In a few words the sub imparted the information that news of their presence within the submarine had been sent to the Admiralty.
"St. Pathrick and the rest of the Saints be prised, sorr!" exclaimed O"Shaunessey fervently. "Sure, "tis a load off me mind, for "tis me ould mother in Ballydonfin, County Wexford, that might be lamentin" for her only son."
"They haven"t asked you to join the crew?"
"Bad luck be on their heads if they did, by Jabers!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the Irishman. "Sure, I"m thrue to me salt."
"Ssh," muttered Hythe warningly, then in a louder tone he added, "Well, I am pleased to learn that you are being well looked after, O"Shaunessey. I"ll look in again soon, and see how you are getting on."
On returning to the captain"s cabin Hythe found that dinner was about to be served, and Captain Restronguet and Devoran, the chief officer, were in evening dress.
"I am sorry I had no opportunity of bringing my mess-jacket," said the sub, half-humorously, half-apologetically. "But you see I came on short notice."
"Don"t let that trouble you, Mr. Hythe," replied Captain Restronguet.
"As a matter of fact, we invariably make it a practice of dressing for dinner. It recalls old times, doesn"t it, Devoran?"
"Rather," replied the chief officer. Hythe noticed that for the time being all traces of differences in rank were set aside. Captain Restronguet and Mr. Devoran were more like staunch friends than superior and subordinate officers; but on all other occasions the latter"s att.i.tude was strictly conformable to etiquette afloat.
The dinner pa.s.sed pleasantly. The three men, by an unspoken yet mutual consent, studiously avoided "shop," their conversation dwelling on ordinary every-day topics. All the same Hythe could not help noticing how conversant they both were with the latest plays, books, and the events that afford interest to the Man-about-Town.
After dinner Devoran left the cabin. The captain busied himself with writing, while Hythe, selecting a book from a small library, and lighting a cigar, sought the comfort of an easy chair.
For an hour Captain Restronguet wrote steadily. He seemed quite indifferent to his guest"s presence. Presently the sub found himself nodding over the book. He had been up early, and had had a trying and exciting day.
"What, nearly asleep!" exclaimed Captain Restronguet, as he set aside his papers and writing material. "But I forgot; you must be tired. Your bed is quite ready, so you can retire as soon as you wish."
Nothing loth Hythe bade his host good-night, and ten minutes later he was sound asleep in a comfortable bunk, ten fathoms beneath the surface of the River Tamar.
CHAPTER X.
THE SECOND OFFICER RETURNS.
Captain Restronguet remained in his cabin till nearly ten o"clock, then, going into an adjoining dressing-room, he changed into his "duty clothes," donned a thick coat and india-rubber boots, and made his way for"ard to the diving-room in the fore compartment.
Here the men had unshipped the collapsible boat, but as yet it had not been unfolded.
"Are you going to bring her to the surface, sir?" asked Polglaze, seeing that his captain was in his great coat.
"Yes, I have decided to do so," replied Captain Restronguet. "Bring the boat under the upper hatchway, Lancarrow, and you, Gwennap, I want you to lay out a kedge up stream. See that the flukes engage in the rubble-work in the base of the centre-pier of the bridge, and run out another kedge aft."
Lancarrow and Gwennap promptly donned their diving suits and entered the "water-lock," taking with them the anchors and a length of stout Manila rope. Twenty minutes later they returned, the water dripping from their glistening garb.
"All correct, sir," reported Lancarrow, as soon as his headdress was removed. "Nothing short of the rope parting will set us adrift, and there"s precious little tide running now. I took good care to ram the fluke of the kedges well home."
"What is it like up above--dark?"
"I went up to have a look round, sir," announced Gwennap. "It is a pitch-dark night, the stars are in, and there"s hardly a breath of wind."
"Good!" exclaimed Captain Restronguet approvingly. "Pa.s.s the word to Mr. Devoran to bring the vessel awash."
The water in two of the buoyancy tanks was quickly expelled, and majestically the huge submerged hull rose from the bed of the river, till with her deck just a few inches above the surface she fretted gently at her mooring-rope.
Being immediately below the ma.s.sive pier of the Tubular Bridge there was no danger of a pa.s.sing vessel--should one be under way at that hour--colliding with the "Aphrodite"; while owing to the darkness and the light-absorbing powers of her hull she was absolutely invisible at a boat"s length off.
Rapidly yet silently the hatch on deck was unfastened and slid back.
The collapsible boat, weighing less than sixty pounds, was pa.s.sed through, extended, and kept in position by means of stretchers.
Carclew and Gwennap tossed the oars into the frail craft, and holding the painter launched her over the side.
"Ready, sir," whispered the latter.
Captain Restronguet immediately came on deck and stepped agilely into the boat; the bowman pushed off, the oars dipped, and the canvas c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l darted in the direction of Coombe Bay, a tidal indentation just south of the town of Saltash.
"Thank goodness it is a fairly black night," muttered Captain Restronguet. Beyond the pontoon lights at Saltash, the signal lamps of the railway, and the riding lights of a few vessels lying at the buoys on the west side of the river, all was in darkness. To gain the entrance to Coombe Bay it was necessary to pa.s.s between two cruisers, whose anchor lamps glimmered fitfully, throwing scintillating reflections on the placid water.
"Boat ahoy!" challenged the look-out on the nearest vessel.
The captain of the "Aphrodite" was equal to the occasion.
"Pa.s.sing!" he roared, using the shibboleth laid down in the Naval Regulations for this contingency.
This reply apparently satisfied the look-out, and without further interruption the canvas boat drew into the shallow waters of Coombe Bay.
Fortunately the tide was nearly at the full, and still rising, and hence no danger of being stranded on the mud was likely to occur.
"Easy, men," cautioned Captain Restronguet, as the gaunt outlines of the railway bridge spanning the creek loomed up against the darkness. Then, "Lay on your oars."
Gradually losing way the boat drifted on till it grounded on the shingle hard at the foot of the bridge. The boat"s crew listened intently; beyond the distant rumble of a belated train, and the faint hoot of a liner"s syren away out in the Sound, all was still.
Ten minutes pa.s.sed. Captain Restronguet knitted his brows in perplexity.
"There"s some one, sir," whispered Gwennap, as the cautious scrunching of a man"s boots upon the shingle could be faintly heard. Then a dark figure appeared out of the night.
"Is that you, Kenwyn?" demanded the Captain in a low voice.
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Then jump in; I thought you had missed us."
"Couldn"t get here any sooner, sir," said the man apologetically. "I was stopped and questioned by a patrol as I came down from the station.
There are launches up and down the river, I am told, looking for us."
"The deuce there are!" exclaimed Captain Restronguet; then in a calmer tone he added, "We must risk it. Perhaps it is my fault; but I don"t think they"ll look for the "Aphrodite" so close to the bridge. Give way, men."
On gaining the main stream, greatly to the relief of all in the boat, no red and green lights of patrolling launches were to be seen. Boldly Captain Restronguet steered across the bows of the cruiser that had hailed him on the outward trip. To lurk insh.o.r.e would be courting suspicion.