Boy Allies Under the Sea; Or, The Vanishing Submarines Read online

  CHAPTER II.

  ON ACTIVE SERVICE AGAIN.

  For some reason unknown to Jack and Frank, when morning came, LordHastings announced that the start would not be made until afternightfall, at which both lads showed keen disappointment.

  "I'll tell you what you can do," said Lord Hastings. "I'll give you anorder for my motorboat and you can go to Gravesend during the day if youcare to. I'll meet you there at the Lion Inn to-night at 10 o'clock."

  Frank was delighted.

  "That's better than hanging around here all day, waiting for night tocome," he said. "What do you say, Jack?"

  "Anything to humor you," replied the latter with a smile.

  "Take all your things with you," said Lord Hastings; "and, above all,hang on to that motorboat. Don't let anybody get it away from you."

  "We'll hang on to it, never fear," replied Frank. "Come on, Jack."

  "Wait a minute," ordered Lord Hastings. "You'll need this written orderto get the boat."

  "I'd forgotten, sir," said Frank.

  Lord Hastings scribbled rapidly on a piece of paper, which he passed toJack.

  "This will fix you up," he said. "Now remember, 10 o'clock sharp."

  The boys nodded their understanding of this order, saluted and left.Getting their things together, they hurried to the river, where LordHastings kept his motorboat; and an hour and a half later they wereproceeding slowly down the river.

  "Guess none of the enemy will ever get in here," declared Frank, after acareful survey of the river.

  "Guess not," replied Jack. "Look at the boats. You wouldn't think wewere at war."

  "Not if it wasn't for the warships," agreed Frank. "And there are enoughof them to make it hot for any hostile fleet. But it's a wonder to mesome of these German submarines haven't taken a little trip up theThames."

  "Mines," replied Jack briefly.

  "True," said Frank, "but you will remember we took a pretty long jauntup the Dardanelles, and passed through the Kiel canal."

  "And when you stop to think of it, we're pretty lucky to be here rightnow," returned Jack dryly.

  "Well, so we are, if that's the way you look at it. However, I wouldn'tmind having another such chance."

  "You'll probably get it."

  Conversation lagged as the boys took in the scenes about them; and therewas little more talk during the trip. They stopped more than once, and,loitering along, it was dark when they neared their destination.

  As they would have drawn up to the wharf there was a sudden flash oflight--gone in a moment--followed by a dark body that swished by themlike a flash.

  Frank uttered an exclamation of astonishment.

  "See that?" he demanded.

  "Yes. What could it have been?"

  "You've got me, but it's heading toward the open sea. Great Scott! Maybeit's an enemy."

  "An enemy?"

  "Yes; you know how anxious the Germans are over this submarine business.Maybe this fellow has been spying about. May be going to report to aGerman submarine out there some place."

  "Think we had better follow and have a look?" asked Jack.

  "Believe it would be a good idea. Let's go."

  Without another word, Jack brought the boat about and headed after theone that had so recently dashed by them. In the darkness ahead there wasnothing to be seen.

  "Like looking for a needle in a haystack," Jack called to Frank.

  "That fellow can't be up to any good," declared Frank. "He showed nolight and was going in a terrible hurry. There's something up."

  "Does seem that way," agreed Jack.

  "Say! Is this as fast as this thing can go?" demanded Frank. "We won'tever get any place this way. Let her out a bit."

  Jack did so and the little boat seemed literally to fly over the darkwater. This terrific speed Jack kept up for some time and then sloweddown.

  "We'll bump into something at this rate," he said; "and that wouldsettle the whole business. We must be cautious."

  "Cautious!" repeated Frank. "We won't find that German being cautious."

  "If we weren't cautious, it wouldn't do us any good if we did find him,"argued Jack. "First thing you know we would be at the bottom."

  Frank considered this point a moment.

  "Guess you're right," he said at last.

  "Swish!" went something at this moment, and, turning quickly, Frank sawa dark shape speeding away up the river.

  "Hey! There went one the other way," he cried to Jack.

  "That so?" replied Jack anxiously. "There is something up here, and I'mgoing to find out what it is."

  He slowed down even more, and, striking a match, lighted thesearchlight, which, until this moment, he had not deemed advisable.

  As the light flashed over the water, the lad made out another smallmotorboat dead ahead, upon which signs of life became apparent. Jack sawfigures gesticulating violently; then the boat headed directly for theone occupied by the two boys.

  "Guns, Frank!" said Jack quietly. "They are coming at us."

  "Leave it to me," replied Frank. "You run the boat. I'll do the rest."

  "Don't shoot unless you have to," warned Jack.

  Frank made no reply.

  Jack kept the light full upon the approaching boat. He could see severaloilskin-clad figures and that was all; and then came a hail from theoncoming boat.

  "What do you want here?"

  The query was in English. Jack answered the hail.

  "What are you doing here yourself?" he demanded. "We are Britishofficers. I command you to surrender."

  "More likely German officers," was the response. "Heave to now. I'mcoming aboard you."

  "If you do you'll get a warm welcome," replied Jack.

  He stopped the boat and drew his own revolvers.

  "Stand back!" he cried, as the other boat came closer.

  In the glint of the searchlight the men aboard the other boat made outthe boys' uniforms. The boat slowed down and the men talked amongthemselves.

  "They wear British uniforms," said one in a low voice.

  "That's no sign they are English," said another.

  "Tell 'em to give the countersign," said a third.

  Another hail came from the boat.

  "Pass the countersign," it said.

  "I don't know any countersign," replied Jack, and would have said more,had not a voice from the other boat interrupted him.

  "I thought not; hands up now or you are dead men. Quick!"

  Jack made his decision in a moment. Much as he would have liked to fightit out, he determined upon a wiser course.

  "Hands up, Frank," he said quietly. "They've got the drop on us."

  He raised his hands in the air.

  Not so Frank.

  "They won't get me without a fight," declared the lad angrily, and,raising his voice, he cried:

  "Come and get me, if you want me."

  At the same moment he raised his revolver and fired.

  "Here," cried Jack angrily, "don't be a fool. Give me that gun."

  He seized Frank's wrist and wrenched the revolver from his grasp.

  The latter turned on his chum angrily.

  "What do you mean by that?" he demanded. "Have you turned coward, thatyou surrender to a couple of Germans without a fight?"

  "I haven't turned crazy," replied Jack quietly. "They are too many forus; that's all."

  The other boat came alongside now and an officer stepped aboard theboys' craft.

  "Your weapons," he said in perfect English.

  "Then please step aboard my boat. You shall be taken to Gravesend atonce."

  "Gravesend!" echoed Jack. "You couldn't take us to a better place. Butif you are German, why should you take us there?"

  "German," repeated the man. "You know we are English. You are the Germanspies."

  "No such thing," declared Frank, taking a hand in things. "We areBritish officers and we thought you were German spies. That's why Ifired at you. We thought you were here to learn the secret of th
evanishing submarines."

  "Frank!" cried Jack in warning, but it was too late.

  "The vanishing submarines, eh?" repeated the stranger. "So you havegiven yourselves away. Who but a German spy would be here seeking wordof the vanishing submarines?"

  "But I tell you----" began Jack.

  "Silence," thundered the officer. "You have betrayed yourselves, andthat is enough. I give you my word you shall be shot in the morning."

  "Oh, I guess not," replied Frank with a laugh. "I guess Lord Hastingswill be able to get us out of this mess."

  "Lord Hastings?"

  "Why, yes, we happen to serve under him; that's all."

  "Tell it to the marines," replied the man with sarcasm. "I am not askingyou to admit anything, for I know enough now."

  "Oh, all right," said Frank.

  "Climb into my boat," ordered their captor.

  The lads complied.

  "Say," said Frank, "this is Lord Hastings' motorboat. He told us not tolose it. Tie it on behind and pull it along, will you?"

  "We'll pull it along all right," replied their captor. "Now the bestthing you fellows can do is to keep quiet."

  The lads obeyed this gruff command, for they had nothing particular totalk about.

  Half an hour later the motorboat docked at Gravesend and the boys wereordered to climb out, which they did, under the noses of their captors'weapons.

  "Where to now?" asked Frank.

  "Where I tell you," was the reply.

  Jack was struck by a sudden thought.

  "Will you tell me what time it is, sir?" he asked the leader of theparty which surrounded them.

  "As you ask in such a polite way, I shall do so," was the reply. "Iwouldn't tell this other fellow anything. He's too smart." He producedhis watch, and after a glance at it, said: "Five minutes to ten."

  "By George!" exclaimed Jack. "And we were to meet Lord Hastings at theLion Inn at 10 o'clock."

  "I can promise you'll be at the Lion Inn at 10 o'clock," replied theleader of the capturing party, "but whether you will find Lord Hastingsthere I can't say."

  "You mean you are taking us there?" asked Jack.

  "Exactly."

  "That's what I call luck," broke in Frank. "We'll be all right in a fewmoments now, Jack."

  "You'll be all right till in the morning, I can guarantee that," growledtheir captor.

  At the door of the inn he motioned them to enter ahead of him. They didso and the first person on whom their eyes rested was Lord Hastings.

  "Well, I see you are on time----" the latter began, and then broke offas he saw the armed men behind them.

  "Yes, sir, we are on time," replied Frank with a smile, "and we havebrought company to see you, sir!"