The commander of the American cruiser made his plans quickly. He sent a large crew aboard the Admiral Pekhard. Then the cruiser steamed away to a distance. But she was a very fast ship and she did not remain far out of sight of the British steamship.
Mr. Rollife had insisted on remaining at his post. The chatter of the Admiral Pekhard’s radio kept the American commander in touch with all that went on. When the submarine appeared on the surface, not many hundred yards away from the ship that was supposed to be in the hands of German plotters, the Seattle started for the spot at top-speed.
It was a great race! Tom was as excited as any sailor aboard, and until it was all over he was not content to remain with Ruth below decks.
Four of the cruiser’s prize crew, masquerading as Germans, manned the motor boat and shot over to the gray side of the huge submarine. They could all speak German. They fooled the U-boat commander, Herr Kapitan-Leutnant Scheiner, nicely. He sent his first in command and the special crew brought from the submarine base at Kiel to the passenger ship, crowding the small launch to the very guards.
When these men went, one by one, up the ladder, they were met behind the shelter of the rail by a number of determined American blue jackets, who disarmed them and knocked them down promptly if they ventured to offer resistance.
Before the smoke of the Seattle was sighted the two deck guns of the Admiral Pekhard, their breechlocks replaced, were trained upon the open hatch of the U-714. Through a trumpet the officer in command of the crew from the Seattle ordered Kapitan-Leutnant Scheiner to surrender his boat and crew.
When he made a dive for the open hatch, the forward gun of the British ship, manned by American gunners, put a shell right down that hatchway—and Scheiner was instantly killed.
The Admiral Pekhard was sent to Plymouth, as that port was nearer than Brest. Besides, the Seattle’s commander had learned already by radio that the entire ship’s company of the British ship had safely reached that port.
Mr. Dowd and Rollife went with the Admiral Pekhard; but after due consideration, and listening to the pleadings of Ruth Fielding and Tom Cameron, the latter pair were allowed to remain aboard the American cruiser.
“You are due to reach New York anyway, Miss Fielding,” said the commander. “And from what he tells me of his experience, I believe Captain Cameron has earned a furlough. Although I presume he will first have to be reported as being absent without leave.”