"You prevaricator!" Darrin uttered, sternly. "When did I ever hog all of the best sport and leave you the rind?"
"Kamerad! Don"t shoot!" begged Dan, with another grin.
"Kamerad" (comrade) is the word the German soldiers employ when offering to surrender to Allied troops. But "Kamerad" does not always mean as much as it conveys, for instances have been numerous when Germans have pretended so to surrender, then have whipped out hitherto hidden weapons and slain their captors.
Returning to port before dark, Darrin put in that night in catching up with his sleep. He slumbered almost without stirring, for it had been long since he had enjoyed more than a part of his needed rest at sea.
Officers and men, too, made the most of their opportunity to sleep that night. Only one officer at a time kept deck watch, and only one engineer officer down below. The "Grigsby" was ready to put to sea almost on an instant"s notice from the flagship, but no word came.
Fully refreshed, and in the best of condition, Dave Darrin enjoyed a famously good breakfast the next morning, as did every officer and man on the destroyer. Still the orders for special duty had not arrived, and Dave was beginning to chafe under the delay.
"If it were the first of April I might suspect the bluff old admiral were playing a joke on us," Dave confided to Lieutenant Fernald. "I might think this was his way of affording us all a chance to get even with our rest. I am wondering much what the special duty is to be."
"You will know, sir, in the same breath that you are ordered away to that duty," smiled the executive officer.
"Yes, this is war-time and advance information is very rare," Darrin admitted.
It was, in fact, nearly eleven o"clock when a man of the deck watch reported that a boat had put off from the flagship and was apparently heading for the "Grigsby."
"I"ll go out to receive the visitor," said Fernald, rising and leaving the chart-room.
The boat was, indeed, heading for the destroyer. It soon came alongside, bringing a staff officer from the admiral. Lieutenant Fernald received the visitor, conducted him to the chart-room, presented the officer caller to Dave, then discreetly withdrew.
"The admiral"s compliments, Mr. Darrin. He spoke to you yesterday of special duty of a most important nature. I have the honor to bear his final instructions."
"Then you are doubly welcome," smiled Dave, "for we have been chafing a bit, fearing that the admiral"s plans might have been changed."
"There has been considerable activity on the part of German submarines in these waters of late," continued the British naval staff officer. "As a rule the Huns keep out of the channel, but they have been so active lately that we fear for the safety of the hospital ship "Gloucester,"
which is bringing home about two thousand wounded men. It was the admiral"s plan to have you leave port, under full speed, an hour before the sailing time of the "Gloucester" from France."
"Is there still time for us to get that hour"s start?" asked Darrin, rising.
"Unfortunately, the orders were misunderstood, Mr. Darrin. The "Gloucester" actually sailed about an hour ago. You will find her exact course written on this paper, and you are directed by the admiral to reach her with all speed and convoy her----"
"One moment, please!"
Darrin broke off the conversation long enough to telephone the executive officer, instructing him to transmit the needful orders to the engineer officer on duty, and to pipe all hands on deck.
"I am listening, sir," Darrin resumed, wheeling about.
"Outside you will find two of our fastest mine-sweepers," continued the staff officer. "They are to follow you as closely as possible, and, on nearing the "Gloucester," they are to turn and sweep the course ahead of the hospital ship, while you are to be extremely alert for submarines."
"I understand, sir," Darrin nodded. "Are there any further orders?"
"No, Mr. Darrin. Whatever else comes up must be left to your own discretion to handle. The admiral bade me state that he has the fullest confidence in your proven ability to handle circ.u.mstances as they arise."
"My thanks to the admiral for his good opinion, and to yourself for informing me of it," smiled Dave, still on his feet and moving slowly toward the door.
"I--er--have some further information, Mr. Darrin, that will prove of considerable interest to you," resumed the naval staff officer, also moving toward the door.
"Yes?"
"It possesses a personal interest for you. There are, of course, nurses on board, and other Red Cross workers. One of them is Mrs. Darrin."
Dave"s quick smile of happiness was reflected in the staff officer"s ruddy face.
"So, you see, Mr. Darrin, you have more than a professional interest in meeting the hospital ship and bringing her through safely, for in doing so you will also be guarding your wife. It is rather an unusual stimulus to duty, isn"t it?"
CHAPTER XXII
THE RED CROSS TRAGEDY
"NO, sir!" said Dave, promptly. "I love my wife, and it will not surprise you to hear me say it, but in the discharge of my duty Mrs. Darrin has exactly the same status as a stranger. I shall be glad, for my own sake, to bring through in safety any ship on which she sails, but I shall be just as glad to be able to insure the safety of any wounded Tommy Atkins on the "Gloucester" who is longing for a sight of his loved ones at home."
"By Jove, that"s a bully att.i.tude, and I know you mean it!" cried the staff officer, holding out his hand. "I must not delay you. Good-bye, Darrin, and the best of good luck to you!"
A moment later the British officer was over the side and being borne back to the flagship, while quick orders rang out on the "Grigsby." In as short a time as the thing could be done the anchor was stowed, and the destroyer was on her way out of port at half speed.
Just beyond the harbor Darrin gave the order for full speed ahead. From the bridge, three miles farther out on the course, he made out the two mine-sweepers.
"All starts well," commented Dave to Lieutenant Fernald. "May all end as well! By the way, Mrs. Darrin is said to be on board the "Gloucester"."
"Congratulations," said Fernald, heartily. "And you may look, sir, for every officer and man aboard this craft to redouble his efforts to make the day"s task a complete success."
"I don"t want it for that reason, although I expect from all on board the fullest efficiency. Fernald, I"m not running an American naval vessel primarily for the safety of my family."
For this trip the lookouts were trebled. They stood at every point of vantage from which anything on the sea might be sighted.
Mile after mile the "Grigsby" logged, plunging and dipping in the sea, her decks running water and spray dashing continuously over the bridge.
It was wet work, and over all was the roaring racket of the ship"s powerful machinery. To Darrin it was music; the dash and the sense of responsibility thrilled him.
At last came the anxiously awaited hail from the lookout aloft:
"Topmasts of a ship almost dead ahead, sir."
"Keep her constantly in sight, and as soon as you can make out the hull report whether she displays the hospital Red Cross," the watch officer called back.
"Aye, aye, sir."
To those on the bridge the mastheads were soon visible. After that came the lookout"s hail:
"She"s a hospital ship, sir. I can make out the Red Cross plainly through the gla.s.s."
"It must be the "Gloucester," then," remarked Lieutenant Fernald.