CHAPTER XXIII
FORESTALLED
"Steady on your helm!" exclaimed Drake. "There's a man in the water—two, by Jove!"
The Mosquito was moving slowly under the action of her aerial propeller towards the scene of the catastrophe. The lieutenant decided to make a search for any possible survivors, then take the boats of the Cerberus back to their parent. Should there be any members of the pirate crew still alive they might be able to give valuable information respecting the fate of Fielding and Cardyke —and here they were: two scorched and blackened men, clinging in a half-dazed manner to a fragment of wreckage.
"Steady on your helm," repeated Drake. "Stand by with a boathook, there. Well done, Jenkins!"
[Illustration: HE STRUGGLED DESPERATELY TO THROW HIMSELF ONCE MORE INTO THE SEA.]
Jenkins by a dexterous movement succeeded in lifting one of the survivors on board—a man almost destitute of clothing, and without hair left on his head. It was Da Silva.
The Spaniard was just able to realise that he was in the hands of his foes. He struggled desperately to throw himself once more into the sea. The effort was too much for his weakened energies, and, uttering a malediction, he expired in the arms of his rescuer.
The second pirate was one of the ordinary seamen, a massive-framed Catalonian, who, having an inkling of Cervillo's desperate resolve, had jumped overboard a few seconds before the explosion took place. Ere he regained the surface the worst of the disaster was past, but the concussion temporarily deprived him of his senses. At length, practically blind and deaf, he struck out feebly until his hands encountered the piece of floating wreckage. Here he clung till rescued by the crew of the Mosquito.
In vain Drake cruised over the fatal scene in search of more survivors. There were none. "Easy ahead," he ordered, and the little craft headed towards the boats, whose crews, now recovering from the effects of the terrible detonation, were proceeding to pull back to the Cerberus.
"Any casualties?" asked Drake, anxiously.
"None, thank Heaven," replied Lieutenant Thompson, who was in charge of the expedition. "All pretty well shaken up though, by Jove!"
"Stand by for a tow," continued Drake, and a minute later the boats were sedately following the Mosquito.
"One survivor, sir," replied Drake as he came alongside the scout. "He's pretty bad; but we can question him later. He's only fit for the sick-bay at present."
"That rascal Cervillo has saved us a nasty job," remarked the captain. "But what's become of the Impregnable, I wonder?"
"We'll find out later, sir," replied Drake, confidently. "This rascal will be glad to save his hide."
The Mosquito was soon hoisted on board. Signals of recall were sent to the other aero-hydroplanes, and within half-an-hour the little craft were snugly housed on the deck of their parent ship. For the present there was nothing to be done; everything depended upon the information that might be forthcoming from the rescued pirate. Until this was obtained the captain of the Cerberus refrained from announcing by wireless the destruction of Cervillo and his rascally companions, otherwise there might be an unwelcome order to rejoin the commodore, or else return to port.
At length the pirate recovered sufficiently to be questioned. For some time he stubbornly refused to speak, until it was pointed out to him that it would be a decided point in his favour at the trial that was bound to ensue should he give all the information in his power. Then it was that he related the circumstances of the abandoning of the pirate-cruiser with the greater portion of the crew and the hostages still on board.
The Spaniard was quite unable to give the position of the cruiser when the Serena steamed away. All he could give was the number of days that had elapsed and the yacht's rate of speed.
Promptly the Cerberus headed northwards on the look-out for the stolen cruiser, and Drake obtained his commanding officer's permission to take out the four aero-hydroplanes for reconnoitring purposes at day break on the following morning.
"I've had permission, Thompson!" he exclaimed, gleefully. "I feel confident that I'll pick up Fielding and young Cardyke before another twelve hours are up. If I don't capture the old Impregnable I'll eat my——"
"Steady, old man," remonstrated Thompson. "Remember you're already pledged to eat one. Don't forget the cricket match."
Long before the bos'un's mate's whistle piped "Clear lower deck" the four aerial craft were spreading fanwise in a northerly direction in search of the elusive Impregnable; but although a wide "field" was kept under the closest observation, and constant messages were exchanged between the Mosquito and her consorts, the operations were futile. Shortly after midday the aero-hydroplanes were recalled in order to recharge accumulators and replenish petrol tanks, and also to give the wearied though enthusiastic men a well-earned rest.
But Drake and slumber were not good messmates when work was to be done. Something kept on prompting him to persevere with his quest; the self-confidence that was so characteristic of his personality urged him on—to him was to be the honour of solving the mystery of the missing cruiser.
In answer to Drake's earnest representations the captain of the Cerberus consented to another flight with the aero-hydroplanes that evening, on the understanding that volunteers only should be taken to comprise the crews of the aerial scouts.
"I can rely upon enough men to make one crew at least, sir," replied Drake; but to his astonishment and immense satisfaction not only did every member of the complements of the four aero-hydroplanes signify their willingness to forgo their "stand-easy," but every seaman on board qualified as airmen literally clamoured to take part in the search.
Just before three bells in the second dog-watch (7.30 p.m.) the Mosquito was hoisted out; the Gnat, Tse-tse, and Flea followed in quick succession, and, rising gracefully from the surface, glided on their renewed quest.
Anxiously Drake scanned the horizon. Nothing except a waste of grey water, flicked here and there by white foam, was to be seen. The sun, low in the heavens, shone from a cloudless sky. There was every indication of a spell of fine but cold weather.
Five miles on the Mosquito's port hand the Gnat was flying steadily at an immense height, the other two aerial craft being a considerable distance on the Mosquito's starboard quarter. If anything, Drake's craft was well in advance of the rest of the little flotilla. With monotonous regularity the wireless reported "Nothing in sight" till the sun was on the point of setting.
"There she is, by Jove!" exclaimed Drake suddenly, pointing to a mere dot on the horizon.
"You're right, sir," replied the chief petty officer. "Leastways 'tis a lump of a ship, and we don't look to see big craft in these parts." Ordering the rest of the flotilla to concentrate and follow the Mosquito, Drake headed "all out" towards the distant vessel, and before another quarter of an hour had passed he was able to announce that it was the Impregnable, and that she was steaming slowly stern foremost, evidently badly damaged.
In obedience to signals the three aero-hydroplanes followed the movements of their leader, and came to rest on the surface of the sea. Bearings were taken of the position of the oncoming cruiser, and the four amphibians lay close till darkness set in.
Under ordinary circumstances Drake ought to have immediately reported the discovery of the Impregnable to his commanding officer, and wait till the Cerberus came up to take possession of the pirate-cruiser. But Drake had confidence in his ability to achieve his object. Each of the aero-hydroplanes carried ten men. Allowing two to remain on board there were thirty-two available for the task of capturing the much-sought-after prize. Drake realised that the business would be a comparatively simple matter, since only a small percentage of the original crew of the cruiser remained, and that they were without officers and greatly demoralised by the hardships and perils they had undergone.
As soon as darkness set in, the four vessels, with their air-planes securely folded alongside, formed up in line-ahead, and stole cautiously towards the oncoming ship. To Drake's surprise, the Impregnable was showing steaming-lights, a circumstance quite contrary to the procedure hitherto followed by the modern buccaneer.
Turning hard-a-port the flotilla eased down, and waited for the giant cruiser to pass.
"Looks like a bloomin' ghost, sir," remarked Jenkins to his superior. "Not doin' more'n six knots at the very outside, and as quiet as a corpse."
"We'll liven her up in due course," replied Drake. "Now, lads, no cheering or unnecessary noise. No shot to be fired till I give the word. Then a good old British cheer, and drive the rascals down below. Easy ahead, there!"
Without a sound, save the muffled pulsations of the motors and the rhythmical swish of the waves against the vessel's knife-like sterns, the four craft followed the huge cruiser, like a shoal of threshers after a whale. Not a light was visible on the Impregnable, not a sound of a human voice came from her decks. It was like a mountain of floating steel ploughing its way aimlessly through the waste of night-enshrouded sea.
Satisfied that there was no watch kept in the foremost part of the vessel, Drake ordered speed to be increased till the Mosquito lay alongside the cruiser's port bow, with the Tse-tse just astern. The Flea and the Gnat made fast to the Impregnable's starboard bow. There was just enough of the Tse-tse's and the Gnat's after ends projecting beyond the cruiser's stem to establish communication between the different aero-hydroplanes, while the cruiser's "overhang" for'ard prevented any possibility of their being seen from the Impregnable's fo'c'sle.
Drake gave the signal, and, revolver ready for instant use, led the way, clambering agilely up the steep steel sides by means of one of the torpedo-net booms. Unseen and unheard he gained the deck, followed by the rest of the boarders, till the thirty-two men formed up silently under the lee of the foremost barbette.
Going aft to reconnoitre Drake discovered a light on the after-bridge, for, since the cruiser was going stern foremost, she was being navigated from that position instead of from the fore-bridge.
A hasty examination of the fo'c'sle revealed two men stationed over the hatchway. These were sternly summoned to surrender, but not complying with sufficient alacrity to satisfy Drake, they were promptly thrown to the deck, gagged and secured.
This done, the lieutenant led his men aft. Twenty were detailed to secure the hatchways and companions; the rest, headed by Drake himself, made a sudden rush for the after-bridge.
There was now no need for silence. With a lusty cheer the British bluejackets tore up the steep ladder. The commotion brought two or three muffled figures from the shelter of the wheel-house.
"Surrender in the King's name!" shouted Drake.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" replied Cardyke's well-known voice.