“Come on deck,” said Captain Jackson, with a laugh. “Don’t make your mind uneasy about that.”
I followed him up the companion-way ladder to the deck, now deserted by all save the steersman and the officer on watch.
“Come up to the bridge with me,” said the Captain.
Although it was so near the period of full moon the night was dark, the sky being covered by a dense mass of heavy clouds. Try as we would, our eyes could not pierce the gloom, and we could see nothing a few yards from the ship. Though we had parted company from the destroyers long before, we were, of course, travelling without lights in view of possible danger, and only the binnacle lamp shed a soft radiance on the ship’s compass. I was soon to learn, however, how closely we were watched.
Captain Jackson entered the wheel-house and touched a key. From the masthead above a signal lamp flashed intermittently for a few seconds. Instantly from the southward winked an answering gleam, and Captain Jackson turned to me. “That’s a destroyer,” he said, “and she is coming up full speed.”
For the next few minutes signals were exchanged with the racing destroyer which was on our track, and soon I caught sight of the faint glow from her funnels, and then the outline of her low, rakish hull as she came abreast with us. At a signal from Captain Jackson our engines stopped, and soon we were lying motionless while a boat from the destroyer pulled rapidly across the gap which separated the two vessels.
A few minutes later a smart naval officer came on board with four men. We were soon seated in the Captain’s cabin, and I rapidly gave him an outline of what had happened. His quick intelligence took in the situation at a glance.
“I’ll take your Mr Humber back with me,” he said, “and you and your man can come along.”
But we were nearly to lose our man. As the officer and his men entered the engine-room Humber caught sight of them. He started, but instantly recovered himself. As the lieutenant spoke to Phail, Humber watched him closely. I saw Aubert move noiselessly but swiftly behind Humber, evidently ready for a tussle. A moment later Phail beckoned Humber to come to him.
Instantly the spy’s hand shot to his jacket pocket, and, as it came out, bringing with it a revolver, Aubert sprang. The next instant the revolver was on the floor and Aubert had Humber in a grip of iron. Ten minutes later, with Humber securely handcuffed, we were on our way to the destroyer, and were soon thrashing our way at top speed for home.