Part 15 (2/2)

It was no time for melancholy. At the word ”Dismiss” the men trooped for'ard, for there was plenty of work to do, and, in the navy especially, hard but necessary work is rightly considered one of the best antidotes for grief.

s.n.a.t.c.hing at the opportunity to visit his chief, Sefton hurried below to the shattered ward-room, where Crosthwaite lay on a mattress that smelt abominably of cordite and the lingering odours of poison-gas. The lieutenant-commander had by this time recovered consciousness, and greeted Sefton with a bad attempt at a smile.

”We've kept our end up,” he said feebly. ”Think you'll get the old s.h.i.+p back to port?”

”I trust so,” said the sub guardedly. ”I'll do my level best.”

”I know,” a.s.sented Crosthwaite. ”Still, you've a stiff job. I'll be on the bridge in another half an hour and give you a spell.”

Sefton said nothing. He realized that many hours--nay, days--would pa.s.s before his chief would again a.s.sume command. Crosthwaite was quick to notice his subordinate's silence.

”Suppose I've had it pretty badly,” he admitted reluctantly. ”It was a rotten business getting knocked out at the critical time.”

”Nothing much happened after that,” explained Sefton. ”We were out of it within twenty seconds from the time you were hit.”

”Man alive!” protested Crosthwaite. ”You're altogether wrong. For nearly ten minutes I was lying there quite conscious and watching you.

You're a plucky fellow, old man.”

Before Sefton could reply he was called away. A Zeppelin had been sighted, flying in the direction of the badly mauled _Calder_.

Quickly the remaining gun was manned. Although not intended for aerial work, modification to the original mounting permitted it to be trained within ten degrees of the perpendicular, supplementary sights having been fitted to enable it to be laid while at extreme elevation.

The air-s.h.i.+p was still four miles off, and flying at an alt.i.tude of about 2000 feet. Apparently undamaged, it was proceeding at a rapid pace against the wind.

Deprived of the advantage of speed and manoeuvring powers, the destroyer would fall an easy prey to the Zeppelin's bombs unless the _Calder_ could make good use of her solitary 4-inch quick-firer. The weapon was loaded and trained abeam, the gun's crew being ordered to take cover, and thus give the destroyer the appearance of being incapable of defence.

Sefton made no attempt to alter helm. He had made up his mind to wait until the huge target came within easy range. He knew that the _Calder_ was under observation, and that the Germans were trying to ascertain the nature of the destroyer's injuries. Should they come to the conclusion that the slowly-moving British craft was powerless of doing damage they would not be likely to waste ballast in ascending to a safe alt.i.tude and a corresponding loss of hydrogen in descending after the attack.

Nearer and nearer came the huge air-s.h.i.+p, her bows steadily pointing in the direction of the destroyer. Range-finder in hand, Sefton curbed his impatience. Not until the Zeppelin bore at a distance of 2500 yards did he order the gun's crew to their stations.

With a vicious spurt of flame and a sharp, resounding detonation the 4-inch sent a sh.e.l.l hurtling through the air. Admirably timed, it burst apparently close to the silvery-grey envelope. Almost instantly a huge cloud of black and yellow smoke shot from the Zeppelin.

A rousing cheer burst from the throats of the British seamen. The cheer was taken up by the wounded heroes down below, who, having heard in some mysterious manner of the air-s.h.i.+p's approach, were waiting the issue of events with mingled confidence and regret that they themselves were unable to a.s.sist in ”strafing the sausage”.

The cheers literally froze on the lips of the men on deck, for when the smoke cleared away the Zeppelin was a mere speck, 10,000 feet in the air. Under cover of a discharge of smoke she had dropped a large quant.i.ty of ballast and had shot vertically upwards to a safe alt.i.tude.

The Hun in command had received orders not to attack unless he could do so without risk, the Zeppelin being specially detailed for observation work. With a range of visibility of fifty or sixty miles she was of far more service to the discomfited German High Seas Fleet in warning them of the position of their victors than in strafing a solitary destroyer.

With solid water sweeping her fore and aft, the _Calder_ still struggled on her course, steered by the hand-operated gear in conjunction with the inefficient boat's compa.s.s. Hitherto the leaks had been kept under, but now the water was making its way in through the shattered fore-deck.

Reluctantly Sefton came to the conclusion that he would have to give the order ”abandon s.h.i.+p” before many minutes had pa.s.sed. Already the knowledge that the old _Calder_ was slowly foundering had become general, yet there was no panic.

Calmly some of the men began to collect all the buoyant materials they could lay their hands upon for the purpose of constructing rafts, since there were no boats left. Others stuck gamely to the task of manning the pumps, while the wounded were carried on deck in order to give them a chance of getting clear of the sinking s.h.i.+p.

At seven in the morning a vessel was sighted to the west'ard proceeding in a nor'-easterly direction. After a few minutes of anxious doubt as to her nationality, she proved to be a Danish trawler--unless the national colours painted on her sides and the distinguis.h.i.+ng numbers on her sails were disguises.

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