"Exactly. Now the question is, where are those fellows taking that gear to? Even supposing the French had evacuated the district around k.u.m Kale, there would be no particular object in taking them there. A submarine could take in her stock of torpedoes at Constantinople, and be piloted through the mine-fields in The Narrows. They might be en route for Smyrna, but, since there is a railway available, it doesn"t seem at all likely. Evidently a hostile submarine is operating outside."
"A German?" hazarded Farnworth.
"I hope not; but there is no saying what these fellows will be up to.
Everything seems in their favour in that direction. They can torpedo our ships, and we have nothing afloat to go for in return. Still, in sinking their submarines we haven"t done so badly, and I guess while we"ve been cooped up here our fellows have nabbed a few more. Anyway, it would be interesting to find out where those torpedoes are going. I vote we follow at a respectable distance until dusk, and then close on them a bit."
"I"m game, sir," consented the midshipman.
While daylight lasted they had no difficulty in following the trail.
They were in luck"s way, for they found a haversack containing some dates and half a loaf. The food, washed down by a little spring water, revived them considerably, the midshipman declaring that he felt "absolutely bucked".
Towards sunset d.i.c.k gave the word for an increased speed, and before darkness set in they were within two hundred yards of the slowly-moving rear-guard. By dint of taking cover and advancing with the utmost caution they managed to keep in touch with the object of their investigations.
At about midnight the Turco-German force halted. It was evident that they feared no surprise, for fires were lighted at a safe distance from the explosives, and the men were permitted to smoke and talk freely.
The irregulars dismounted and, having hobbled their horses, joined the others around the fires.
It was now bitterly cold, and the glow of the burning wood was tantalizing to the worn and tired Sub and his companion. Well it was that they had not discarded the German greatcoats, otherwise their limbs would have been numbed by the fall in the temperature.
They welcomed the order to resume the march with far more eagerness than did the men to whom it applied, for d.i.c.k could hear the German officers rating both their own countrymen and the unfortunate Turks.
Judging by the position of the Pole Star, d.i.c.k knew that the convoy was proceeding in a south-easterly direction. The course would bring them to the sea-coast some distance to the east of k.u.m Kale and not far from the Bay of Yenikeui, where the Sub"s whaler had met with misfortune.
"We may be able to get in touch with one of our patrol boats," he remarked. "If so, we"ll be taken off; but first, by Jove, I want to find out the meaning of this nocturnal jaunt!"
Twice the British officers had to fall behind and make a detour round isolated villages, since it was obviously too risky to follow the convoy direct; but so slow was its progress that they were able to re-establish the same relative distance.
"The sea," whispered d.i.c.k, "I can hear it."
"And I can smell it," declared Farnworth as he sniffed at the unmistakably salt-laden atmosphere.
"We"re up a tremendous height. Quite a thousand feet, I should imagine. We"ll have to make sure those fellows don"t halt their rear-guard."
For the next two miles the path was steeply on the down grade. Rough as it had been before, it now almost impa.s.sable. The Sub wondered how the Turks contrived to transport the heavy load of petrol and the torpedoes without risk of upsetting the former and damaging the intricate mechanism of the latter. He could hear the grinding of the wheels over the loose stones and the groaning of the axles of the burdened vehicles, interspersed with the jabbering of the Turkish drivers and the guttural of the German officers.
"That"s done it!" whispered d.i.c.k, laying a restraining hand upon the midshipman"s arm. "They"ve posted a picket. Let"s get back a bit and discuss matters."
"Couldn"t we scale the side of the ravine?" asked Farnworth. "If so, we can work our way round and still keep the fellows under observation."
"Must, I suppose," replied d.i.c.k. "It"s literally neck or nothing if we miss our footing. Thank goodness, it"s a starlit night."
Up and up they climbed, frequently having to make their way in a horizontal direction to avoid an unsurmountable barrier. The cliff was composed of a series of terraces, the ledges being thickly covered with bushes and coa.r.s.e gra.s.s.
"Way enough!" exclaimed the Sub in a low voice. "Keep to this ledge as far as it goes."
Forcing their way through the brambles, with a reckless disregard for the uniforms of von Eitelheitner and his fat satellite, d.i.c.k and the midshipman found themselves on the brink of a precipice. Two hundred feet below them the stars were reflected in a placid sheet of land-locked water. Beyond the barrier of lofty rocks could be heard the sullen murmur of the open sea.
"No signs of the convoy, sir," said Farnworth.
"No, they"ve kept wonderfully quiet the half-hour. I hope we haven"t arrived at the wrong rendezvous."
As he spoke a light blinked solemnly from some floating object in the centre of the lake or creek, whichever it happened to be, for no signs of any communication with the sea was to be seen in the darkness.
"Ha!"
The Sub"s short, sharp e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n was the only indication of his satisfaction. He knew now that his efforts had not been in vain. He was on the eve of an important discovery.
"What do you make of it, sir?" whispered Farnworth.
"Submarine!" replied d.i.c.k briefly.
He was right. It was a submarine signalling with a flashing lamp. He wished for dawn, for it was impossible to distinguish her in the darkness.
Thrice she called--and called in vain. No answering signal came from the spot where the mountain path debouched into the narrow sandy beach.
"Hope she won"t clear out," soliloquized the Sub. "I"d like to have a good look at her. By Jove, it"s getting light!"
The reflection of the stars no longer scintillated in the water.
Wreaths of vapour--the mists of morning--were slowly eddying from the surface. Away to the east the stars were paling under the influence of the dawn.
Soon the details of the land-locked estuary became visible. There was a narrow gap in the high ground that communicated with the aegean Sea.
On the opposite side of the creek were a couple of deserted huts and a ruined building, that was formerly a mosque, standing in an isolated position on the summit of a rounded hill. Owing to the mists, the waters of the creek were hidden from sight.
"Look, sir!" whispered Farnworth, who, lying at full length, was examining the beach.
Standing at the water"s edge were two German naval officers. A few feet away from them a collapsible boat of the type used in the German navy was drawn up on the beach, with three bluejackets standing rigidly at attention by its side.
Just then a gentle zephyr rent the veil of mist.
d.i.c.k gasped in astonishment. Well he might, for floating serenely on the surface was a submarine: not one of the Turkish navy, but one of the most modern of the German _unterseebooten_.
CHAPTER XII
The German Submarine
It was indeed a most unpleasant discovery. The submarine was one of the active "U" boats possessing an enormous radius of action. Her size rendered her incapable of being carried even in sections from one of the German North Sea across Austria to Pola or Trieste; she must, in naval parlance, have made the voyage "on her own bottom". It was indeed a daring piece of work running the gauntlet of the British patrol ships in home waters, pa.s.sing through the well-guarded Straits of Gibraltar and entering the Mediterranean Sea, which was held almost entirely by British and French war-ships. Unseen, save when receiving supplies of oil and provisions from well-subsidized tenders sailing under a neutral flag, she had reached a secret rendezvous in Asia Minor, and was now within easy distance of the unsuspecting Allied fleets.
If one German submarine could perform this unparalleled feat others could do the same, and a fresh danger menaced the ships that were so persistently hammering at Turkey"s gate.
Presently one of the German officers gave vent to an exclamation of satisfaction, at the same time pointing along the mountain path which ended close to where he was standing. The others bestirred themselves, like men who after long waiting have their expectations realized.
The head of the convoy was approaching.
"Well met, von Birmitz!" exclaimed the captain of the convoy to the senior officer of the submarine, who wore the uniform of a lieutenant-commander. "We had your message, but why did you not send a wireless? It would have saved hours."
"It would have been unsafe, my dear von Elbing," replied the German naval officer. "Those cursed Englishmen would intercept the message, and the cat would be out of the bag. But I am right glad to see you, and more especially the stuff you bring."