by A. Stone
CHAPTER XXVI
All that night the pumps driven by the engines of the _Anti-Kaiser_worked with unerring certainty, and appeared to feel the importantwork; every exhaust, powerful and distinct, pronouncing a new life, anew ambition, a wonderful achievement for Fighting Howard Byng.
After daylight we could visualize results. Below we could easilydistinguish what seemed a rather nebulous, long, dark shadow in thesea. Howard went down and found that the U-boat was raising at therate of a foot per hour, and a total of sixty hours would be requiredbefore it would reach the surface.
Now new troubles threatened. The weather that had so graciouslyfavored us for almost a week looked ominous. Howard, who knew allabout Gulf weather, scanned the sky and shook his head.
"I believe we are in for it. But the way we're anchored now our bow isall right. It's going to come from out there," he said, pointingtoward the northwest.
Another anchor was carried out and every precaution taken while thepumps still chugged with perfect rhythm, and gloriously labored towardthe goal for which we prayed. The U-boat now hung in suspension in theclear Gulf water, and was slowly but surely raising to our will, butshould the hose connection break, having no check valve, it wouldimmediately fill and sink. Everyone was alert and strained for theemergency. Additional hawsers lashed it fore and aft to the_Anti-Kaiser_ to guard against being shifted by submarine currentsthat mysteriously form during storms.
It finally came, a veritable hurricane, lasting, fortunately, onlyabout five hours. Wind sixty miles per hour brought solid sheets ofwater, twisting and undulating as if to wreak vengeance and try ourhearts.
During the storm Howard moved about constantly, solemn and determined,examining every detail, forcing the pumps to unflinching performanceby sheer power of his adamant will though the storm raged.
I do actually believe machinery, commonly thought to be inanimate,answers to a strong will, literally driven to good behavior andspecific performance by the silent, fierce, compelling determinationand psychic force of the man in control. Locomotives are especially sosensitive, proven by thousands of authentic instances.
Scotty, like the perfectly trained naval mariner, also defied thestorm and for no moment ceased his patrol on the deck, peering fordangers approaching through the angry whirling sheets.
The sea calmed, as did our nervous strain, without a mishap, and thework of the pumps went merrily on, at no time halting a part of asecond, as if defying the elements to defeat them in their patrioticand useful purpose.
Near sundown Howard wanted to descend and examine the wreck at closerange. I began on the hand air-pump again which had to move with theprecision and regularity of respiration. It would become tiresome ifone did not know that such rhythm were necessary to a human lifebelow. In this case I believed a most wonderful life.
He stayed down a long time, but when he came up he was more exultantand jubilant than ever before.
"Wood, in the better light I have been examining her hull for breaks,both inside and outside, and for the life of me I can find nothingwrong. I believe the bombs simply put their air or water pumps out ofcommission. That's why they were trapped down there. She is raisingnow on an almost even keel. She is ours, Wood; she is ours, and shewill float as good as ever when the water is all out!" he urged withthe vehemence of a man who was told he could live and return to acongenial sphere into the great world of usefulness with his nameagain. A name and fortune for little Jim, whom he loved so consuminglyand singly that she was a part of him--his blood, his child, his chumand companion.
His enthusiasm was contagious; I got it. Besides, I exulted on my ownaccount. To bring such tangible evidence into a court of law and theworld's tribunal of such stupendous importance raised my operations toa magnitude unequaled, and must without effort attract attention of"The All Highest." I had developed from two warrants for minoroffenses a matter in which the whole world was intensely interested.With these ruminations came the thought of safety. We had the Hunboat. We could see it. Another day and its conning tower would be out,and another ought to enable us to tow her away. And we wereinsufficiently protected.
"Howard, we must not depend on the protection of the guns on thisboat. Too much is at stake. We should have a patrol that will preventany boat or vessel coming within at least three miles. The _Titian_ istoo small. Your _Sprite_ would be the thing. She is big enough tomount the five-pound gun to enforce such a limit to all vessels."
"How are we going to get her; she is anchored in the bay at home."
"Can the old darkey, Don, run the _Sprite_, do you think?"
"Yes, almost as well as I can."
"I have been out of touch with Washington now for nearly forty-eighthours, and should go to Key West to get a line on what is happening.Suppose I take him in the little _Titian_, call at Canby's, leave himto bring the _Sprite_, and go on to Key West. I ought to be back herein three or four hours."
"Fine, but put the juice to the _Titian_; she can fly if you give herthe gas. You're right: we ought to have the _Sprite_ to patrol andalso ought to know what the Boche is up to outside, if anything," heagreed quickly.
During the night the pumps worked unceasingly with a punch and force,imparted by Howard's care and vigilance. As the last word in Bochesubmarine ships came nearer the surface, he seemed to actually scorneither sleep or rest and took his food while walking about vigilantly.He realized it was a supreme moment. Energies he had stored by acomparatively quiet existence for years he used unstintingly.
Before daylight the next morning I took Don in the _Titian_ toCanby's, saw him on his way from there with the _Sprite_, then rushedto Key West and established communication at once with the powers thatbe.
I was told that every branch of the Government was intenselyinterested in the development which bade fair to uncover craven,cringing Mexico and many traitorous, treasonable concerns protected bycitizenship, and was enjoined to great care and secrecy.
Then I asked to have at least two marines detached from the specialguard service in Key West for my use as I was short of man power onwhich I could depend.
For this they gave the necessary order. They wirelessed me that Ramundand three others, upon being released on bail, had, after a day ortwo, taken an evident underground rail route to Mexico. The Governmentagents were out of touch with Washington, owing to difficultiesfurnished by Mexican conditions. The Boches were forfeiting theirbail, or up to deviltry, or both.
This bit of information did not please me, for I saw disturbingpossibilities. I picked up the daily papers, mail and the two marines,and hurried back to the Tortugas, which I reached about noon time byforcing the _Titian_ to her limit.
The marines were lusty fellows, full of ginger. Yes, they both had hadtarget gun practice. I was glad of that.
The five-pound gun was quickly transferred to the deck of Howard's_Sprite_. We put Scotty, who, of course, was an expert withmotor-driven boats, and one of the marines aboard her withinstructions to encircle constantly our operations, at a three-milelimit, to use the gun to prevent vessels of any character approachingus. The other marine was put in Scotty's place on the _Anti-Kaiser_and I felt pretty safe. So did Howard.
Wonderful progress was made while I was away. The conning tower wasall out and the oval back of the submarine was awash. Howard washaggard, but walking on air. He had calculated that before night thesubmerging tanks would be empty, then we could transfer the pumps tothe engine-room and crew's quarters aft. It wouldn't take long to makeher fit for towing.
About dusk Scotty came in for food, and said he would be willing tostay out on the _Sprite_ patrolling until midnight, and then, ifrelieved for four hours, would resume.
Just before dark Howard did transfer the pump to the after hold, theengine-room and crew's quarters and it began throwing a merry stream,every throb bringing us nearer the end of our task and goal.
I tried to get Howard to sleep some, but he only laughed.
"When we are through I will have months to sleep."
I did not tell him what a filthy condition existed in Mexico, and howlong it would be before we would be compelled to put the cleaner onher. She was pro-Hun to the core and somehow I did not like the factthat Ramund was there now and only a day or two sail from us.
Darkness had set in with a cloudy sky. Everything went well untilabout time for Scotty to report at midnight when the marine on guardsaw something over the port bow; it looked like a vessel coming,without lights.
"What do you think it is?" Howard asked anxiously.
"I can't make out but it's something and it's getting plainer. Iwonder where Scotty is with the _Sprite_?" The marine stood atattention by the side of the one-pounder in the bow. The submarinewas riding easy just clear of the _Anti-Kaiser's_ sides.
We finally recognized the outlines of a vessel advancing, andapparently a big one, too. It was not moving fast but was surelyapproaching, bearing directly down on us. Our port and starboardlights were surely visible to them and they could certainly see themin time to clear us.
"What can we do but fire on her? She will be on top of us in anotherminute!" shouted Howard, fully alive to the danger.
I called to the marine to let a shot go directly at her, which he didinstantly, then another and another, but the little one-pound shotsapparently made as much impression on her iron bow as water on aduck's back, and she did not veer a fraction of a point, coming deadon us. When she got closer I could make out she was undoubtedly a bigmerchantman, perhaps eight or ten thousand tons. How I prayed forScotty to be here and give her a dose of a five-pound gun. Butseconds counted now, our danger was extreme, and we were whollyhelpless. On she came, moving perhaps at the rate of twelve knots. Shecould not possibly keep such a course by mistake for the one-pound gunmade enough noise in the silent midnight Gulf to awaken the dead.
Howard was not excited. He made a step toward the marine waiting foranother order to fire, then stopped and seemed to measure our chances.He appeared to be taking inventory of the damage the great blunt bowwould do during the few seconds before she struck the _Anti-Kaiser_wrecking boat a glancing blow forward that brought her over on herbeam's end, snapping the hawsers that fastened us to the submarine, asthrough cotton strings or cobwebs.
Howard and the marine grasped the one-pounder to keep from slidingdown the now vertical decks of the _Anti-Kaiser_ into the sea, I beingjust as fortunate in getting my arm through a hawser eye.
Her dull black iron sides seemed an age getting out of the way,leaving the _Anti-Kaiser_ trembling and rocking like a chip on thewhite caps.
Both Howard and I rushed to the side to ascertain if possible what wasundoubtedly a deliberate attempt to run us down, murder us and stealthe prize we had labored so long and arduously to raise from the floorof the sea.
Where was Scotty with the _Sprite_ and five-pound gun? Had he turnedtraitor and played into their hands?
