate chief opened his eyes.He saw Jack and Frank and smiled his old smile.
"Was the raid a success?" he asked feebly.
"It was," replied Jack quietly. "Not a German left alive, nor onestone upon another nor a submarine in the harbor."
"Good!" said the pirate chief. "I would like to speak to my men."
At a signal from Jack these gathered around him.
"Men," said Captain Jack, "I am going to a land where there is nopiracy and no wars. But before I go I want to tell you that I repentedof my evil ways before it was too late; and I want the promise of eachone of you that from this time on he will lead an upright life--apeaceful life at such time that his services are not being employed inthe service of his native land. I want to shake hands with each one ofyou and hear your promise."
Sadly the men filed by him and there was none who did not promisefreely all that the pirate chief asked. Then they stood near withdowncast heads.
Captain Jack shook hands with Williams and Captain Glenn.
"You see I was to be trusted, after all," he said.
Captain Glenn pressed the hand but made no reply.
From the distance there came a dull rumble. Frank stood up and gazedtoward the harbor through the darkness. Suddenly a powerful glarelighted up the shore.
"What is that?" demanded Captain Jack, freeing himself from Jack andgetting to his feet in spite of his wounds.
"Searchlight," replied Frank briefly. "Probably the Virginiaapproaching to give us aid."
"We don't need it now," said Captain Jack.
He extended a hand to Jack and one to Frank and the lads pressed themwarmly. As they stood thus, Captain Jack's body swayed slightly andbecame limp. Gently the boys laid him on the ground. They bent overto catch the sound of his voice.
"Tell America that I have been of some good after all," said CaptainJack, pirate chief, in a low voice.
And so he died.
From across the sea came the sound of a big gun. Swiftly toward theisland of Kaiserland came the American cruiser Virginia.
Here, beside the body of the dead pirate chief on an uncharted islandin the South Atlantic, ends our story. Subsequent adventures of FrankChadwick and Jack Templeton will be related in a succeeding volume,entitled "The Boy Allies with the Submarine D-32; or, The Fall of theRussian Empire."
THE END
Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers Page 29
