Chapter VIII: Explanations

"By the by," observed Captain Restronguet, as he entered the cabin, "I have already sent a reassuring message concerning you to the British Admiralty."

"You have! How?" asked Hythe in astonishment. "You are not fitted with wireless?"

"And why not? As a matter of fact we are; with one of the latest type of Raldorf-Holperfeld instruments, which, as you know, do not require out-board aerials. The message is received by an automatic recorder."

"And, might I ask, with whom do you communicate?"

"That need not be kept a secret from you, Mr. Hythe."

"Why not, sir?"

"Because I wish to detain you on board the 'Aphrodite' until I have no further use for secret correspondents. My wish is law, Mr. Hythe, and please to remember that. At the same time I wish to make your period of enforced detention pass as pleasantly as possible, and you will have complete facilities, up to a certain point, of gaining valuable information that will in time to come amply recompense you for any slight inconvenience that might arise."

"But my career? Remember, sir, I'm a naval officer."

"Of course. That is one reason why I think fit to keep you. Had you been an ordinary or even an able seaman, I should have taken the first opportunity of putting you ashore, with hardly any chance of your seeing anything on board the vessel that might be put to my disadvantage. As soon as I learned that you were a naval sub-lieutenant I made up my mind to retain you as my guest for awhile."

"Then you are going to release O'Shaunessey?"

"Not at present. He, too, will serve a good purpose. He will be able to corroborate my statement that you will be honourably treated."

"But that will be unnecessary. Surely my word----"

"I have every confidence in the word of an officer and a gentleman, Mr. Hythe. But my proposals are rarely influenced by circumstances other than the workings of Providence. You asked me a question concerning my shore agents. The answer is this: so long as the Government bestows licences upon private individuals to dabble in wireless telegraphy experiments it is a simple matter to keep in touch with events ashore. My principal agent lives in Highgate. He is a skilled operator, but he has contrived to keep his capabilities masked under the role of a harmless amateur. By advancing or retarding the spark of the powerful coil of his instrument he can 'tap' any messages, whether from British or foreign warships, within seven hundred miles, while on occasions he has accurately read messages from Cape Race. Of course, most of the naval messages are in code, and are unintelligible to the uninitiated. Nevertheless I can learn all outside news from this particular agent even when in the Mediterranean. For short distances we make use of wireless telephony, and by this means I can communicate with trusty agents in Devonport, Portsmouth, Sheet-ness and Chatham, and under certain circumstances with Rosyth and Dundee."

"Why did you come to a standstill here?" asked the sub.

"To partially recharge our accumulators. Our motive power is electricity. My invention in that direction is a revolution in marine and submarine propulsion. We are now anchored."

"Anchored?" echoed Hythe. "How? I saw no anchors when I examined your vessel from the outside."

"Anchoring, as we understand the term, consists of allowing the 'Aphrodite' to settle on the bottom of the sea. By lowering four steel plates, inclined at an angle of forty-five degrees--the acute angle facing aft--an almost irresistible brake, something after the principle of the spade recoil brake of the French quick-firing field guns, is formed. At this moment the ebb tide is swirling past at four knots. The force of the current is turning our propellers, which, acting for the time being on subsidiary shafting, drive the dynamos that in turn replenish our accumulators."

"Then that means that every day you must recharge? How do you manage when there is not sufficient tide to actuate the propellers?"

"My dear sir," replied Captain Restronguet, "I ought to have said that we were _partially_ replenishing our reserve of electricity. At this moment there is sufficient power on board to drive the 'Aphrodite' at a speed of thirty-five knots on the surface or twenty when submerged, for a continuous period of at least one hundred and twenty hours. We merely take advantage of the opportunity to increase our reserve. But you are not eating. Is my meagre fare not sufficiently tempting?"

"I am too interested to think about eating," replied Hythe. "But now you mention it I feel quite peckish."

"We are obliged to do without fresh meat," said Captain Restronguet apologetically. "Nevertheless I think you will find this dish of pilchards excellent. Here is seakale sauce that by the skill of the 'Aphrodite's' cook can hardly be distinguished from asparagus. Roast dog-fish, if you care to try it, you will find hard to believe anything but beef-steak. By a certain process, simple to apply, all taste of fish is eliminated."

Captain Restronguet helped his guest to a slice of dog-fish--a fish that fishermen not so many years back generally threw back into the sea as useless.

"Excellent," declared the sub. "However is this dish produced in this guise?"

"Also by electricity," said Captain Restronguet calmly. "By applying a certain form of current all the oily portions of the fish are destroyed, leaving only the red corpuscles in the flesh."

Just then came a knock at the door, and in response to the captain's permission to enter one of the crew appeared, holding an envelope in his hand.

"H'm! Message from the wireless room--excuse me," remarked Captain Restronguet, as he began to tear open the flap. "Shouldn't be surprised, Mr. Hythe, if this doesn't concern you. Yes, listen: 'Secretary of Admiralty acknowledges Captain Restronguet's message re safety of Sub-Lieutenant Arnold Hythe and Michael O'Shaunessey, A.B. If genuine a message from the naval officer detained is requested. Reasons are also desired why Captain Restronguet took forcible possession of two of His Majesty's subjects.' Ha! That is a reasonable message."

"Reasonable?"

"Yes. The Admiralty are beginning to realize that I, Captain Restronguet, am a person worthy of their consideration. That is more than they did a few years' back. As a matter of fact I have had a little quarrel with My Lords. Some day I will give you details; but meanwhile I am continuing my harmless yet disconcerting tactics that tend to prove how futile the defences of this country are against the latest product of modern science. Yes, Mr. Hythe, the Secretary of the Admiralty will have definite evidence before many hours have passed."

* * * * *

To go back to H.M.S. "Investigator": as soon as Hythe's appeal for help was received the attendants on the diving-party began to haul in the sub's life-line, but before five fathoms had been brought inboard a sudden relaxation of the strain told them that the rope had been severed.

"Be sharp, men! Blow him to the surface," ordered Egmont. "There's something up down there."

"Mr. Hythe's just signalled for more air, sir," announced the seaman who had charge of the telephone.

Rapidly the handles of the air-pump revolved. An increase in the number and size of the bubbles rising to the surface was the only result.

"See if the others are all right," ordered the lieutenant. "What's that? O'Shaunessey reports all correct; tell him to find out what's wrong with Mr. Hythe. Can't you get any reply from Mr. Hythe, Mr. Smithers?"

"No reply, sir," said the man laconically.

A paying out of the Irishman's life-line told them on deck that O'Shaunessey was on his way to look for his officer. Five minutes elapsed, then a confused jumble of ejaculations through the telephone betokened the unmistakable fact that the Hibernian diver was shouting at the top of his voice.

"Stow it, mate; what's the bloomin' use of shoutin' like that?" spoke the man on O'Shaunessey's telephone reprovingly. Then, after a short interval, he took the instrument from his ear and turned to Lieutenant Egmont.

"Wire's cut off, sir," he announced.

"And his life-line and air-tube cut, too, sir," added another seaman.

"Great heavens! what's up?" ejaculated the lieutenant. "Here, bring Price up before he's done for."

Hastily Egmont communicated this disquieting news to Captain Tarfag. The latter went for'ard and awaited Diver Price's re-appearance.

As soon as Price's helmet appeared above the surface his glass plate was unscrewed, revealing his features as pale as a sheet.

"What has happened?" demanded Captain Tarfag anxiously.

The man was incapable of speech. He could only raise one hand in a gesture of horror and despair.

"Help him over the side, men," ordered the captain. "Run aft, one of you, and ask the steward to give you a stiff glass of grog."

Quickly Price was divested of his helmet and dress. Shaking like a leaf he sat down upon a bollard. He drained the glass of whisky at one gulp, and the colour began to return to his face.

"Both done for!" he cried. "Saw my mate stabbed by the villains. Never caught a sight o' Mr. Hythe."

"By heavens, I'll not stand this!" thundered Captain Tarfag. "I want three men to go down--who will volunteer?"

"I will, sir!" came a chorus of voices. Every man qualified as a diver had offered to risk possibly certain death in the depths of the sea.

"You three," ordered the captain, indicating Moy, Banks, and Smithers. "Keep your knives in your hands and don't hesitate to use them. Take a charge of guncotton. If you've a chance place it under her bilges, and I'll take the risk of blowing this infernal submarine to Jericho."

Quickly the three dauntless divers prepared to descend, while a petty officer and two seamen hastened to bring the explosive from the magazine and the batteries for firing the charge.

But ere the divers were ready a sudden commotion on shore attracted the attention of Captain Tarfag and the crew of the "Investigator." The working party on the beach had discovered that the net entanglements no longer held. They were coming home with hardly any resistance, bringing with them the grapnels of the picquet-boats till the latter had to hastily cast off in order to prevent themselves being dragged ashore.

"She's given us the slip, by George!" ejaculated Mr. Egmont.

"Perhaps the nets have parted," suggested Captain Tarfag. "Look alive, men!"

One after another the divers disappeared over the side. Three distinct patches of bubbles indicated their course. They were, for mutual safety, keeping close together. To all inquiries on the telephone the answer was, "Nothing to be seen," until Moy reported that he had discovered distinct traces in the sand of the impression of a fairly flat-bottomed vessel of at least thirty foot beam.

"It's no go," exclaimed Captain Tarfag. "Order the men back, and report the loss of Mr. Hythe and O' Shaunessey to the Commander-in-Chief at Devonport. By smoke! All the fat is in the fire now."

Quickly the dispiriting news spread from ship to ship, and from boat to boat. A panic seemed to seize the spectators in private craft, for, as if by a sudden impulse, they made a wild stampede from the shelter of the shallow water of Cawsand Bay. But nothing happened to imperil their safety. No huge sea-monster, the work of human hands, appeared to scatter destruction broadcast upon those venturesome individuals who had gone forth to witness the capture of the mysterious Captain Restronguet. The elusive submarine had calmly stolen away, without a trace of the tragedy that every one imagined had been enacted beneath the waves, save for portions of the two life-lines and the disconnected air-tubes.

The "Investigator" and the rest of the Government vessels lost no time in putting into the Hamoaze. Captain Tarfag, accompanied by Lieutenant Egmont, immediately went on shore to report to the Commander-in-Chief. Already special editions of the papers were out, giving more or less accurate accounts of the futile operations in connexion with the attempt to capture the submarine, and all laid particular stress upon the fact that the lives of an officer and a seaman had been sacrificed on the altar of duty.

"You saw nothing, Tarfag?" asked the Admiral.

"Nothing, sir. The diver who escaped reported that the whole time he was below he saw no trace of the submarine, although he followed the line of netting for several yards. What he did see was his comrade, O'Shaunessey, beset by half a dozen men. He admitted he was terribly scared, but went to his fellow-diver's assistance. Before he could get close enough he saw that O'Shaunessey's life-line had been cut and his air-tube disconnected. Realizing that he could do nothing, and that he was in pressing danger, Price signalled to be hauled up."

"But how did the submarine contrive to get clear of the wire and rope entanglements? Surely you saw some signs of a commotion?"

"Nothing--not even a ripple. The first intimation we had was from the shore. The nets came home quite easily."

"H'm," ejaculated the Admiral. "Perhaps I----"

The entrance of an assistant secretary caused the Commander-in-Chief to pause abruptly. The newcomer held out a type-written document.

"Message through from the Admiralty, sir," he announced.

"By Jove! What's this?" exclaimed the astonished Admiral. "The Secretary to the Admiralty reports that a telephone message was received from a North London call-office, reporting that Mr. Hythe and O' Shaunessey are prisoners on the submarine. Furthermore, a telegram from Dantzic announces that Captain Restronguet--confound that fellow!--has destroyed the armoured cruiser 'Breslau.'"

"When was that, sir?" asked Captain Tarfag.

"The message from Dantzic is dated 8 a.m. this morning. Allowing for differences in Greenwich time----"

"Then, if the submarine we were after is under the command of Captain Restronguet, it is morally impossible for him to be in the Baltic at precisely the same hour----"

"Unless there are two of these blessed submarines."

"Or two captains of the name of Restronguet," added Captain Tarfag.

"I suppose this fellow means to hold Mr. Hythe to ransom, sir?" asked Mr. Egmont.

"There is no mention of that," replied the Admiral. "But, of course, that may be his intention. I wonder where the mysterious submarine will turn up next?"

"The Superintendent of Police, sir," announced the head-messenger.

"Ah, Richardson, what's the trouble now?" asked the Commander-in-Chief, as a tall, alert-looking man stepped briskly into the room.

"More evidence of Captain Restronguet, sir," replied the Superintendent of Police. "The rascal's actually in the Hamoaze. Our duty boat, whilst returning from Bull Point, picked up a green and white buoy, just abreast of Wilcove. Attached to the buoy, and protected by a water-proof covering, was this document."

The admiral took the paper--a foolscap sheet, with a crest and the words "Submarine 'Aphrodite'" embossed upon it. In silence he read it to the end, then--

"Well, of all the most confounded cheek!" he ejaculated. "Read that, Tarfag, and tell me what you think of it."

"I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Admiralty's message of even date. In order to prove conclusively that this reply is authentic, I have taken steps to see that this document is placed in the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Devonport Command. Mr. Arnold Hythe and A.B. O'Shaunessey, official number K14,027, are on board my vessel 'Aphrodite.' In the interests of the Service, and also in my own, it is desirable that Mr. Hythe remain on board for a period not exceeding six months. Any information the officer in question may gain is entirely at the disposal of the British Admiralty, and since the possibilities of so doing are great, I would suggest that covering permission be given for Mr. Hythe's absence from his official duties. Incidentally I may mention that this suggested permission is merely formal, for in any case my guests will not be put ashore until I think fit.

"I am at present giving a series of demonstrations in British waters, but not with any aggressive intent. It is hopeless to attempt the capture of my submarine, and no useful purpose will be thereby served.

"I take this opportunity of explaining the cause of the hostile acts committed against an outwardly friendly State, in the hope that the calamity of a great war may be averted.

"The submarine in Baltic waters is the property of Karl von Harburg, a German renegade, who has certain motives in committing these excesses, which can neither be justifiable nor excusable. His submarine, itself a craft of great abilities, is but a feeble imitation of my 'Aphrodite.' It will not help matters to any great extent by explaining my reasons, but I can assure you that at the first available opportunity I mean to destroy the submarine owned and commanded by Karl von Harburg, as I regard the man as an unprincipled international scoundrel and a scourge to humanity.

"Will you kindly forward this document to the Secretary of the Admiralty, and inform him that my agent will receive his reply per telephone, at the hour of 10 a.m. to-morrow.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Yours, etc.,
"JOHN RESTRONGUET."