Part 39 (1/2)
No one followed up his explanation, but the party seemed to find the pause trying.
”They burn gasolene, don't they?” Madge asked.
”Either that or oil when they're running on the surface. The engines are driven by electricity when they're submerged.”
”Can they carry much gasolene?”
”Not very much,” Rankine answered, guardedly.
”Can they carry enough to take them from Germany and back?” Madge persisted.
”I believe some can do so; but they wouldn't have much to spare, and they'd run a serious risk if they remained any time as far away from their base as the North Channel.”
”You must see that the point's important,” said Elsie.
”Its importance is obvious,” Rankine agreed.
”If the boat couldn't carry enough fuel, she'd have to get some while she was out on a trip?”
There was another long pause and then Mrs. Woodhouse spoke.
”You must mean somewhere in Scotland,” she said.
”Disagreeable conclusion, isn't it? But we don't know yet that it was a submarine,” Rankine answered.
”But suppose there _should_ be an enemy submarine in the North Channel that hadn't much fuel left, how could she renew her supply?” Staffer asked.
Rankine seemed unwilling to talk about the subject, but he smiled.
”Oh,” he said, ”it's hard to tell. One could form plausible theories, but they'd probably be wrong. Perhaps we'd better leave the matter to the people whose business it is.”
He began to talk about something else, and the curious tension that all had felt gradually slackened. Soon afterward, a servant announced that Mackellar had arrived. Staffer had been expecting him, and when he left the room Madge and d.i.c.k went to the drawing-room with Elsie and Mrs. Woodhouse, and Rankine found himself alone with Andrew and Whitney.
”Have you made any progress with your investigations?” he asked.
”No,” Andrew answered quietly; ”nothing very marked.”
”And you are still resolved to keep them in your own hands, after the news we got to-night?”
”Do you know that the loss of the cargo boat has any connection with the matter?”
”No; but it looks suspicious,” Rankine answered, with a touch of grimness. ”If I did know, my course would be clear.”
”So would mine,” said Andrew. ”We found some matches and a candle on board the wreck, and followed a man across Criffell to the beach abreast of her--or rather we followed his tracks. Then we saw another fellow on the sands at night; but that's all I have to tell.”
”Could you see either of the men clearly?”
”No. I didn't see the first at all; and the other was some distance off, and a thick fog was coming on.”
”That means it was impossible for you to recognize him.”