"I hope they didn't let those on the 'Vorwartz' see them," said Captain Restronguet. "If it be the 'Vorwartz'--and I have no reason to suppose that there is another submarine beside her and the 'Aphrodite' on the Zambezi--we have just saved ourselves from being nicely fooled. We might have been searching the tributaries on the right bank till Doomsday."
"And the 'Pride of Rhodesia' is devoting her attentions to the right bank also," added the sub.
"Let her," said Captain Restronguet with a hearty laugh. "This seems almost too good to be true."
Bending to their oars and heedless of the blazing sun the whaler's crew brought the boat back at breakneck speed. Almost before her way was checked as she came alongside Captain Restronguet, Hythe, and five of the crew leapt on board. They had taken the precaution to arm themselves, for it was quite possible that some of Karl von Harburg's men had gone ashore and had already sighted the "Aphrodite" lying in mid-stream.
Up the hill the landing party toiled, and crossing the plateau gained the clump of trees on the landward side. Here they hid, while Captain Restronguet and the sub reconnoitred by means of the binoculars.
Yes, there was no longer any cause for doubt. The twin conning-towers and a portion of the upper deck of the "Vorwartz" were just visible above the reeds that fringed the narrow river. She was floating high, all her ballast tanks having been started. Two of the hatches were flung back but no signs of any of the crew were to be seen.
"She's hard aground, I think," observed Hythe. "The river has fallen in spite of the rains, and she's fairly caught."
"I wouldn't like to say that such is the case," replied Captain Restronguet. "It seems to me that they are lying low: shifting some of their booty to a safe hiding-place. At all events I don't feel inclined to take the 'Aphrodite' up the stream. I'll get Devoran to lie off the junction of this river with the Zambezi. If the 'Vorwartz' attempts to escape he can easily sink her in shallow water. Meanwhile I'll have the field gun landed. Firing capped shell she will be able to hull yonder craft through and through. All the same I cannot account for the lack of signs of life aboard."
Captain Restronguet left nothing to chance. In order to guard against a possible surprise he had outposts placed at proper distances from his main body. Hythe volunteered to superintend the landing of the field-gun, and in less than an hour that piece of ordnance was by dint of sheer hard work brought ashore and hauled to the top of the hill. Here it was placed in position, carefully screened by the trees, and its muzzle pointed menacingly upon the visible part of the "Vorwartz."
Another hour passed. Still no signs of activity were noticeable on board the rival submarine.