But that fin over to port was the half-visible upper part of a moving torpedo! It was headed so as to intercept the "Hastings" on her slow, forward course.
If he rang for speed ahead, Captain Jack knew it might not come swiftly enough to carry his boat and its human load ahead to safety.
In any case, it must be a job of seconds. If Hal responded slowly to the signal--then destruction!
All this seemed to flash like lightning through the young commander"s head as he made that leap for the wheel.
Somers being in the way, young Benson flung him violently aside.
Captain Jack"s left hand grasped a spoke of the steering wheel; his right hand signaled violently for speed astern.
Would Hal respond in time to save them all?
CHAPTER XVIII
THE FINDINGS ON THE "THOR"
It was a breathless moment.
Captain Jack Benson, resting one hand on the wheel, gazed off at port side with fascinated stare.
Almost instantly a grating could be heard that must have come from the propeller shafts, though the young skipper, at that moment, was incapable of thinking of anything save that tiny fin-line out on the water.
Then the speed ahead of the submarine boat stopped. In another moment the little steel craft was creeping backward.
On came that fin-line.
There was nothing more that Jack could do, save to hold the wheel rigid.
On for the bow of the "Hastings" came the fin-line. Would that moving torpedo strike, hurling them all to destruction?
It must have been by a hair"s breath, but that fin-line crossed the bow of the submarine. It had gone on, beyond--harmlessly, now!
"What"s that you"re saying, Eph?" demanded Jack. "Oh, yes; you want to know why I bowled you over in that fashion. Because there wasn"t time to speak. I was crazy to get the reverse gear at work, and take us out of the path of that torpedo aimed for us."
"Torpedo?" demanded Eph Somers, thunderstruck.
"Torpedo?" repeated Jacob Farnum, in bewilderment.
"Yes," broke in Lieutenant Danvers, stepping forward. "See, its force is expended, and now it"s floating on the water over there off the starboard bow."
Jacob Farnum stared at it as though utterly unable to comprehend anything.
"I saw the thing coming our way," went on the naval officer, hastily, "though not as soon as Benson did. By the time that I knew it, he was acting. So I held my peace, for, if Benson had failed--well, nothing would have mattered much--then!"
In a few more crisp, swift sentences; Danvers told the rest of it adding:
"It was Benson"s quick coolness that saved us all from going skyward."
"No, it wasn"t," broke in the youthful skipper, decisively. "It was Hal, who was right by his engines, who saved us. Had he acted on the signal a second and a half later that torpedo would have struck us plumb and fair."
"But who could have let a torpedo loose in that fashion?" stammered Farnum. "What accident--"
"Accident!" broke in Jack, sneeringly.
"Accident!" repeated Danvers, scornfully.
"Well, then, how--"
"Mr. Farnum," broke in Jack Benson, sternly, "that torpedo was fired by design, with intent to sink us!"
"What? Who--"
"I can"t make any positive charge," it was Lieutenant Danvers"s turn to say. "But I can offer certain evidence that I"ll stick to anywhere.
Just a few seconds before that torpedo got so close to us I was noting the Rhinds boat, the "Thor." Her course was toward us, briefly. Then she turned off on another course."
"Do you mean to say that the Rhinds boat was turned our way at just the time when that torpedo could have left her, headed for us?" demanded Jacob Farnum.
"That"s the whole indication," replied Lieutenant Danvers, firmly.
"Then what are we doing, waiting here?" cried the shipbuilder, angrily.
"Jack, now that that torpedo is spent, and lying harmless on the water, start up speed and head over that way. Go carefully, for, remember, any sudden shock against the war-head of the torpedo would set it off."
Jack signaled for slow speed ahead, the response coming promptly.
"Somers," directed Lieutenant Danvers, "get the signal bunting out, and I"ll help you rig a signal to the "Oakland.""
It was the first time, on any of the cruises, that Danvers had attempted to give an order, or to take any part in the handling of the craft. But now he was about to make a serious report, as an officer of the United States Navy.
In a very few moments, Danvers and Somers working together, the necessary flags were out, and knotted to the line in their proper order.
"Hoist away!" ordered the lieutenant, himself giving a hand on the halliard.
Up the signal mast went the line of bunting, fluttering. The little flags spelled out this message to the gunboat:
"Evidence of serious foul play. Join us to investigate."
Almost immediately there came a signal from the bridge of the gunboat, to show that the message had been read.
Jack was now slowing down speed, making ready to lie to, a hundred yards or less from the floating torpedo.
"Mr. Farnum, Hal"s always at his post," said Jack, "but call down to him to be sure to stick particularly close for the next few minutes. If the wind shifts, and heads that torpedo our way, I want to be sure of instant speed for getting out of the way."
The gunboat was now cruising leisurely over to where the "Hastings"