“Give way, and lay alongside,” Dave ordered his coxswain, while signalling Dalzell to keep his launch back for the present.
Then Dave addressed the young German officer:
“You understand English?”
“Yes,” came the reply, with a scowl.
“We are coming alongside. Your officers and men will be searched for weapons, then transferred, in detachments, to our launch, and taken aboard our craft.”
The German nodded, addressing a few murmured words to his men, who moved well up forward on the submarine’s slippery deck.
As the launch drew alongside two seamen leaped to the submarine’s deck and held the lines that made the launch fast to it.
Half a dozen armed seamen sprang aboard, with Darrin, who signalled to the second launch to come up on the other side of the German boat.
“Be good enough, sir, to order the rest of your men on deck,” Dave directed, and the German officer shouted the order in his own tongue. More sullen-looking German sailors appeared through the conning tower and lined up forward.
“Did you command here?” Dave demanded of the officer.