CHAPTER XXIX
IN THE NIGHT
Frank took command of the submarine. As he had feared, there was some protest among the men Captain Jack had decided upon to man the vessel, but the pirate chief soon overcame this. Therefore, when the submarine put off from Kaiserland, the men were anxious to obey the lad's every order.
From the fort to the place where the submarine lay the paths of both land and sea parties lay together. According to Captain Jack's calculations the start from this point, if made simultaneously by land and sea forces, would enable both to reach their destination at approximately the same hour, if the submarine was held to five knots an hour. It had been deemed advisable for the undersea craft to go some distance from land and then run south submerged.
From the deck of the submarine Frank waved a band to his friends on shore. The others stood watching while the vessel crept through the water. 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 led the main body, composed of twelve men. Jack had the same number under his command. Counting Timothy and Allen, Captain Glenn commanded thirteen men.
While Jack was nominally in command of the party, it had been decided that it would be wise to let Captain Jack show the way, this because the pirates would feel more secure under his guidance. They moved south at a rapid walk.
Darkness fell and still the marchers made their way through the thick trees and underbrush. The march would be a long one, so after two hours' walking, Captain Jack slowed his men down a trifle.
At 10 o'clock Captain Jack called a halt in the darkness. He glanced at his watch by the dim light of the moon, and passed the word for Jack and Captain Glenn, who approached a moment later.
"Half an hour's march and we shall be within sight of the base," said Captain Jack. "The Germans have felled trees between them and the forest proper, apparently with the idea of preventing a surprise from this direction. We'll have to trust to luck and the darkness to get us safely 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 had better approach from different points. Templeton, I'll wait here with my men while you make a quarter of a mile detour to the right. Captain Glenn, 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 follow suit."
"A good idea," was Jack's comment.
"Don't forget," Captain Jack said, "that the main thing is to get the bombs planted without being discovered. If we can do that without interruption, it would even be well to draw off without firing a shot. But the bombs must be placed squarely within the German settlement or our work will count for nothing."
"Right you are, Captain," said Captain Glenn.
"Very good, then. Now, you fellows get to your places and then move toward the clearing. As soon as you see my men moving across the opening, advance."
Jack and Captain Glenn returned to their commands and gave the necessary marching orders. The men moved off in the darkness.
Less than an hour later Jack stood in the shelter of a large tree at the very edge of the clearing. In the distance he could make out what appeared to be numerous buildings. This was the point, the lad felt sure, where the blow would be struck.
In his left hand Jack carried a small but powerful bomb, which had been provided by Captain Jack. The fuse attached would burn fifteen minutes. In the time after it was lighted this meant that the attacking party had fifteen minutes to get out of the way before the explosion occurred. Captain Glenn and Captain Jack carried similar explosives.
Jack kept his eyes upon the place where Captain, Jack's party soon was to move across the open. For five minutes he gazed without result, and then 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 at a run.
A quarter of a mile on the other side of Captain Jack's party, Captain
Glenn 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, Frank kept the course accurately. The speed of the vessel was maintained at five knots, in accordance with Captain Jack's calculations. As Frank's watch showed half past eleven, he felt that the time to exercise the greatest caution had come.
The lad turned the wheel over to Williams and took the latter's place at the periscope. Directly he was able to make out the coast line, and even at this distance he felt certain that he could make out a long row of buildings in the background. The submarine was, of course, still too far away for possible vessels, which would lie low on the water, to be 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 at this distance, but they may all be upon the surface as well as resting beneath 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. "Be ready to grab a couple of mines and follow me on deck when I give the word." Frank turned and summoned one of the pirate crew, a negro, who answered 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 slowed down 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. "They must explode at 12:30—"
At 12:10 the submarine emerged from the depth and floated calmly upon the surface of what appeared to be an artificial harbor. Frank and Williams, leaving Jefferson at the wheel and ordering the engines stopped, 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 glancing at 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 the vessel, aft. Williams followed suit to starboard, forward. Frank poked his head down the hatchway and yelled:
"Full speed, ahead, Jefferson!" The vessel dashed forward. "West by north 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, Frank perceived several long shapes emerging from below. He took one look and then dived below with a cry to Williams:
"Submarines!"
It was true. Attracted by the impending danger in some unaccountable fashion, the German terrors of the deep were coming from fancied security beneath the waves for a look around.
Frank grabbed the wheel from Jefferson and turned the head of the submarine due north. He rang for full speed ahead.
At almost the same instant one of the German submarines espied the stranger in the midst. There was a hail across the water. Then a torpedo flashed close to the Roger.
Again Frank glanced at his watch. It was 12:25—only five minutes were left in which the pirate submarine might reach a place of safety. Frank feared to give the signal to submerge for the reason that the speed of the craft would be impeded.
It was better to run the gauntlet of the submarines on top of the water. Torpedoes passed close, but Frank maneuvered the little vessel from port to starboard and back again so rapidly that none struck home.
And at last Frank, watch in hand, felt that the submarine was safely out of the danger zone. His watch showed 12:30.
Frank strained his ears to catch the explosion that would tell him the deadly mines had done their work.