Under the White Ensign: A Naval Story of the Great War

by Percy F. Westerman

"Give her time," replied the Sub, hoping against hope that the vessel would respond to the appeal for aid.

But no; instead of reversing engines she ported helm, and at full speed was soon lost to sight in the darkness.

"Rale haythens, sure they be!" muttered an Irishman indignantly.

Webb took the acute disappointment philosophically. These were times when unprecedented horrors encompassed the mariner—cold-blooded murder in the darkness of the night by cowardly lurking U-boats. Cases had been known of German vessels of war luring their victims to destruction by false signals of distress, and it was more than likely that the officer of the watch of the unknown ship, hearing the hail, had come to the conclusion that it was a decoy cry from a hostile submarine, and had altered her course in order to avoid a torpedo.

With the first streaks of dawn the wind moderated, although dead ahead. The seas, still high, no longer maintained their vicious, crested aspect. It was now safe to rehoist sail, and, accordingly, the sea-anchor was brought on board and the masts restepped.

The Sub had already made up his mind to steer westward. With luck he might reach Malta, or at least fall in with some of the numerous war-ships that make Valetta their base.

As luck would have it, the "traveller", or iron ring that runs up and down the mast and to which is attached the yard, was jerked upwards during the operation of making sail. Slackening the halyard made no difference. The elusive ring remained at a tantalizing distance of two or three inches above the tallest man's outstretched hand, and there was no boat-hook to bring it down.

Webb was about to order the mast to be unstepped, when one of the men swarmed up the swaying pole and recovered the "traveller". As he did so he happened to glance to windward.

"A sail!" he shouted. "Coming bows on."

For a few minutes all on board the whaler were in a state of suspense. The vessel was approaching rapidly, but to a great extent was obscured by the cloud of black smoke that was carried ahead by the following wind.