Chapter XVII: The Rescued Italians

As soon as the fore-hatch cover had been unshipped Captain Restronguet, accompanied by Devoran and Kenwyn, hastened on deck. Hythe, hearing the captain's exclamation, hurried after him.

The sky was now perfectly clear, the motion of the sea had almost subsided. But instead of the stinging, ozone-laden breeze a faint odour resembling that of rotten eggs seemed to pervade the air.

"H'm," ejaculated Captain Restronguet. "In spite of my faith in the high qualities of restronium the metal has played me false!"

"How so, sir?" asked the chief officer.

"It is not proof against the action of sulphur. Even now the air reeks of sulphur, and it was a sea highly charged with sulphur that the 'Aphrodite' passed through when she was in the immediate vicinity of the submarine volcano. Thus the silver in the alloy has been affected, and in place of a light-absorbing metal we have a dead-black surface."

"It is a serious look-out, sir," observed the sub.

"Serious. Serious isn't the word for it. We have lost a great factor in our means of offence and defence. We are no longer practically invisible."

"Can the defect be remedied?"

"Only by subjecting the plating to a fresh treatment, and that can only be done at our base in Sumatra. But be that as it may I mean to continue my search for the 'Vorwartz'. Possibly the margin of superiority lies with her, but, without boasting, I venture to assert that John Restronguet will prove a match for Karl von Harburg. I hope the wireless is intact, Kenwyn?"

"It is, sir," replied the second officer. "We have just tapped a message from the P. & O. liner, 'Coghlania,' seventy miles south of Brindisi."

"Anything of importance?"

"No, sir; merely on a matter of ordinary routine."

"Very good, Mr. Kenwyn. By the by, you might let me know the state of your accumulators. Have we sufficient power to take us to the AEgean?"

"I'll ascertain, sir," replied the second officer.

Before noon the man and boy rescued from the fishing-boat had recovered sufficiently to sit up. Their story was a thrilling one. Hythe's knowledge of Italian enabled him to follow the patois without much difficulty. They had, in company with seven other craft, put out of Porto Empedocle, on the south coast of Sicily. It was a fine night with a light off-shore breeze, the weather being fair. Thus tempted they ventured farther from land than they were accustomed to. Shortly after midnight a strange phenomenon was observed. The stars were shining through a blood-red haze, while a strong sulphurous odour was noticed. The superstitious fishermen, frightened more by omens than by bad weather, prepared to return homewards, but the wind died completely away. At two in the morning a strong nor'easterly breeze sprang up, which soon developed into a cyclonic gale. Hastily reducing their canvas the fishing fleet drove at the mercy of wind and wave, till after ten minutes of great peril they found themselves once more becalmed in an agitated sea. Once more sail was hoisted, in anticipation of a favouring breeze.

Suddenly the water seemed to be rent in twain. A deep trough appeared less than a hundred yards from the sternmost boat, and horror-stricken the terrified Italians found that their frail vessels were being sucked into the abyss. Then the cavity in the sea closed and instead a column of water, stones, mud, steam, and smoke was thrown up with tremendous force. The starlight gave place to inky blackness, and the next thing the _padrone_ of the "Favarganna"--that being the name of the craft belonging to the rescued man--realized that the doomed vessel was on her beam ends. She righted, though half filled with water. The old man had barely time to lash his grandson and himself to the rudder head, ere a huge wave swept the boat from stem to stern and down in the depths she plunged.

Nor was old Beppo's awe any the less when he heard from Hythe of the manner of his almost miraculous escape. Devoutly crossing himself the Italian burst into a torrent of thanks to his preservers, and finished up by asking where they thought of landing him?

"I had thought of that," said Captain Restronguet when the sub interpreted the _padrone's_ request. "Since there is now no real necessity for concealment, I think we might hail the first vessel we come across that is proceeding to Messina--if Messina still stands after the eruption."

An opportunity presented itself late in the afternoon. The "Aphrodite" was about two hundred miles S.S.E. of Cape Passaro, and running on the surface, when a tramp steamer hove in sight steering N.W. "We'll stop that fellow, Devoran," exclaimed the captain. "What does she look like?"

"I cannot make out, sir, she flies no ensign," replied the chief officer, after a lengthy survey through his telescope.

Still unperceived by the oncoming vessel the "Aphrodite" stood out in order to intercept her. At a request from Captain Restronguet two of the seamen shipped a light mast abaft the fore-conning-tower, and on this was hoisted the International Code signal--flags indicating "I wish to communicate--heave to."

As soon as the signal was observed the tramp's helm was ported as if she meditated flight, but ordering full speed ahead Captain Restronguet soon made it evident that the "Aphrodite" could go two knots to the steamer's one. The tramp's engines were set at half-speed astern and simultaneously the affirmative pendant fluttered from her stumpy foremast, while the Greek mercantile flag was hoisted on her ensign-staff.

"The 'Eleusis' of the Piraeus," announced Captain Restronguet, who was able to decipher with ease the modern Greek characters on her stern.

Gracefully the "Aphrodite" was brought to a stand-still within fifty yards of the Greek tramp, over whose red-leaded bulwarks appeared the heads of about twenty nondescripts who formed her crew.

"'Eleusis' ahoy!" hailed Captain Restronguet in stentorian tones.

"What ship's dat?" asked the Grecian master, who spoke English by reason of several years' service in the British Mercantile Marine.

"Submarine 'Aphrodite,'" replied her captain.

Evidently the fame of Captain Restronguet had already reached the ears of the master of the "Eleusis," for he gave a dramatic gesture of surprise.

"What want, eh? Me peaceful."

"So are we," rejoined Captain Restronguet. "We have just picked up a man and a boy from an Italian fishing-boat. Where are you bound?"

"Messina, Napoli an' Civita Vecchia, sar."

"Will you take these two men as far as Messina?"

The Greek hesitated. His natural cupidity, now that the submarine had shown no hostile intentions, returned.

"Can dey pay passage-monnaire?"

"Passage-money, you white-livered swab!" roared Captain Restronguet. "Is that the way you would treat poor shipwrecked mariners? Send a boat instantly, and take these people to Messina. If I fail to hear of their safe arrival from the Consul of that port I will take good care to obtain satisfaction from you on your homeward voyage. Do you understand?"

"Yas, captain," replied the fellow, thoroughly cowed. "Me send boat."

"If that Greek scoundrel had not been so jolly mean I would have paid him well for his assistance," remarked Captain Restronguet to the sub. "As it is, not a penny will he get from me. Excuse me a few minutes, Mr. Hythe?"

So saying the captain went below; but hardly had his head and shoulders disappeared down the hatchway when he reappeared.

"Would you mind coming with me, Mr. Hythe?" he asked. "I am about to give that poor fisherman a small present to set him up after his severe loss. I prefer to perform little acts of this nature in private, but since I am unable to speak a word of their lingo I realize I must enlist your services. But, please, no mention of this to anyone on board."

Upon entering the cabin in which old Beppo and his grandson were, Captain Restronguet produced a leather pouch and took from it thirty English sovereigns. These he gave to the _padrone_ and bestowed another gold coin upon the lad, whereupon the rescued Italians' thanks were so profuse and pantomimic that their benefactor asked the sub to tell them peremptorily to "shut up."

"And let them know that the British Consul at Messina will arrange for them to have the gold changed into the national currency," he added. "Here is a note explaining that this man came by the money honestly. I think His Britannic Majesty's Consul will recognize that the signature is genuine. Also tell Beppo that he is on no account to pay the Greek skipper anything for his passage beyond a fair price for all meals supplied."

So saying Captain Restronguet strode out of the cabin leaving the sub to explain matters to the bewildered _padrone_, to whom the gold was a sum greater than he could hope to amass in ten years' hard toil.

"Boat alongside, sir," announced Polglaze.

Followed by Beppo and his grandson, who, radiant with pleasure, had now almost forgotten the perils they had undergone, Hythe went on deck. Here were gathered almost every one of the officers and crew of the submarine, while in a gig made fast on the "Aphrodite's" starboard quarter were four disreputable-looking Greek seamen.

The "Aphrodite's" men gave the departing Italians a rousing cheer, then as soon as the boat returned to the "Eleusis," Captain Restronguet gave orders for general quarters.

Ere the Greek vessel's propeller began to revolve the submarine disappeared beneath the surface, only to reappear on the port side of the tramp. Then, hoisting and dipping Captain Restronguet's green and white ensign, a compliment that the skipper of the "Eleusis" grudgingly returned, the "Aphrodite" resumed her voyage on her quest of the desperado, Karl von Harburg.