CHAPTER XIII
PREPARING FOR BATTLE
"Eleven o'clock!"
Jack returned his watch to his pocket.
"Not much time to gather the fleet together," he said quietly to Frank.
"No," was his chum's reply, "but you can rest assured that all can be done will be done."
Captain Raleigh, upon the bridge, had issued orders swiftly. The Queen Mary, which had been heading southward after Frank and Jack returned aboard, was quickly brought about. After several sharp commands to his officers, Captain Raleigh motioned to Frank and Jack.
"Come with me," he said. "You shall tell me what you have learned as we go along."
The two lads followed him.
Straight to the wireless room went the commander of the Queen Mary.
"Get the Lion quickly," he ordered the wireless operator.
"Lion! Lion!" the call went across the water.
There was no reply.
"Try the Indefatigable," was the next command.
"Indefatigable! Indefatigable!" flashed the wireless.
The receiving apparatus aboard the Queen Mary clicked sharply.
"Indefatigable answering, sir," reported the operator.
"Send this," ordered Captain Raleigh, and passed a slip of paper on which he had scribbled rapidly to the wireless operator.
The message read as follows:
"German high sea fleet to attack off Jutland tonight. Inform Admiral
Beatty. Relay message. Am steaming for Danish coast to engage enemy.
Information authentic. Follow me!
(Signed) "RALEIGH."
A short pause and again the receiving apparatus on the Queen Mary clicked sharply.
"O.K., sir," said the operator.
"All right," this from Captain Raleigh. "Call the Invincible."
Again the wireless began to click. Two minutes later the operator reported:
"Invincible answering, sir."
"Send the same message," instructed Captain Raleigh.
It might be well to state here that all these messages were sent in code, for it was probable that a German vessel of some sort might be within the wireless zone and, if able to read the messages as they flashed across the sea, would have communicated with the main German fleet.
One after another now the wireless of the Queen Mary picked up the battle cruisers Defense, Black Prince, Warrior and the super-dreadnaught War-spite, all of which chanced to be within range of the Queen Mary's wireless. The destroyers Tipperary, Turbulent and Nestore also answered the call and were instructed to proceed to the Skagerak at full speed.
And to each vessel, as it answered, the single word "relay" was flashed. This meant that Captain Raleigh wanted the word sent to other vessels of the British fleet not within her own wireless radius. And the answer to this was invariably the same:
"O.K.!"
Still in the wireless room, Captain Raleigh turned to Frank and Jack and said:
"Now, I shall be glad to know how you boys learned this information."
Jack explained as briefly as possible. Captain Raleigh interrupted occasionally as Jack proceeded with his story and when the lad had concluded, he said quietly:
"You have done well, young sirs. England has much to thank you for."
"But will the others arrive in time, sir?" asked Frank, anxiously. "That," said Captain Raleigh, "I cannot say. You may be sure that they will come to our assistance at all possible speed, however."
"But you will not await them there, sir?"
"No; I shall engage the enemy single handed if necessary."
With this Captain Raleigh turned on his heel and would have left the wireless room. At that moment, however, the wireless began to click again, and the commander of the Queen Mary paused.
"For us?" he asked.
The operator nodded.
"Admiral Beatty, aboard the Lion, calling, sir."
"Take his message!"
There was silence for a moment, and then the operator called off the clicks of his apparatus.
"Admiral Beatty wants to know your source of information," he reported.
Captain Raleigh dictated a reply.
Again silence for a few moments; and then the operator said:
"The Queen Mary is ordered to the Skagerak under full speed. Hold the enemy until the arrival of the main fleet. Assistance on the way. Indefatigable, Defense and Black Prince also steaming for Jutland to lend a hand. Open the engagement immediately you sight the enemy."
"Sign O.K.," said Captain Raleigh.
The operator obeyed and heard the operator aboard the Lion repeat his message.
"I guess that is about all we can do," said Captain Raleigh. Again he turned to leave the room and once more paused at the door.
"Keep your instrument going," he ordered the operator. "Pick up any ship that may not have heard the message. Come, boys," this last to Frank and Jack.
The boys followed their commander back to the bridge; thence to his cabin.
The interchange of messages had taken time, and glancing at his watch now, Frank saw that it was after one o'clock.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "I had no idea we had been in the wireless room so long."
Back in his cabin, Captain Raleigh seemed to have forgotten the boys' presence. He was busy for perhaps an hour poring over a mass of charts and other papers. Frank and Jack stood at attention. They were becoming uneasy, when Captain Raleigh looked up suddenly.
"Pass the word for the first officer," he instructed.
Jack sprang to obey and in a moment the first officer of the Queen
Mary was in the cabin.
"Shape your course for Jutland proper," ordered Captain Raleigh.
The first officer saluted and obeyed.
"We'll go back to the wireless room," Captain Raleigh informed the two lads. "I want to keep you boys near me for I may desire to ask a question at any moment."
The lads followed their commander back to the wireless room.
"Any calls?" he asked the operator.
"One coming now, sir."
"Repeat it as it comes."
"Very well, sir. Indefatigable calling."
"Ask her position."
"Five miles south by southwest, sir."
"Inform Captain Reynolds that we shall slow down and wait for him to come up with us."
"Very well, sir."
The operator sent the message.
"O.K., sir, signed, 'Reynolds,'" the operator reported a few moments later.
"Ask her if she has picked up any other vessels."
"Destroyers Fortune and Shark, sir," reported the operator a little later.
"Good. Give Captain Reynolds our position and tell him to keep working his wireless. Tell him we are likely to need every ship we can bring up."
"Very well, sir."
The operator sent the message.
"O.K., again, sir," he reported.
Captain Raleigh passed a slip of paper to the operator.
"On this," he said, "are enumerated the ships that should be somewhere in these waters. Pick up as many of them as you can. As you give the warnings when answered check them off on the list. If any information is asked, call me."
"Very well, sir," replied the operator, taking the slip of paper. "No other instructions, sir?"
"No. Send the same message as you sent to the Indefatigable."
Captain Raleigh motioned Frank and Jack to follow him and left the room.
"I want you two to attend me closely," he informed the lads. "I shall have lots of leg work that must be done from now until we sight the enemy and even after that. You shall act as my orderlies tonight and while the battle lasts."
Frank and Jack were considerably flattered by this. They knew that
Captain Raleigh had been pleased with their work.
They saluted.
"Very well, sir," they exclaimed in a single breath.
"I want one of you to report to the wireless room, room, ready to bring me any message that may come," instructed Captain Raleigh. "The other will stay here. You can suit yourselves about your positions."
"I'll go to the wireless room, then, sir," said Frank.
"Very well. Report to me instantly a message is received."
Frank saluted and took his departure. Jack stood at attention in Captain Raleigh's cabin as the commander of the Queen Mary again plunged into a mass of charts.
Captain Raleigh sprang to his feet and opened his watch.
"Four o'clock," he said. "We won't reach Skagerak until well after six. I am in hopes the Germans will not try to pass through before early morning. We shall be ready for them then."
"How big a fleet have we there now, sir?" asked Jack.
"None, to speak of. Two or three cruisers and a couple of torpedo boats. I believe we have a submarine or two there also, though I cannot be sure of that."
"We'll lick 'em, sir," said Jack, enthusiastically.
Captain Raleigh smiled.
"I hope so," he said quietly.
At that moment the first officer called from the bridge.
"Battleship overhauling us fast, sir."
"Probably the Indefatigable," said Captain Raleigh.
He went on deck. Jack followed him.