Half a dozen or more were driven over the side into the sea, and left perforce to drown.
At last the Turks broke and gave way. Some dropped their weapons and flung up their hands in token of surrender.
"They"ve surrendered!" cried Captain Carrington. "Give them quarter."
At that moment Ken saw a Turkish officer, his face covered with blood, spring out of the crowd aft and rush forward.
"Look out there!" he shouted, and wrenching himself loose from the press, raced after the man.
The officer, however, had a long start, and before Ken could catch him, had reached the gun and was swinging it round.
"Look out!" yelled Ken again, as he realised what the man was after. He was desperate, and meant to turn the gun full upon the packed crowd, destroying friend and foe alike.
He had got the gun round, his finger was almost on the b.u.t.ton when Ken reached him, and going at him head down, like a Rugby tackier, flung both arms around his waist.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "On every side revolvers were cracking."]
With a fierce exclamation, the man hit out with his fist, but the blow fell harmlessly on Ken"s back. Then, twining both hands in Ken"s collar, he made a frantic effort to break his grip and fling him aside.
Ken held on like grim death. If he failed, it meant death for all his friends. The other was a powerful, wiry man in the prime of life, while Ken had not yet come to his full strength. For some seconds they struggled fiercely, the Turk exerting every effort to reach the gun, Ken straining frantically to hold him off.
Ken"s heel caught in a ring bolt. He felt himself falling, but managed to drag the other down with him. But his own head struck the deck with such force as to half stun him, and he felt his grip relaxing.
"Dog, you shall die with the rest!" hissed the other, as at last he tore himself free, and sprang to the gun.
But Ken was not done yet. He had fallen almost under the gun, and swiftly lifting one foot he kicked out desperately at the gray barrel above him.
There was a crash which nearly deafened him, and for a moment he believed that the madman had succeeded in his awful purpose. Then a tall figure sprang across him, and with a shout Roy drove his fist into the Turk"s face.
Up went the man"s arms, he staggered back and fell into the sea.
"Well done, Ken!" cried Roy. "That"s finished it."
Ken scrambled to his feet and stared round in amazement.
"W--Where did the sh.e.l.l go?" he stammered.
"Somewhere in the direction of Constantinople," was the reply. "Your kick did it, Ken."
"It"s all right," he added jubilantly." The rest of the chaps have given in. The launch is ours."
CHAPTER XVIII
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
"It seemed shabby to leave you to do all the fighting, but if I had come into it I"m afraid you"d have been left without a ship."
The speaker was Lieutenant Strang, who stood on the deck of G2, which had risen again and was lying alongside the launch.
"It was your fellows who won the battle for us," answered Captain Carrington cheerfully. "I wish to congratulate you on the possession of two such men as Williams and Johnston." Williams stepped forward and touched his cap.
"If you please, sir, the captain here and his son and Horan, they did as much as any. But all on "em fought like good "uns."
"What are your losses, sir?" asked the lieutenant of Captain Garrington.
"Two killed, three rather badly wounded."
"You got off lightly. There don"t seem to be many Turks left."
"Only nine alive, and of those four are wounded."
"Are the launch"s engines all right?"
"Nothing wrong with them," answered the captain, "so Williams tells me."
"Well, it"s getting late and very thick. You had better follow me, and I will escort you to the place we spoke of. The Turks who are sound can take the boat and be towed until we are off one of the islands, when we can cast them off and they can land."
Ken stepped up to his father, and said something in a low voice. A slightly startled expression appeared on the captain"s face.
"You think it possible, Ken?" he said sharply.
"I do. I believe we could get through."
"Then I will suggest it to Lieutenant Strang.
"Lieutenant Strang," he called. "Before we start I have a suggestion to make. I will come across if you will permit me."
"Certainly, sir."
The launch lay so close to the submarine that it was easy for the Captain to spring across. Strang met him, and for some moments the two talked in whispers.
At first the commander of the submarine seemed unwilling to agree to the captain"s proposal, but presently Ken, who was watching breathlessly, saw him nod his head.
Then the captain smiled, and turning leaped lightly back on to the launch.
"It"s all right, Ken," he said. "We are going to try it."
"Hurrah!" cried Ken in high delight.
"Try what?" demanded Roy. "Hang it all! Don"t keep us in the dark. What"s all the mystery about?" Ken glanced at his father.
"All right," said the latter. "Every one must know and agree before we start."
"Gentlemen," he said, addressing the anxious crowd who surrounded him, "my son has suggested that we might do something better than go and lie up for an indefinite time in the hiding-place which would be our only possible refuge on these sh.o.r.es, and where we should be in constant danger from the enemy. His idea is that we might make a dash back down the Straits."