Part 13 (2/2)

Entering the cave, they saw at once that the lake was no longer there. Where the water had been yawned a wide black crater, but the pa.s.sage across it offered no great difficulty. At the far side they found that the rock that had dammed the water had been shattered by the explosion ; beyond it, the fissure was almost choked with debris, and Biggles looked at it dubiously before he advanced.

'Take it quietly everybody, or we may have the whole place down on our heads,' he warned the others.

Moving with extreme caution, taking care not to disturb loose rocks, they went on, noting the results of the escaping flood.

It was Ginger who saw the new exit first. Biggles had just pulled up with a cry of warning-or it may have been dismay-for they had reached a place where the fissure was almost completely blocked with pieces of loose rock, jammed together by the colossal weight of the water. All their torches were on, and it was no doubt due to this that the grey light which entered the cave from the left at first pa.s.sed unnoticed.

Ginger, happening to look that way, let out a shout. 'Here, what's this ?' he cried. 'It looks like a hole. It must be the place where the water burst through the side of the cliff.'

As quickly as they dared they made their way to the spot, and soon saw that what Ginger had surmised was indeed the case. A large portion of the side of the cliff had been forced out by the sudden weight of the released water, leaving an enormous cavity into which the snow now drifted.

Biggles made his way cautiously to the edge and looked down. 'I can just see the cove,'

he announced. 'I should say it 's about eighty feet below us.'

Is there anybody about ?' inquired Ginger. I can't see anybody.'

'Then they must be back in the cave, trying to get up to us.'

I don't think they'll get past that ma.s.s of rock -the place where we were held up.'

If they can't get up, it also means that we can't get down.'

I'm by no means anxious to get down-just yet, anyway,' said Biggles slowly. 'I think the snow is getting thinner. Let's sit here for a bit until it clears. We'd better see what's happening below before we do anything else.'

Resting the gun against a boulder, Biggles sat down to wait. Ginger squatted beside him, and the others leaned against the rock. As Biggles had remarked, the snowstorm was pa.s.sing, and presently it was possible to see most of the cove.

'Where the d.i.c.kens has everybody gone ?' muttered Ginger, scanning the scene below in search of the Germans whom he fully expected to see there.

'Don't ask me,' replied Biggles. 'I can only think that the second destroyer must have picked them up.'

'But it was making for Algy's machine. Surely it wouldn't have tried to get back into the cove through all that snow. Visibility must have been zero.'

'There's the destroyer, and the drifter, at any rate,' observed Biggles, as visibility improved and it became possible to see the two vessels, still locked together against the spit. The destroyer had sunk by the stern, with her bows still in the drifter's hull. Both appeared to be deserted.

'This has got me whacked,' went on Biggles, with a puzzled expression on his face. '

Where the d.i.c.kens have the crews gone?'

'The lifeboats aren't there,' the Flight-Sergeant pointed out. 'They must have taken to the boats when the destroyer started to founder.'

'But where could they go? Why can't we see them ? You'd have thought they'd have come ash.o.r.e.'

Briny stepped forward. 'Excuse me, sir, I didn't like to mention it before, but when you was a'sittin' on the top there, just after Mr. Lacey flopped down in the ditch, I thought I '

eard a motor-boat. I've got a pretty good ear for engines, and I said to myself, I said, if that ain't the blooming motor-boat wot let me down, then I never 'eard it.'

Biggles stared, trying to grasp the significance of what Briny had said.

'Just a minute,' put in Ginger sharply, turning to Biggles. 'Didn't you say that the drifter had picked up the motor-boat? If so, it might have brought it here.'

'That's right,' conceded Biggles.

'Then they might have cleared off in the motorboat-or taken the lifeboats in tow.'

Even so, that doesn't explain why they should suddenly rush off, knowing that we were on the island.'

'They may have gone to the other destroyer.'

'Yes, but where is the other destroyer ?' cried Biggles, indicating the open sea, for the snow had now practically stopped, and it was possible to see for two or three miles.

'Great Scott! Look! There's Algy's machine,' shouted Ginger suddenly.

Biggles stared as if he could not believe his eyes; but there was no possibility of mistake.

The Platypus had drifted into sight, close to the rocks below them. It seemed to be in an undamaged condition, but of Algy there was no sign.

'He must be in the water-unless he managed to get ash.o.r.e,' ventured Roy.

'Hark!' said Biggles suddenly.

Over the water came a hail. 'Ahoy there!' 'What the d.i.c.kens! That wasn't Algy's voice,'

swore Biggles.

It certainly wasn't,' agreed Ginger emphatically.

Then to their ears came the m.u.f.fled beat of an engine, and they all stared at the shoulder of rock from beyond which the sound seemed to come. And as they stared, moving very slowly, a long, sleek body came into sight, just above the surface of the water.

'Look out! It's a U-boat,' snapped Biggles, grabbing the gun. Then he stopped, staring incredulously as the rest of the steel deck came into sight. On the deck was a gun, and behind it stood a crew of British bluejackets. n.o.body spoke as the conning-tower came into view, and then Ginger let out a yell, for standing talking to two British officers was Algy. The submarine forged on, its white ensign fluttering.

Ahoy there!' yelled Ginger, nearly going over the cliff in his excitement.

They saw Algy look up and point, and in a moment a dozen faces were staring at the hole in the rock.

'Talk about fairy G.o.dmothers, they aren't in it,' declared Biggles, a flush on his pale face.

'Where have you sprung from ?' he shouted.

'We've come for that code-book!' shouted the submarine commander.

Biggles remembered his signal to Colonel Raymond and understood what had happened.

The Admiralty had sent for the valuable doc.u.ment. 'Watch out!' he roared. 'There 's a Boche destroyer about somewhere.'

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