The Rival Submarines

by Percy F. Westerman

Meanwhile the telegraph had not been idle. It was rightly conjectured that the mysterious craft was that of the modern buccaneer, and a battery of Egyptian artillery had been ordered from Cairo. The artillerymen were sent by train, the route being so roundabout that several hours elapsed before the men and guns detrained at the nearest station, where they were separated by a fresh water canal and a stretch of desert from the spot where the "Vorwartz" had grounded.

It was fortunate for the 'Gippy artillery that Karl von Harburg did not possess the same potential means of offence as did the captain of the "Aphrodite," otherwise the charged shells in the limbers might have exploded with disastrous results. Eventually, after great exertion, the blacks got their guns into position and prepared to hull the helpless submarine. Just then a heavy sandstorm swept down. The breech-blocks of the quick-firers had to be promptly covered up to prevent the ill-effects of the sand upon the delicate mechanism. When the storm ceased the "Vorwartz" was once more afloat and hidden by the sand hills.

Only one course remained for the British officer in charge of the Artillery to take. That was to regain the railway and entrain for Suez, where another chance of cutting off the submarine's retreat was left. But once again the troops were foiled, for before they reached Suez, the "Vorwartz" had passed Port Ibrahim, the Red Sea entrance to the Canal.

Now was Karl von Harburg's opportunity to enrich himself with the plunder from helpless liners and merchantmen. The Red Sea was practically denuded of men-of-war. A pair of obsolete gunboats lay off Suakin. They were not capable of doing more than twelve knots, and could be regarded with contempt. A British third-class cruiser, one of the units of the East Indies squadron, was stationed at Aden, while the remainder of the squadron was at Bombay, with the exception of a second-class cruiser that could not well be withdrawn from the Persian Gulf, without the risk of allowing dangerous cargoes of rifles to be "run" by the Arab dhows that were ever awaiting their opportunity for the hazardous yet profitable business.

Upon the arrival of the "Aphrodite" at Port Said, Captain Restronguet was literally received with open arms by the harassed and distracted Canal officials. The presence of the "Vorwartz" in the Red Sea meant a far greater loss to them in due and tolls than while she was in the Levant, and even then there had been an appreciable falling off in the receipts. Without the faintest delay Captain Restronguet received permission to take his wonderful submarine through the hundred miles of artificial waterway, special facilities being granted so that no undue delay would be experienced. It was generally recognized that if anyone had the honour and distinction of ridding the seas of a danger and a pest that man was Captain Restronguet.

The "Aphrodite" made the journey on the surface and by night. She was twelve hours behind her rival. Fortunately it was bright moonlight, and aided by the powerful search-light on board and the electric arc lamps that had recently been placed on the banks of the canal, the passage was performed most expeditiously. At every town and village crowds assembled to cheer the modern magician. At Ismalia the Khedive's band, sent specially from the palace at Cairo, serenaded the "Aphrodite"; the shipping at Port Ibrahim hailed her approach with a deafening salute upon their syrens; and just as dawn was breaking the submarine, having accomplished the trip in less than seven hours, slipped gracefully under the waters of the Gulf of Suez.

Captain Restronguet's spirits rose. He was flattered with the reception accorded him by the Canal authorities. He realized that, instead of being regarded with suspicion, the world was beginning to appreciate his services to mankind.

"We'll have him right enough," he remarked confidentially to Devoran. "There's a faint tremor noticeable on the detector that cannot mean anything but the presence of the 'Vorwartz.' I have been officially informed that no Government submarine is within a thousand miles of us."

"How far do you think the vessel is, sir?" asked Hythe.

"The detector is sensitive to anything of that nature within a hundred and twenty miles, but, of course, the actual position of the chase cannot be fixed with any degree of accuracy at that distance. But as soon as we approach within twenty miles of von Harburg's counterfeit presentment of my submarine, the position of the 'Vorwartz' will be accurately recorded on the chart controlled by the electric detector."