"Come along, men!" he exclaimed.
Quickly the landing-party and the crew of the "Iticaba" embarked.
Polglaze, still lingering longingly over his array of spanners and other armourers" tools, accompanied the gun to the beach.
Just as the gun"s crew were about to unmount the heavy weapon from its carriage a blood-curdling roar of mingled yells and shouts burst from a dense body of Somalis, who, observing the embarkation in progress, had crept up the remote side of the dunes, and barely a hundred yards from the sh.o.r.e.
Three of the seamen who had not yet embarked dropped on one knee, and using their rifles, strove to check the furious rush. Others in the boats joined in the firing, while from the deck of the "Aphrodite" every man left on board hastened to aid their comrades with well-aimed volleys.
Coolly Polglaze attempted to adjust the small pieces of mechanism necessary to make the automatic gun serviceable, while Gwennap stood ready to thrust the end of the ammunition belt into the breech-block feeder.
The next instant Polglaze dropped limply across the trail with a broad-bladed spear thrown at less than ten yards" distance sticking into his body. Gwennap, using the b.u.t.t-end of his rifle, stood over his comrade till, desperately fighting, he fell. The gun was surrounded by a swarm of blood-thirsty foes.
Seeing this the men who still remained ash.o.r.e made a wild scramble for the boats, and the fire in consequence slackened. Revolver in hand, Hythe called to them to make an effort to recover the gun. The call was promptly obeyed, and a dozen men, comprising several of the "Iticaba"s"
crew, in addition to those of the "Aphrodite" jumped ash.o.r.e, pouring in a hot fire as fast as they could handle the bolts of their magazine rifles.
Unable to withstand so concentrated a fire the horde of Somalis melted away. The gun stood alone with a score or more of corpses to bear testimony to the efficacy of the rifle-fire.
But there was no time to be lost. Already a swarm of the enemy, four or five times as numerous as the crowd that had just been driven off, were racing like furies to renew the conflict.
As soon as Hythe gained the place where the quick-firer stood he realized that it was impossible to remove it. Even in the short interval during which it had remained in the enemy"s possession the Somalis had taken good care to sever and remove the drag ropes.
Calling to his men to carry off the bodies of Polglaze and Gwennap, the sub removed the breech mechanism, and staggering under the heavy weight, he followed his men to the boats, where, under a heavy but ill-aimed rifle fire from the Somalis, they pushed off towards the "Aphrodite."
Under the lee of the submarine the men boarded their haven of refuge.
One glance sufficed to show that poor Gwennap was no more. The Somalis, not content with slaying outright, had hacked his body in a most atrocious manner. Polglaze still showed signs of life, for protected by his comrade"s body, he had escaped the demoniacal fury of the savages.
Nevertheless the spear-thrust through his left shoulder looked very dangerous.
What had to be done must be done quickly, for night was approaching, and the Somalis were evidently making preparations to remove the gun which had been left in their hands. As long as daylight lasted the rifle fire from the deck of the submarine would effectually check any attempt in this direction, while an additional deterrent was provided in the form of a powerful rocket. This could only be fired at an angle of less than five degrees from the perpendicular, and in consequence could do no physical hurt to the Somalis. Nevertheless the moral fear it inspired served to make the natives clear off to a respectful distance, where they waited for nightfall.
It was obvious that the attempt to recapture the quick-firer must be made early for other reasons. The wind was now blowing strong from the east"ard, and with the rising sea landing would be a very difficult matter; while, floating light, the submarine stood a good chance of being blown from her anchorage.
As soon as night had fallen twenty men led by Hythe fell in on the upper platform. Rifles were discarded as enc.u.mbrances, but each of the party carried an automatic pistol in his belt, the weapon holding ten cartridges, while separate clips, each containing a similar number, were placed in their ammunition belts.
Into the stern-sheets of the "Iticaba"s" cutter was stowed a coil of three inch rope--the "coil" measuring the orthodox one hundred and thirteen fathoms. One end of the rope was made fast to the "Aphrodite"s" for"ard capstan, while to the other end was spliced a length of flexible steel wire rope.
With m.u.f.fled oars the boat"s crew gave way, Mylor the quartermaster paying out the rope as the boat stole sh.o.r.ewards. There was little need for silence, for the thunder of the surf on the reef drowned every other sound.
All went well till the cutter grounded on the sh.o.r.e, then from a distance of nearly two hundred yards along the bank the darkness was pierced by the flash of the Somalis rifles, while a swift rushing sound indicated that swarms of fierce foes were charging down upon the boat.
CHAPTER XXIII.
OVER THE BAR.
Although the air seemed alive with the screech of the bullets the Somalis fired so high that not a man was. .h.i.t. At the first volley Hythe ordered the quartermaster to haul the cutter off, then bringing her broadside on, he gave the word to open fire.
It spoke volumes for the discipline of the men under his command that not one of them gave way to the temptation to discharge his pistol. The pressure of a few ounces on the trigger would be sufficient to send ten shots into the mob on sh.o.r.e, but in the dark there was the danger of the men in the boat accidentally hitting their comrades, but until the cutter swung round broadside on, the boat"s crew resisted the almost overwhelming desire to return the fire.
But Captain Restronguet had taken precautions to counteract the surprise. Simultaneously the two starboard search-lights were switched on and swung abeam till the powerful rays flashed full in the faces of the astonished Somalis. To the latter it savoured of magic. Blinded by the glare, galled by the fusillade from the automatic pistols, and hara.s.sed by the fire from the deck of the "Aphrodite" they fled. Some, however, too terrified to move, flung themselves on the ground, which was already littered with the bodies of several of their comrades.
"Give way," ordered the sub.
Directly the boat touched sh.o.r.e all hands save two jumped out, and carrying the rope, dashed for the gun, that now stood revealed as if outlined in silver in the rays of the search-light.
In a trice Mylor had secured the steel wire rope to the trail. A long and a short blast on Hythe"s whistle was the signal that this part of the task had been satisfactorily performed.
The electric capstan on the submarine"s deck began to revolve, and the heavy gun with a succession of jerks was hauled through the yielding sand.
"Avast heaving!" shouted the sub, as the recovered weapon reached the water"s edge.
"Look out, sir!" shouted O"Shaunessey, and raising his pistol the Irishman shot through the head a Somali who, feigning death, had allowed Hythe to approach within three yards of him ere, springing to his feet, he was about to hurl his spear at the sub"s back
"Thanks, O"Shaunessey," exclaimed Hythe.
To the accompaniment of a desultory and erratic fire from a distance of over a thousand yards the gun was dismounted and "parbuckled" into the cutter. The carriage and limber followed piecemeal, and without a casualty beyond a few bruised knuckles and jammed fingers the landing party re-embarked.
It was tricky work transhipping the gun to the submarine, for the "Aphrodite," with nearly fifteen feet freeboard, was rolling heavily.
The men were working in the dark since the searchlight could not be swung from off the sh.o.r.e without attracting the Somalis to closer range.
Even as it was chance bullets were impingeing upon the submarine"s plating, while one cut a clean hole through the side of the cutter, fortunately without hitting any of the men on her.
As soon as the gun was safely housed below steps were taken to spend the rest of the night in quietness. The boats of the "Iticaba" were heavily ballasted and their bungs removed, so that they sunk to the bottom of the creek. Thus they were immune from danger from the enemy"s rifle bullets, while, when occasion arose, they could easily be raised and again pressed into service.
Reluctantly the survivors of the "Iticaba" went below. The men were temporarily quartered for"ard in one of the store compartments, their comrades of the "Aphrodite" making them as comfortable as they could; while Captain Rees and his first mate were accommodated in Kenwyn"s cabin, that officer having to share Devoran"s quarters.
But when the "Aphrodite" settled easily upon the bed of the creek and nothing alarming occurred, the rescued men"s misgivings were set at rest, and before long, worn out with fatigue, exposure, and excitement they were sound asleep, regardless of the fact that thirty or forty feet above them the seas were tumbling wildly into the exposed inlet.
Throughout the rest of the night the Somalis wasted their ammunition in firing at the position where they last saw the submarine lying, and with the dawn the anchorage was bare. Their losses were made light of, for, according to their belief, they had rid the world of a shipload of unbelievers. No doubt they were a little disappointed that there were no trophies of their victory, but they contented themselves with removing the wreckage and stores washed ash.o.r.e from the ill-fated "Iticaba," which had completely broken up during the gale.
Early on the morning of the second day of the "Aphrodite"s" detention in the creek the men of the "Iticaba" were surprised to see nine men, clad in air-tubeless diving-suits, make their way through the compartment which had been allotted to them.
Half an hour later the nine returned. In that half hour the remains of poor Gwennap had been buried in the sand at the bottom of the creek.
Captain Restronguet would have preferred to have given his faithful comrade a sailor"s grave in the open sea, but since it was impossible to say how long it would be before the submarine could recross the bar, the corpse had to be removed by a funeral party in diver"s dress.
During the day the detector, which had hitherto given plenty of indications of the "Vorwartz" gradually failed to record the movement of the submarine under Karl von Harburg"s command. Either the vessel had been driven ash.o.r.e in a gale or else she had gone many miles to the south"ard, and beyond the field covered by the electrical rays of the detector. In vain Captain Restronguet asked for information by wireless. No news came to hand; his quest had received a check, for cooped up within the creek he was unable to gain or even keep pace with his sworn enemy.
It was not until the third day that the gale moderated sufficiently for the "Aphrodite" to rise to the surface. Her appearance was the cause of a wild stampede by the Somalis still engaged in enriching themselves with the stranded cargo. To see a vessel that they confidently believed to have sunk suddenly rise from the deep was to them incomprehensible.
They fled, never stopping till they had placed a good half day"s journey between them and the sea. In future they regarded the vicinity of that inlet as a district frequented by djinns, or evil spirits, and for some time to come, at least, should the crews of any vessel have occasion to land upon that inhospitable sh.o.r.e, they would be spared the possibilities of a fight against overwhelming numbers of fanatical Somalis.
Two more precious days were wasted after the weather had moderated sufficiently to allow the "Aphrodite" to rise. Captain Restronguet began to get anxious, for provisions were running short. A considerable quant.i.ty of "emergency rations" had been lost with the central section of the submarine, and now, with a refugee crew to feed, the vessel"s resources were severely strained.
Since there was little current in the inlet it was impossible to recharge the acc.u.mulators, and the reserve of electricity had to be carefully husbanded. Fortunately fairly fresh water for drinking purposes could be obtained on sh.o.r.e, and thus the necessity of using the condensers was for the time being no longer urgent.
After the storm the tide fell short of its customary height, for the gale occurring at the time of spring tides, there had been an abnormal rise on the bar. Careful soundings revealed the unpleasant fact that at the top of the tide there would be only a few inches under the keel of the submarine, while, with the ground swell still breaking, this margin was quite insufficient to attempt the pa.s.sage with any chance of safety.
Then news arrived by wireless that the "Vorwartz" had been operating in the Mozambique Channel, a French liner bound for the ports on the west coast of Madagascar being ruthlessly sunk. In this instance there was no attempt by the modern buccaneer to plunder his prize. Without attempting to take possession of her he had sunk her in deep water, there being barely time for the pa.s.sengers and crew to take to the boats.