Chapter 11
The Secret of the Islands
The sight that the two boys looked down upon was hardly to be believed. There was a very fine natural harbour of extremely deep water on the north-eastern ide of the third island—and lying in this water were at least seven or eight submarines!
Submarines! A submarine base in those deserted islands! No wonder so many of our ships had been sent to the bottom in the waters around these islands!
"It's a real nest of submarines," whispered Andy at last. "Enemy submarines I I can't believe it. My word, Tom, we've stumbled on an amazing secret."
The boys lay looking down on the water. Some of the submarines lay like great grey crocodiles, humped out of the water. One or two were moving out of the harbour, their periscopes showing. It was a curiously silent place, considering that so many of these underwater ships were there. There was no noise of shouting—no noise of machinery—just a dull throbbing every now and again.
"They get fuel and food here," whispered Andy. They are the small submarines—this harbour can easily take a dozen or more. It's a perfect place for submarines. Do you see how they haven't built any jetties or piers—not a thing that anyone could see, if one of our own planes came over? All they would have to do then would be to sink under the water—and then there would be nothing to see. They store everything in the caves—golly, it's amazing."
For a very long time the two boys lay watching the Strange sight below. Two submarines slipped silently out of the harbour entrance—a way between two reefs of high rocks. A third submarine came in, and lay peacefully with the others, the men coming out on the deck and looking around.
At first Tom had been so full of surprise and alarm, go swept with excitement, that he could think of nothing but the sight of the queer vessels. Then another thought came into his head and he turned to Andy.
"Andy," he said. "We've got to get home and tell what we've seen."