Dave Darrin and the German Submarines Page 15

  CHAPTER XIV

  TEAM WORK BETWEEN SKY AND WATER

  From mere specks the oncoming objects grew larger and larger, until, tothe unaided eye, they stood plainly revealed as hydroairplanes.

  They were British, too, and built especially for the purpose ofdetecting and destroying submarines. Tommy Atkins calls this type ofairplane a "blimp."

  From high up in the air observers are able, when the light is right, tosee a submarine at a depth of about one hundred feet below the surface.Having detected a submerged enemy craft the hydroairplane flies over it,dropping a bomb.

  "That they can see a submersible at such a depth makes me wonder why thehydroairplane doesn't take the place of the destroyer," observedLieutenant Curtin.

  "The crew of a hydroairplane can see the submarine at a greater depthunder water than can a destroyer," Dave explained, "but owing to theheight at which they are obliged to observe they cannot drop their bombsas accurately."

  "Then the chaps yonder are not likely to be of much service to usto-day."

  Coming still nearer, one of the hydroairplanes made signals which theflagship of the destroyer flotilla answered. Then through the fleet ranthe signalled message:

  "When possible the hydroairplanes will destroy enemy boats by bombing. Asmoke bomb in the air will denote position of submarine at that moment.Destroyer commanders will act accordingly."

  "Then the British flyers yonder will fight on their own account, orscout for us, as seems best," Dave announced.

  One of the great flying craft neared the position into which the "Logan"was steaming. Suddenly she swooped a bit lower and let go an object thatdropped fast, going out of sight under the water.

  There was a turmoil ahead among the waves. As the destroyer movedforward those on her decks saw oil spreading over the water.

  "Signal a hit, then follow the airship," Dave directed.

  Moving, now, no faster than did the destroyer, the hydroairplanescurried about through the air, swooping, banking, diving and rising. Atlast, apparently she located another submarine. A bomb dropped, butDave, driving his ship through the water after the explosion, found notell-tale oil signs.

  "Wide of the mark," signalled the Britisher.

  Presently the hydroairplane again caught sight of the prey it wasstalking. Another bomb fell, but still no hit.

  "We'll fly just over the enemy," wirelessed the hydroairplane. "At theinstant you're fairly over we'll signal you."

  "That's the right way to hunt," declared Danny Grin, under his breath.

  Acting on the suggestion Darrin steamed in until he was directly underthe air craft. The signal came. Dave ordered a bomb dropped, and steamedrapidly away from the place of the coming explosion. Then he swungaround, driving back at full speed.

  "A hit," signalled the airship.

  "Easy, when you do all the work," Darrin signalled back. "Be good enoughto find us another mouthful."

  By this time the cannonading on all sides had become incessant. Despitethe cloudiness of the night, the day had turned out bright, in a seasonwhen bright days do not abound in these waters. On such a day, thoughthe periscope metal is dull, the drops of water adhering to the shaftmake it a fairly bright mark.

  Wherever a periscope showed, the handlers of more than one gun took achance at it. Several broad patches of oil marked the graves of Hunsubmersibles and their crews.

  The wake made by a conning tower was sure to lead a destroyer away inpursuit of that same tower. The hydroairplanes followed many of thesewakes, in nearly every instance locating the sea monsters for thedestroyers.

  Besides, the torpedo trails in themselves served to lead the destroyersto many an enemy craft.

  "This is the right combination," Dan muttered to Lieutenant Curtin."Airship and destroyer combined have an advantage that puts thesubmersible on the run or out of commission altogether. It takes thecredit away from the destroyer too."

  "I don't care where the credit goes, if the pests are sunk," Curtinanswered. "If we had had these airships yesterday we wouldn't have lostthe 'Castle City.'"

  "But the hydroairplanes do not go so far out as we were sailingyesterday," Dalzell reminded the watch officer.

  "I know it, but I believe that a type could be made that would have nodifficulty in crossing the ocean from shore to shore."

  Now the "Logan's" guns were at it again, with a barking din that madeconversation difficult.

  By this time only one hydroairplane remained with the head of the fleet,which was believed to have passed through the submarine ambush. Theothers and a decided majority of the destroyers were now maneuveringanywhere from the middle to the rear end of the transports.

  Finally the fight centered on the tail end of the transport fleet. Herethe submarines were doing their best to "get" a transport.

  Another hour, and the fleet believed itself to be clear of thatsubmarine concentration. Not that vigilance was relaxed, however. Notroopship had been struck to-day, but the fine work might be easilyundone by carelessness on the part of either hydroairplane or destroyercommanders.

  Two hours after the attack began Darrin received signalled orders toreturn to his former position in the escort line.

  "Thus endeth the second chapter--apparently," commented Danny Grin.

  During this engagement, as on the day before, the soldiers who crowdedthe destroyer had been ordered from the decks during the fight. Theywere now notified that they might come out.

  It was one o'clock in the afternoon when the leading hydroairplanesignalled a report that the sea ahead was strewn with wreckage. Shipafter ship sailed through this mute evidence of the enemy's presence anddetestable work. Spars with clinging cordage floated by. Woodenhatchcovers, overturned boats, oars, chairs, wooden boxes, bales ofsoaked cotton and what-not were in the litter that strewed the sea overa broad area.

  One of the overturned lifeboats was overhauled. The name on her sternshowed that she belonged to a nine-thousand-ton freighter, carrying anaval gun crew and fore and after guns.

  "The loss of the ship is bad enough," said Dave, soberly, "but there isnothing to indicate how many lives were lost."

  An hour later, however, three boats, containing some forty men, womenand children, were overhauled. The freighter had carried passengers.

  When the lifeboats had been overhauled, and the occupants taken off bythe destroyer "John Adams," the shivering wretches had a sad tale totell. It was at that moment believed, and afterwards confirmed, thatsome sixty persons had lost their lives.

  "Even after we pulled away in the small boats," sobbed an Americanwoman, "the brutes shelled us."

  "A cook in our boat was hit," a man took up the narrative. "The shellstruck him at the waist, hurling his head and trunk overboard andleaving his legs in the boat. And a child's head was shot from itsshoulders. You noticed the splashes of blood in our boat? I'm fifty-nineyears old, but if any recruiting officer in four armies will accept meI'm ready to enlist and fight these beasts--navy or army!"

  "And I'm going to enlist!" quivered a young boatswain's mate. "I can'tget into the trenches soon enough. I won't take any German prisoners atthe front, either," he added, significantly.

  Late in the afternoon, not many miles from the submarine base, Frenchand American destroyers waited to escort the transport fleet the rest ofthe way to France. At about that same hour the evening papers in Berlindeclared that an American transport fleet had been encountered, and thatnine of the ships, containing more than twenty thousand Americansoldiers, had been sent to the bottom. The truth was that one transporthad been sunk and eleven Americans killed and wounded!

  Many of the destroyers that had brought in the transport fleet to thepoint where the new escort awaited it, now turned seaward once more.Dave Darrin and the "Logan," however, were under orders to go to thebase port, for the trial of Ober-Lieutenant von Bechtold was close athand.

  When Dave and Dan went ashore they took with them Seaman Jordan underclose guard.

  After slipping that n
ote to Seaman Reardon and then receiving no furtherresults from it, Jordan had suddenly suspected the ruse that was likelyto put his neck in a noose. So now, as he went ashore, that young seamanwas gloomy and pallid.

  Hardly had Darrin stepped on the wharf when a waiting jackie salutedsmartly.

  "Why, hullo, Runkle!" cried Dave, halting, for this sailorman had beenof great assistance to him in former undertakings.

  "I'm glad to see you, sir," exclaimed Runkle, who bore the device of aboatswain's mate. "I thought you were in these waters, sir."

  "And I wish I had you on my ship, Runkle," Dave went on, earnestly.

  "Begging your pardon, sir, I see that you have Hartmann a prisoner."

  "Who?"

  "Hartmann."

  "Do you mean the sailor under guard?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "You call him Hartmann?"

  "Yes, sir--Gus Hartmann--old Jake Hartmann's son. I ought to know him. Wehail from the same home town."

  "Speak to him," murmured Dave, then turned to the prisoner with:

  "Jordan, here's a boatswain's mate who says your name is Hartmann."

  "It must be so, sir, if he says so," returned Jordan, sulkily.

  "Then you admit your name to be Hartmann?"

  "No, sir; but I can see that I am not to get any show whatever, so I mayas well give up hope."

  "Runkle," said Dave, after signalling to the guard to take the prisoneron, "I shall have to arrange for you to be on hand. That young man willundoubtedly be tried for treason. He enlisted under an American name,and your testimony that his real name is Hartmann will be valuable forthe prosecution."

  "If young Hartmann is guilty of treason," Runkle burst out hotly, "Iwould be glad enough to have the job of drowning him myself."

  "Is Jordan, or Hartmann, a citizen of the United States?"

  "He was born in America, I understand, sir, but his father was born inGermany, and, so I was told, never took out naturalization papers."

  When the accused sailor had been locked up, and three secret service mencame on board, Dave Darrin aided them in searching for more of thebottles that glowed when dropped in water.

  Jordan, or Hartmann, had been employed at times under the ship'spainter. In the paint storeroom the secret service men, after somesearch, found a board in the floor, back of some boxes, that could bepried up, moving on a hinge. In a hiding place underneath were fourbottles identical with the bottle which Darrin had recovered from thewater.

  Reporting to American Base Headquarters, Dave was much astonished tofind orders there relieving him from command of the "Logan."

  "I didn't know my work had been as bad as that," Darrin smiled.

  "Not bad work at all," replied the staff officer who had handed him theorder. "In the first place, you'll be here to attend the court-martialof Ober-Lieutenant von Bechtold. Then there's the case of your ownseaman, Jordan, or whatever his name may be. You'll have to testify athis court-martial, too. After both trials are over you will be orderedto the new duty to be given you."

  "I don't suppose that I am expected to inquire what that new duty is?"

  "As yet I cannot tell you about the new duty."

  "Who will command the 'Logan,' if I may ask?"

  "Curtin. He has just received his step, and is now alieutenant-commander."

  "And I have my step, too!" cried Danny Grin, coming up behind his chumand waving an official looking envelope. "I'm a lieutenant-commander.Been detached from service on the 'Logan' and must await new orders."

  "That goes for both of you," said the staff officer smilingly.

  "I wish I had a line on the new duty, though," said Dalzell, as heturned away.

  "So do I," half-sighed Dave. "But wishing doesn't do much for a chap inthe Service."

  Turning, they walked briskly toward the naval club frequented by Britishand American naval officers. There, by good luck, they found Curtin, whohad just come ashore.

  "There are orders for you at the admiral's office," Dave reported. "Imay as well tell you, Curtin, that Dalzell and I are detached for otherduties; that you have gotten your step to a lieutenant-commandership andthat you are to swing the 'Logan' from now on. Congratulations, old man!And I know you'll make a record at your new post, just as you have madein your lower grades."

  "And remember, my boy," grinned Dan, "we won't be a bit jealous, nomatter if you succeed in sinking the Kaiser's entire submarine fleet!"

  Curtin's face showed his joy. He immediately wrote and submitted to thecensor a cablegram informing his wife that he had been promoted andgiven a command. Further information he could not send.

  "What are we going to do this evening, Danny-boy?" Dave inquired.

  "I don't know, but I expect my activities will be confined to guessingwhat my new line of service is to be."

  "If Curtin has attained to independent command, there's a big chancethat you will also," Dave observed.

  "That would separate us," muttered Dan, looking almost alarmed. "David,little giant, I don't believe I'll be able to serve as well if I'm noton the same craft with you."

  "Nonsense!" laughed Darrin.

  "Fact!" Dan insisted.

  "Then what are you going to do when you become an admiral?"

  "I'll have lots of time to think that over," retorted Dalzell.

  Three days later the von Bechtold trial came off before a court-martialof British naval officers. The German commander was found guilty ofhaving landed in Ireland as a spy, and was condemned to be shot, asentence soon afterward carried out. He would give no information aboutthe civilian found dead on the submarine, but the stranger was believedto have been a civilian government official from Berlin.

  Right after that Hartmann, alias Jordan, was placed on trial before anAmerican court-martial on a charge of treason. His trial was shortbecause the prisoner broke down and confessed his identity as a Germanspy. He implicated two German spies then in Ireland, both of whom hadbeen masquerading as Swedish ship-brokers. These two latter werecaptured, tried by the British naval authorities, and sentenced todeath. Jordan was ordered shot, and soon afterward paid the penalty ofhis crime before a firing squad.

  Runkle, who had been a witness against Hartmann, alias Jordan, was nowdetached from the ship on which he had been serving, and was placed onwaiting orders.

  And then, one morning, Dan broke in on Darrin at the naval club, hiseyes gleaming.

  "I've got my command and my sailing orders!" he shouted, gleefully.

  "What ship?" Dave asked, springing up.

  "The 'Prince'!" Dalzell exclaimed, jubilantly.

  "Never heard of that craft," Darrin returned, his eyes opening wide."She doesn't sail from this port, does she?"

  "No," and Danny Grin, his mouth wreathed in smiles, named a near-byport.

  "When do you take her over?"

  "To-morrow."

  "And sail?"

  "Same day."

  Darrin gripped his chum's hand, murmuring:

  "I wish you all the success in the world, Danny-boy," he called,heartily.

  "How would you like to go with me?" Dalzell continued, eagerly.

  "What on earth are you talking about?"

  "About taking you as a passenger," Dan went on. "You'll go as my guest,if you favor me to that extent. I spoke to the flag lieutenant about it,and he said that your orders would not be ready for two or three weeksyet, and that you will have plenty of time to sail with me if you sodesire, and be back in time for your new detail. Do you want to go?"