Wakefield motioned to the rowers to pull alongside. Followed by Meredith and the armourer's mate, he gained the rusty deck.
"Hatches are closed," he said, in a low voice.
"Soon have them open, sir," declared the petty officer confidently.
"I think not," replied Wakefield. "Not until we've looked round a bit."
The three men moved for'ard. There were signs that the boat had not recently been in commission. Apparently she had been towed out of harbour and moored in the isolated position off the Hoorn Reefs. Why? If as a mark-boat to assist returning submarines to verify their position, the fact of closed hatches was easily explained. Being shut, they enabled her to ride out a spell of bad weather, otherwise she would have foundered.
"That's curious," exclaimed Meredith, pointing to the closed fore-hatch.
"What?" asked Wakefield.
"This," replied the Sub, pointing to a small, almost unnoticeable disc let in flush with the steel lid.
"By Jove, rather!" agreed the lieutenant. "An ebonite plug with a copper core! Yes; look here. There's a corresponding gadget on the deck. The two would come in contact when the holding down bolts of the hatch are released and the cover flies back. I fancy we were wise not to meddle with those hatch covers, or our curiosity would have landed us in a hole."
"She's stuffed with explosives, then?"