Part 18 (2/2)
Instantly the others jumped to their feet, slapping Frank's shoulders, shaking his hands and otherwise showing their appreciation of his shrewdness. Their enthusiasm could scarcely be restrained.
”Sherlock Shaw, The Scout Sleuth!” shouted Jimmie.
”Frank, you're the real, old-fas.h.i.+oned guesser!” declared Jack.
”How did you do it, Frank?” asked Harry, admiringly.
”Well, the commander said we were destined for a lonely island in the North Sea that was heavily guarded. I guess Helgoland fits that description right enough. Besides, as I remember the geography of these parts, that's about the first land we'd strike going on this course.”
”But I understand that is a sort of naval base,” put in Harry. ”Isn't that the island where the Germans are fitting out so many of their Zeppelins? Seems to me I read something about that in a paper.”
”That's the very place!” put in Ned. ”The paper said it was a lonely, rocky island, difficult of approach and quite well fortified.”
”And book agents, canva.s.sers, peddlers and rag men are not allowed there at all!” a.s.serted Jimmie, gravely.
”Take his pie away!” shouted Jack. ”He's raving again!”
”And you have to deliver all goods in the rear,” added Jimmie, as Jack reached for the plate containing the lad's breakfast.
”Hurry up, let's finish this food and get out on deck, where we will be able to see something,” suggested Harry. ”This is interesting!”
Directly the boys were standing in the lee of a deck house eagerly scanning the horizon for some sign of the island where they expected to be landed as prisoners of war.
The gale gave no hint of abating. Indeed, the motion of the waves was much more noticeable. Jack attributed this partly to the build of the craft, whose lines were sharper than those of the Lena k.n.o.bloch. The sharp prow cut the water like a knife, while the slender, tapering stern slipped through the seas without making a roller of large proportions.
Presently, just as Jack declared he could see a blue smudge in the distance, indicating the presence of land, the lads were joined by Mackinder. He glanced at the group without speaking.
Speedily the vessel approached the object that had been sighted.
An officer drew near. He conducted Mackinder toward the stern.
As the craft slowed slightly to enter a harbor Jimmie grasped Ned's arm.
He pointed eagerly toward several large objects on land.
”There is a whole flock of Zeppelins,” he declared. ”And as I live,” he continued, ”I see a bunch of submarines at that dock over there!”
”There must be a dozen or more!” gasped Frank, in amazement.
CHAPTER XII
A NEW ”U-13” APPEARS
Eagerly the lads gazed at the strange sights before them. On their right rose several huge buildings; evidently workshops. On the left they could see a field devoted to the erection and testing of several gigantic dirigibles. Everywhere they saw bustling activity on the part of the numerous workmen. Sentries paced about with arms in readiness.
”That fleet of submarines looks to me as if Germany were preparing to destroy every s.h.i.+p in the world!” stated Jack presently, as the destroyer on which they stood pa.s.sed the undersea craft.
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