Frank Forester: A Story of the Dardanelles

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER X

  A BRITISH SHELL

  The caravan jostled its way through the crowded streets of Trebizondtowards the landing-place. The port was in a state of exceedingliveliness. Ships were loading and unloading in the harbour; caravanswere starting for the interior; and throngs of people of variousnationalities made kaleidoscopic patterns as they moved about in dressesof every hue, the Persians conspicuous by their high black caps and longgreen robes reaching to the ankles.

  Kopri's mule train was directed towards a small coasting steamer, lyingalongside the quay, in which the contractor was a part owner. She hadarrived the previous day with arms and ammunition from Constantinople,and was to leave again that night on her return voyage, which would beinterrupted only by a call at Sinope to take in coal. Large crates ofher recently unshipped cargo lay on the quay, awaiting transport, andthough most of them were covered with tarpaulins, Frank noticed thatmany bore German marks. Having given orders for the stowment of hiscargo, Kopri went to an inn overlooking the bay to pick up what news wasbruited. He left Joseph in charge, and recommended that Frank should goon board, ostensibly as shipping clerk, so as to be out of harm's way.The perishable merchandise was quickly stowed away below; the bales ofcarpets strewed the deck.

  When the contractor returned some hours later, he said that Trebizondwas greatly excited by a report that British and French warships hadbegun to bombard the forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles. It wassaid, too, that Russian torpedo boats had been seen outside the harbour,and the harbour-master had refused to allow the vessel to leave thatnight. Frank wondered whether he had escaped from the hands of Turkishofficers only to fall a victim to a Russian gun. He remained on boardall night, looking forward with more interest than uneasiness to whatnext day might bring forth.

  Early in the morning the skipper was about to cast off when a messengercame up from the military authorities ordering the vessel to await thearrival of an important passenger. Kopri was irked by the delay, andhad worked himself up into a state of nervous agitation when, after thelapse of nearly two hours, the passenger arrived. And then hisnervousness almost betrayed him: the passenger was Hermann Wonckhaus. Hehad discarded his crutch, but walked stiffly over the gangway, and atonce demanded that the captain's cabin should be given him. Frank wasstanding by the forecastle when the German came on board, and heinstantly turned his back on him. He felt that his disguise was not socomplete as that Wonckhaus would not recognise him, and wished that hehad aged his appearance by the addition of a beard. When the steamer putout to sea, he was careful to keep out of the German's sight, which wasthe less difficult because they were naturally in different parts of thevessel, and under the brisk north wind the sea was sufficiently choppyto keep Wonckhaus in his cabin, prostrate with sickness. He did notreappear until they had left Sinope with their cargo of coal, and thenhe urged the skipper to hug the shore as closely as possible and to makeall speed for Constantinople: seasickness and the dread of a Russianattack had made him nervous. The breeze had moderated, and Frank from asafe coign of vantage watched Wonckhaus pacing the deck in conversationwith Kopri. Presently the German sat down to rest on one of the balesof carpet, and Frank's heart leapt to his mouth: the bale thusunwittingly chosen for a seat was Mirza Aga's rug. Kopri moved away tospeak to the skipper, and Wonckhaus, left alone, began by force ofcommercial habit to peer at the bales by which he was surrounded. Helifted the covering of one at his right hand, and was stooping toexamine the one on which he was sitting, when Joseph, hovering near,suddenly gave a shout and pointed excitedly seaward. Wonckhaus sprang upand went to the side, with the skipper, Kopri, and some of the crew.

  "A dark speck on the skyline," cried Joseph, with outstretched finger.

  The group peered anxiously across the watery expanse; the skipper raisedhis telescope.

  "Where? Where?" cried Wonckhaus, hastily unstrapping his field-glasses.

  Joseph only pointed. Nothing could be seen. They continued to gaze forsome minutes, and then the skipper declared that Joseph must have beenmistaken. The false alarm had effectually diverted Wonckhaus'sattention from the carpets. He remained at the side, sweeping thehorizon every now and then with his glasses, and he even ordered hismeals to be brought him on deck, lest if he went below the dreadedwarships should heave in sight. Joseph's quick wit had once more servedhis master well.

  It was a sunny afternoon when the vessel steamed between the well-woodedshores of the entrance to the Bosporus. To Frank the scene was toofamiliar to hold any fresh charm; but his interest was quickened when henoticed the long low shapes of the _Goeben_ and the _Breslau_ at anchorin the strait. There were signs of repairing work proceeding on theformer. Wonckhaus, who had now recovered his courage, talked to Kopriabout the vessels with swelling pride, while Joseph superintended therolling of the carpets to the side in preparation for unloading. Frankwas not quite easy in mind until Wonckhaus had crossed the gangway anddisappeared among the crowd on the quay.

  The cargo was unloaded, Kopri undertaking to convey the precious carpetto a place of security. Frank remained on board until the contractorshould return with information that might guide his future course. Thatinformation was not reassuring. The British residents who had not beenable to get away from Constantinople in November were more or less underarrest. For the present Frank must remain an Armenian. And since Koprihad been ordered, instead of returning to Trebizond, to take on someheavy crates and proceed at once to Panderma and Gallipoli, it seemedbetter that he should remain on the vessel until she reached the latterplace, and then seek an opportunity of getting into Greece or Bulgaria.

  The new cargo was brought on board without delay. It consisted of heavycases, which Kopri surmised to contain ammunition, and quantities offood stuffs for Gallipoli, whither troops were being despatched in allhaste both by land and sea. Several German and Turkish officers cameaboard when the cargo had been stowed, and Frank was annoyed andsomewhat alarmed to see that Wonckhaus was among them. It was irksometo him to be continually on the watch, dodging the German.

  The vessel ran down the Sea of Marmora to Panderma, the terminus of theSmyrna railway, where some of the officers disembarked with the heavycases. Frank was on deck when these were swung out of the hold. As oneof them was in mid-air the tackle broke, and the case fell heavily on tothe quay, striking its edge. In spite of the iron bands that held ittogether it broke open, and one of the Turkish officers ordered Frankamong others standing by to run over and try to put it together. Thebreak disclosed the top of the periscope of a submarine. Frank had timeto notice the label of the case: it was addressed "Adramyti." But hesaw no more, for a German captain rushed up in a rage, drove off thecrowd that was gathering, peremptorily ordered the crew to return to theship, and hurled volleys of abuse at the men in charge of the crane.

  The vessel cast off the same evening and arrived at Gallipoli soon afterdawn. It had hardly come to its moorings when the air vibrated with aheavy boom. A big gun had started work far away. Every half-minute, asit seemed, during the unloading of the vessel, the booming sound wasrepeated, and Frank thrilled with excitement at the bombardment neitherthe source nor the effects of which he was able to see.

  When the cargo had been removed, he went on shore with Joseph, andwandered about the beach, discussing the past and the future. It wasnow noon, the sun was bright, and Frank was debating whether to go for aswim in spite of the cold breeze when a slight buzzing in the air causedhim to look up. For some minutes he saw nothing in the cloudless sky,though the sound increased; but presently he caught sight of a speck faraloft, moving in a line that would soon bring it straight overhead.

  It enlarged, soaring on like some strange bird.

  "One of our aeroplanes," said Frank.

  "Where shall we run?" asked Joseph, alarmed.

  "We had better not run at all. It may be only scouting, not out fordropping bombs: and if it does drop a bomb, it will
be on the wharves.We are safer here on the open beach."

  "But he might aim at the wharves and hit us," Joseph protested.

  "I think better of our men," replied Frank with a smile; "but to pleaseyou, we'll get away into that pocket in the cliffs yonder."

  They hastened across the beach to the left. At the same moment theaeroplane slightly changed its course and seemed to be following them.Joseph in a panic darted to the right. Frank stood still, watching thedroning machine with a curious interest devoid of fear. It passedoverhead, at the rate of an express train. Joseph was moving backslowly when a long wail came down the sky. Next moment there was acrash. Joseph flung himself face downward on the sand. Frank had jumpeda little, but his gaze had passed downward from the aeroplane to thewharf. A huge column of smoke, dust, splinters of wood had risen justat the end of the landing-place. Men were running about in alldirections, horses and mules were galloping, maddened oxen werelumbering away with heavy-laden wagons; and the humming bird soared onserenely.

  When the agitation was stilled and order restored, Kopri beckoned up thetwo young men.

  "I have now a little leisure, effendim," he said to Frank. "I proposeto take you to the house of a good friend of mine, on the cliff yonderoverlooking the plain. He is a man of my race, and with him you maydwell in safety until such time as your future course is made clear."

  He led the way up through the pleasant little town. The streets werethronged with Turkish soldiers in ill-fitting uniforms. The town wasthe base of the army operating farther down the peninsula, andaccommodated the headquarters staff. Among the numerous officers Franknoticed several Germans. From the heights he had a good view of thebay, in which lay a dozen transports, while caiques, with cases ofammunition bulging over their high sides, were passing to and frobetween the European and the Asiatic shores.

  Kopri halted at a little house at almost the highest point of the town.On being admitted, he was met by a patriarchal Armenian named Benidin, amerchant of standing, to whom he introduced Frank under his own name.The old man was greatly perturbed on learning that his visitor was anEnglishman.

  "My friend," he said to Kopri, "it is not well, that which you havedone. The town is not safe, even for me. Already I have sent my familyaway; at any moment I may have to flee for my life, and if it isdiscovered that an Englishman lodges with me, my days are numbered. Thetown swarms with spies. Every man is spying on his neighbour. It willbe far better for your friend, and for me also, if he returns in yourvessel to Constantinople, and makes his way thence to the Bulgarianfrontier."

  The old man's distress was so patent that Frank at once assented to hissuggestion.

  "It is not fair to involve you in my troubles," he said. "I will leaveat once."

  "It will be two or three days before I can take you back," said Kopri."I am ordered to go on to Chanak with ammunition for the forts. Benidinwill perhaps give you shelter until I return."

  "I will do so much for you, Kopri, in the name of our old friendship,"said the merchant after some hesitation. "If the English gentleman willremain strictly within doors, he shall be my honoured guest. That mustbe the firm condition. And I pray that your return be speedy, Kopri,for I know not that I shall be safe even for two days. There cameyesterday from Stamboul a large reinforcement of Kurds, who beinghillmen will be useful to the army in the heights. You know them, myfriend. At any moment the blood passion may burst forth; they may beginto hunt for men of our unhappy race. Then I must flee, and I dare nottake the Englishman with me. He will be left to his own devices."

  "I go to-night," said Kopri, "and in two days I will return. It is buta little while, and the Germans here will keep the Kurds in order."

  "Alas! I have no great confidence in them," said Benidin. "Theiremperor has never stayed the massacres of our people, and though hisofficers are stern with the Turks for their own ends, they will, I fear,show no sympathy for us. Then have I the Englishman's promise?"

  Much against the grain, yet unable to contest the wisdom of the oldman's condition, Frank gave his word not to leave the house until Josephreturned to take him on board. Kopri and his son remained with Benidinuntil the evening, then went down to the harbour.

  Next day Frank mooned about, finding nothing to occupy him, restiveunder this new confinement, and uncomfortable because of his host'snervousness. The old man started at every sound, and twisted his handsin panic fright if Frank approached the window. There were sounds ofgreat activity in the bay--the snorting of tugs, the clang of donkeyengines, and the rattle of chains, reverberated in a hundred echoes fromthe hills. Frank longed to see what was going on; but there was nothingfor it but to be patient; after all, another day would see his release.

  On the following morning, just after the weird notes of a Turkishtrumpet had announced the dawn, there came the rumble of distant guns,which continued like a remote prolonged thunderstorm for some hours. Inthe afternoon, when Frank was sitting with Benidin in an upper room,they were startled by a tremendous boom close at hand.

  "A shell from a big gun," cried Frank, springing up.

  "Keep away from the window," the Armenian pleaded. "I do not fear yourEnglish shells as much as I fear the Turks. I will go out and see whatis happening."

  Frank was left to himself. He wondered whether an aeroplane had droppedanother bomb on the harbour. The fact was that the British fleet hadbegun to bombard the town by indirect fire from the Gulf of Saros. WhenBenidin descended into the town, he found the people fleeing in alldirections. Many were hurrying to the caves which cut into the cliffs.The largest of these had already been appropriated by the headquartersstaff.

  A few minutes after Benidin had left the house, a second bang shook theplace, shattering the glass. Frank's heart beat fast as he looked outof the window: there was no danger at this moment that any one wouldnotice him. Towards the harbour he saw a geyser of black smokespreading its top in the air. Then he was conscious of a rushinghumming sound coming towards him. He looked up with curiosity. Nothingcould be seen. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash on the roof of thehouse. The place collapsed like a house of cards, and Frank, in thefirst conscious second of his fall, heard an ear-splitting explosion,accompanied by a blinding flash, and felt sharp blows upon every part ofhis body. Then he knew no more.