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 hit. 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 shore, 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 harassed 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 shore 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 shore 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 ashore 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 ashore 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 shore, 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 quantity 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 accumulators, and the reserve of electricity had to be carefully husbanded. Fortunately fairly fresh water for drinking purposes could be obtained on shore, 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 passage 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 passengers and crew to take to the boats.

Furthermore, it was announced that rewards totaling nearly a hundred and forty thousand pounds had been offered to whoever succeeded in capturing or destroying the "Vorwartz." Of this amount Lloyd's--already a heavy sufferer by these depredations--had guaranteed thirty thousand, the remainder being provided by the Governments of Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States of America.

Captain Restronguet fumed at the delay. It was not on account of the bounteous guerdon, but because he was unable to put a stop once and for all to his rival's insane acts, for without doubt Karl von Harburg was now nothing less than a dangerous maniac, who possessed sufficient cunning and authority to bend the will of his crew to suit his own aims. It seemed hard indeed that a vessel like the "Aphrodite," equipped with every appliance that human ingenuity could contrive, should be penned in by a narrow strip of sand and shingle on which the surf rolled incessantly.

"I'll have a shot at it at next high water," announced Captain Restronguet to his officers. "That will be at three o'clock! It is high water full and change on this part of the coast at a quarter past four, and as there is a new moon the day after to-morrow each tide until that day ought to be higher than the preceding one."

"Unless influenced by the wind, sir," added Hythe. "That is a great consideration."

"Undoubtedly," admitted the captain. "But the sooner we make our preparations the better. Pass the word for Captain Rees, and ask him to warn his men to bear a hand. Unless every one works with a will our chances of success will be severely threatened."

The sunken boats of the "Iticaba" were raised, baled out, and laden with movable stores from the submarine. Everything that could possibly be taken from the "Aphrodite" to lessen her already diminished draught was hoisted out, till the boats were laden as deeply as they could be in view of the fact that they would also have to pass the dangerous bar.

"We had a matter of three hundred barrels of heavy oil in the old 'Iticaba,' sir," announced Captain Rees. "It's just possible that those murdering rascals have not stove in the heads of every barrel that came ashore. They might be of service in keeping down the broken water."

"Might," remarked Captain Restronguet dubiously. "What do you say, Mr. Hythe?"

"I've had no experience under circumstances like the present, sir," replied the sub. "The Board of Trade officials state that in a surf, or waves breaking over a bar, the effect of the oil is uncertain."

"We'll try it, anyhow," said Captain Restronguet. "Tell Mr. Kenwyn to take a party ashore--see that they are well armed and keep a sharp look-out--and bring back any barrels of oil that may have come ashore."

In less than an hour Kenwyn's party returned, pushing five large barrels over the sand. These were placed in the cutter, which was immediately sent seawards, for it was now nearly the time of high water. As the boat gained the fringe of breakers one wave washed over her bows. From the deck of the "Aphrodite" it could be seen that they were baling furiously. It was a question whether this cutter would escape being swamped; but after a strenuous struggle the boat succeeded in drawing clear of the surf.

Anchoring, Kenwyn prepared to liberate the oil. Simultaneously the 'Aphrodite' weighed her anchors, and with the other boats of the 'Iticaba' in tow awaited the critical moment to attempt the risky passage.

"They're staving in the barrel, sir," announced Devoran. "There's one overboard."

"It makes a difference to the water already," observed Captain Restronguet. "But we'll wait till they heave the contents of another couple of barrels overboard, and then we'll see what we can do. By Jove, what's that?"

A sudden flash, vivid even in the strong sunlight, was followed by a dense cloud of smoke that completely hid the cutter from sight. Owing to the lack of wind the vapour hung about like a pall, but presently the heads of several men could be seen as they swam for all they were worth towards the shore.

There was a rush for the boats that still remained alongside the "Aphrodite," and heedless of the risk they ran in pulling the laden craft towards the bar the crews bent to their oars.

In a comparatively short space of time the swimmers were all picked up, several of them being slightly burned, while in some instances their hair and beards had been singed off.

"What has happened, Mr. Kenwyn?" demanded Captain Restronguet, as the unlucky boat's crew boarded the submarine.

"One of the barrels contained sodium carbide, sir, and we didn't know it till the head was knocked off. There was a lot of water in the bottom of the boat----"

"And what caused it to take fire; some one was smoking, eh?"

"Yes, sir," replied the second officer.

"Was it one of my men?"

"No, sir."

"Very well, I'll say no more. Had the culprit been one of the 'Aphrodite's' crew there would be trouble; but I do not want to exercise any jurisdiction over the men of the 'Iticaba.' At the same time, Mr. Kenwyn, it was your duty to keep order in the boat, and with an inflammable cargo of oil on board, you ought to have maintained the strictest vigilance."

Kenwyn did not reply. The captain's strictures were necessary, but the second officer was not a man to make lame excuses, even though one of the seamen from the "Iticaba" had quietly lit his pipe while Kenwyn's back was turned.

The carbide had by now burnt itself out, but patches of burning oil were still drifting shorewards. Nevertheless the object of the expedition was in the main successful, for the seas no longer broke heavily, but continued in a sullen roll right into the deeper water within the creek.

Ordering half speed ahead, Captain Restronguet stood by the quartermaster and gave directions as to the course. Gathering way the submarine started on her bid for freedom, the remaining boat of the "Iticaba" being towed astern. No one remained in the boats, while at the stern of the "Aphrodite" a man stood ready with a sharp axe to sever the towing hawser should any of the lumbering craft become swamped.

Nearer and nearer to the danger zone the "Aphrodite" headed. Suddenly there was a dull thud. She was aground aft. The boats in tow came surging alongside, only to be swept backwards with a tremendous jerk on the hawser as a roller came swinging by.

That wave did it. Lifting the "Aphrodite's" heel clear of the sand it enabled the submarine under the action of her powerful engines to glide into deep water, followed by the half water-logged flotilla of boats.

As soon as a safe distance had been placed between her and the inhospitable shore the submarine eased down; the "Iticaba's" boats were brought alongside and the work of bringing the "Aphrodite's" spare gear on board again was pushed forward with feverish energy.

All the boats save the largest whaler were cast adrift, as if kept in tow they would have made a great difference in the submarine's speed, and anxious to fall in with the piratical "Vorwartz," Captain Restronguet ordered a course to be shaped for Zanzibar at the utmost capacity of the "Aphrodite's" motors.