V—STORY OF THE SINKING TRANSPORT
Soon the outlines of a ship told us that ahead of us was a large steamer, steaming westward at high speed. The disappointment which we experienced at first was soon reversed when it was clearly shown that the fortunes of war had again sent a ship across our course which belonged to a hostile power.
No flag could be seen—nor was it run up. Otherwise we would have seen it.
"This is a suspicious circumstance," I reasoned with myself.
I called down to the "Centrale" all my observations through the periscope at regular intervals, snapping them out in the same sharp, brief style that the newsboys use in calling out the headlines to the listening public. My words were passed in whispers from mouth to mouth until all hands on board knew what was going on above the surface. Each new announcement from the conning tower caused great excitement among the crew, listening and holding their breath and, I believe, if you could measure the tension on human nerves with a barometer, it would have registered to the end of the tube, when, like hammer beats, these words went down to the "Centrale:"
"The steamer's armed! Take a look, mate."
I stepped away from the sights of the periscope. "Can you see the gun mounted forward of the bridge?"
"Yes, certainly," he replied excitedly. "I can see it, and quite a large piece it is, too."
"Now take a look at her stern—right by the second mast—what do you notice there?"