Part 12 (1/2)
That did not satisfy the new to think about, and they settled down to wait in silence, as ainst the deck-house and the rest suffering in the rain I would rather have heard theed the silence to be due to low spirits I knew of nothing e thean to affect me also Rather than watch the I did not recognize, that nevertheless caused le and my breath to come in jerks Sikh eyes are keen
It was perhaps two hours beforethe water-front began and I knew that hts suddenly swept together to one point and shone on the top-side of a submarine-or at least on the water thrown up by its top-side Only twoshells threater over those obscuring thereat explosion, whether before or after the beginning of the gun-fire I do not rereat distance froht was turned on the sinking shi+p, so that I could see hundreds of ; but all the rest of the water was now left in darkness
The guards who had been set to prevent our landing all ran to another wharf to watch the gun-fire and the sinking shi+p, and it was at the moment when their backs were turned that two Turkish seae and loosed the ropes that held us to the shore Then our shi+p began to hts or sounding whistle There was still no sign of Ranjoor Singh, nor had I ti, coaxing, cursing-even striking them
”Are we off to Gallipoli?” they asked
”We are off to where a truenoto a landsht Thein the one direction onlytwo er knew north froe by the stars I had actually forgotten it was raining The rain caan at little e, then, my excitement
We passed very close to several small steamers that may have been war-shi+ps, but I think they were unboats to hunt submarines I think, too, that in the darkness they h we almost collided with two of theht past theain speed as the last one fell away behind
Does the sahib ree from Stamboul into the Sea of Marmora runs south or east or west? Neither could I reh at another tis But e tricks, and cavalrymen were never intended to h, up in the wheel-house, had a ood map, that he had stolen from the German officers-but I did not know that until later I stood with both hands holding the rails of the bridge ladder wondering whether gunfire or sub the ht find us and the number of heads cause suspicion
I have often tried to remember just how many hours we steamed from Stae was ended before dawn It was all unexpected-ere too excited, and too fearful for our skins to recall the passage of hours It was darker than I have ever known night to be, and the short waves thatsteeper every h came at last to the head of the ladder and shouted forto each rail for dear life
”Take twenty men,” he ordered, ”and uncover the forward hatch Throw the hatch coverings overboard The hold is full of cartridges Bring up some boxes and break them open Distribute two hundred rounds to every et up twenty ether, in readiness to take with us e leave the shi+p Let me knohen that is all done”
So I took twenty es a rumbled
”Can ith these?” they demanded
”Who knows until he has tried?” said I
”How far ht?” said they
”Who knows!” said I, counting out two hundred more to another e of the full count when I come to inspect shall be put to the test whether he can swiun to throw half of their two hundred into the water, but after I said that they discontinued, and I noticed that those who had so done ca that my count had been short So I served the There were hundreds of thousands of rounds in the hold of the shi+p, and I judged we could afford to overlook the waste
At last we set the extra twenty boxes in one place together, slipping and falling in the process because the deck et and the shi+p unsteady; and then I went and reported to Ranjoor Singh
”Very good,” said he ”Make thethe deck, and bid them be ready for whatever may befall!”
”Are we near land, sahib?” said I
”Very near!” said he
I ran to obey hi into the blackness to discover land, but I could see nothing more than the white tops of waves, and clouds that seeth of us Once or twice I thought I heard surf, but the noise of the rain and of the engines and of the waves pounding against the shi+p confused my ears, so that I could not be certain
When the men were all fallen in I went and leaned over the bulwark to try to see better; and as I did that we ran in under a cliff, for the darkness grew suddenly much darker Then I surely heard surf Then another sound startled me, and a shock nearly threw me offtheir length upon the deck, and when I had urged and helped the savagely through the funnel The motion of the shi+p was different now; the front part seemed almost still, but the behind part rose and fell jerkily
I busied ed it most ih h I heard a lot of talking on the bridge
”Is this Gallipoli?” theme in whispers