"That's good," said Vyse, in a low tone. "Cuts off most sounds. We can talk if we want to."
"So we can," added a husky voice, coming from behind the water-tank. "It's all right, chums; it's only me—Slogger Soames."
"Bless my soul, Soames!" ejaculated Broadmayne, "what are you doing here?"
"Thought it about time I 'opped it," explained the ex-stoker. "Things were goin' a bit too strong on board the old hooker, even for me. I spotted you two slippin' over the side an' swimming round this 'ere vessel's stern. Says I to myself suddenlike, 'Well, 'ere goes. They'll want some one to bear a hand afore they're out of this 'ere mess.' An' I knows you won't give me away when we gets on the beach. Plymouth gasworks'll suit me down to the ground after this little spree, I give you my word."
"How did you get aboard?" asked the Sub.
"I was givin' a hand shiftin' cargo, in a manner o' speaking," replied Soames. "In plain English, we wur pinchin' the bloomin' Dagoes' duds. Then Marchant yells out for a sledge-'ammer. I fetches it aft, gives a look over the side to see you wur all right—you didn't spot me, but I saw you a-hangin' on to the nose of that there boat—and then I nips down 'ere. An' 'ere I be."
There were now sounds of great activity all over the ship. Judging by the tone of their voices, the officers were rapidly becoming acquainted with the disordered state of their looted cabins. From the engine-room came indications that the staff were preparing to get the machinery in motion.
A bell clanged loudly. A few seconds later the pistons began to move. The engines raced madly, while a disconcerting, rasping, groaning sound immediately underneath the fugitives' hiding-place told its own tale.
"Cain fractured the shaft before he left," declared Broadmayne. "I had an idea that's what it was."
For some minutes the terrific clatter continued, the deck-officers being unaware that anything was wrong, until they noticed that the ship was not gathering way. Then a renewed outburst with the engine-room telegraph gong was followed by the engineers shutting off steam. The discordant metallic clamour ceased, but a babel of excited voices all shouting at once arose in its place.