Summers turned with a look of pity toward Pauline, who stood at his elbow.
"And we can"t get up again?" she questioned.
"There is one chance, but--" He stopped openly and listened. "Open that locker," he commanded.
A seaman pulled back the door of the locker and disclosed the cringing form and defiant face of Catin.
"Catin! You!"
The man stepped forward with a smile of triumph.
"You set off the bomb? You wanted to kill me?"
"I did my duty. I obeyed my orders as you obey your orders. I had no enmity for you. I am, in fact, sorry that you were fool enough not to see that I was a little more than a valet."
"You are a spy, Catin?"
"Yes, sir. And I have done my work, and I am willing to die with the rest of you."
Pauline drew back, shuddering. She touched Summers" arm.
"Oh, Mr. Summers, I believe--"
"What is it?"
"I believe I know of the plot. I was in the conservatory at the naval ball. A man and a woman--"
"A woman?"
"Mlle. de Longeon and her diplomatic friend--you remember."
"Yes--well?"
"They talked together in whispers. The man said "The thing will be done on Submarine B-2 tomorrow.""
A look of agony that the fear of death could not have caused came into the face of the young Ensign.
"Mlle. de Longeon? No!"
"Yes! Mlle. de Longeon," sneered Catin stepping nearer. "Mlle. de Longeon is the princ.i.p.al proof of my statement that you are a fool.
Mlle. de Longeon recommended me to you as a capable valet, did she not? Mlle. de Longeon frequently was your guest. Now Mlle. de Longeon has the plans of your submarine and your torpedo--plans which I took the liberty of removing from the little cupboard over the desk in your workroom."
Summers sprang forward but he recovered himself.
"I should have told you," wailed Pauline.
"How should you have known?" said Summers. In a moment he had lost his life work and his love. Suddenly he straightened himself. The soldier in him mastered the man.
"There is still a chance--one little chance," he said.
"To get out?" cried Pauline.
"Yes--through the torpedo tube."
She shuddered.
"I am going to make you do it," he said, "because it is the only chance. The men will follow you. Harry"s boat will be near."
"And you?"
"I do not matter any more. Come."
A gunner opened the great tube as Summers led Pauline into the torpedo room. Obediently she entered the strange pa.s.sageway of peril and of hope.
"Goodbye," he said, "and good luck."
"Goodbye," she answered. "You are a brave man. You are as brave-- you are as fine--as Harry."
From the end of the torpedo tube a woman"s form shot to the surface of the water. Choking, dazed, but courageous, Pauline tried to turn on her back and gain breath. But they were well out to seat and the waves were crushing.
"What is that?" asked Harry, pointing and pa.s.sing his gla.s.ses to the boatman.
The man looked and without a word swung the craft about and put the engine at top speed. And in a few moments Harry"s strong arms drew her from the water.
"My darling, what has happened?" he gasped.
"Don"t think of me--think of them!" she begged, weakly. "They were trapped--down there. There was a bomb--a plot--the machinery is ruined. Harry, help them!"
The boatman who overheard Pauline"s first cry of appeal, now came forward respectfully. "There"s a revenue cutter--the Iroquois-- coming out," he said, significantly.
Harry looked. "Splendid!" he cried. "Can we signal her?"
"No, but we can catch her?"
Shouts from a speeding motorboat brought the Government vessel to a stop. Officers came to the rail and helped Harry and Pauline to the deck.
"Ensign Summers and his crew are sunk in their submarine. The pumps are gone. There was a bomb explosion. Can you get help?"
"Where are they?"
"You can pick up their buoy with a gla.s.s--there."
The chief officer looked through his gla.s.s. "Yes," he said. "You"ll come abroad, or keep your own boat?"
"We"ve got another piece of work to do--if we can leave our friends to your guarding," said Harry.
"Well have the wrecking tugs and divers in twenty minutes."