Brighton Boys with the Submarine Fleet Read online

  CHAPTER XXII

  YANKEE INGENUITY

  There was no denying the fact that the _Monitor_ had become enmeshedin one of the German wire nets.

  Unmistakably the scraping against the hull of the submarine was thatof the cables and chains that composed the net. Furthermore, it wasevident from the manner in which the propellers of the ship had ceasedtheir revolutions that they had struck an impediment of some kind.McClure and Jack both realized they had, indeed, run into a snare ofthe enemy.

  For the next half hour the _Monitor_ was put through all manner ofmaneuvers as her captain sought to extricate his craft from the webof steel into which it had dived.

  "Seem only to be getting in the tighter," said "Little Mack" as hestopped the engines and from his chief engineer received a report tothe effect that the driving shafts could be turned only with thegreatest difficulty.

  That which vexed the _Monitor's_ officers most, however, was theknowledge that their capture was almost certainly known by this timeto the Germans ashore and that it would be a matter of minutes untila German patrol or some other vessel in close touch with the wirelessashore would be standing over the _Monitor_ awaiting the time whenthe submerged vessel must ascend from the depths and surrender. Forit was well known that the submarine traps were equipped with electricallamps floating on the surface that were illuminated automatically themoment a submerged vessel came in contact with the charged cablesunderneath the water. Thus the light would engage the attention ofeither a patrol ship or the lookout on shore who would soon dispatcha destroyer to the scene.

  Discussing this phase of the situation, Captain McClure had justdecided to make a quick ascension to the surface and take his chanceson freeing the _Monitor_ of her entanglements before a German warshipcould come up; but at that moment Bonte reported from the wirelessroom the approach of a vessel to port, coming up at full speed.

  "Looks as though we are always running into hard luck," said McCluredisgustedly.

  Jack tried hard to see the bright side of the situation, but had toconfess to himself that things did look rather black for the _Monitor_and her men. Nevertheless the boy figured to himself that surely therewas some way in which Yankee wit and ingenuity could baffle thecraftiness of the Germans.

  "What are we going to do?" asked Ted as Jack joined him in the torpedochamber.

  "Haven't quite figured out yet, chum," answered his old Brightonroommate. "I'll confess that things don't look very rosy for us, butI'm not going to give up, nor will 'Little Mack' give up, until wehave thought this thing over for awhile."

  They strolled from the torpedo chamber into the compartment fitted outas the men's quarters and there came upon the party of German prisonerslounging in their bunks, chatting in their own language. Jack couldunderstand one of them as speculating on the next move of theAmericans. In their midst sat their captain, Hans Schmidt, from Bremen,he had told them. Jack paused and looked them over for a momentruefully.

  "I suppose they are chuckling to themselves over our luck and thinkinghow nicely they will escape when we go up above and hand ourselvesover as prisoners of war," suggested Ted.

  "No doubt, chum, and they probably have the laugh on us right thistime," answered Jack solemnly.

  But as he surveyed the prisoners again there came to him a suddeninspiration born out of the needs of the moment, a brilliant ideathat sent him running into the control chamber and up into the conningtower where his captain sat alone trying to solve his problem.

  "I have it; I have it," he shouted as he grasped the hand of his chief.And then for five minutes the boy unfolded his daring plan.

  "Little Mack" was so thoroughly convinced of the practicability ofJack's scheme that he set about immediately to put it into action.

  "The sooner we try this the better chance we have of getting away,"volunteered Jack.

  "Bonte says there is only one ship above us and it will be better totry to get away from one than from many. And besides, by going upimmediately we stand a better chance of getting away with our planof palming ourselves off as a German crew in one of their own U-boats."

  And now Jack's plan was set in motion.

  "Mr. Wainwright, will you bring Captain Hans Schmidt into the controlroom," "Little Mack" directed.

  In a few minutes Ted returned bringing with him the captive navalofficer. Then the American captain addressed himself to the Germanleader.

  "Captain Schmidt, you are probably aware of the fact that we havedriven into one of your submarine nets and are firmly entangled,"began McClure slowly. His prisoner nodded assent.

  "We do not intend to surrender, although the odds are against us,"continued the Yankee skipper jauntily. "If we decide to remain downhere and take our medicine you and your men whom we rescued so kindlyfrom the mother sub are going to get the same medicine that we do."

  He paused for a moment to let the import of his words sink home.

  "But, Herr Schmidt, we do not propose to stay down here and wait fordeath to claim us," he continued calmly. "Life is sweet to us justas it is sweet to you. We are all here together, prisoners andcaptors, and if we live you live; if we die you die.

  "Now here is what I propose to do. This, as you see, is a formerU-boat of your navy that fell into our hands. You are a brave Germancaptain and I am sorry to have had to sink your ship. But there is away that you can save yourself and the men who survived with you.

  "We are going to ascend in a few minutes. You are to open thisconning tower and call out to the commander of this destroyer overheadthat your U-boat has accidentally stumbled into this net. I amgoing to stand right here beside you in the conning tower with thisrevolver pressed squarely between your shoulders. We understandyour language and can hear every word you say. If you decline toobey orders or make one false move you die instantly. You are goingto direct your men here in the hold to work themselves out on thedeck of the _Monitor_ fore and aft. Mr. Hammond will go with the partyforward, Mr. Wainwright aft. They will be armed, with instructionsto shoot the first man who seeks to give an alarm. Your men will cutthe cables and release this vessel.

  "And now, what do you say? Either comply with our plan or stay hereand die with us."

  Herr Schmidt blinked for a full minute at the electric bulb over thecompass. Then he looked from McClure to Jack and then at Ted, thetrio of American officers gazing intently at their prisoner, grimdetermination written on their faces. He must have read in theireyes their willingness to die rather than submit tamely to surrender,for he turned in a moment to McClure and said:

  "I vill do as you command."

  McClure at once directed Jack and Ted to get down into the hold andchange into the uniform of petty German officers, several suchcostumes having been found in the _Monitor_ at the time of her capture.At the same time McClure ordered the German prisoners brought intothe control chamber where he had Bonte, the wireless man, explainthe situation to them in detail. Jack and Ted returned shortly andall was in readiness for the daring ruse.

  "Remember, now, the first man who betrays us dies instantly," saidMcClure as he gave orders to throw out ballast.

  As the water was expelled from the tanks the _Monitor_ began slowlyto float upward. Moving over to the periscope McClure watched intentlyfor the moment when the sub would emerge from the sea and he claspedin each hand a heavy revolver. In another moment the periscope hadthrust its eyes out of the water and McClure was able to make outthe outlines of a German destroyer standing on guard not more thansixty yards away. Pointing to the conning tower hatch, the Americancommander turned to the German leader.

  "Now, Herr Schmidt, get busy," he said, with a wave of one of therevolvers.