Rounding up the Raider Part 20

"Come on!" hissed Denbigh to his chum.

O'Hara needed no second bidding. Clearing the bulwarks, he quickly cut adrift the ladder and raced after Denbigh, who was making with all possible dispatch for the companion.

For a brief instant Denbigh fumbled with the key; then inserting it in the lock he threw open the door.

"Back again, Armstrong," he announced coolly, for now all immediate danger was over. "Have you any clean water handy? We could both do with a good wash."

CHAPTER XV

Armstrong's Part

Restraining his curiosity, the mate of the _Myra_ poured out some water into a tin bowl, and handed Denbigh a small piece of yellow soap.

"There'll be just time to scrub your figureheads," he remarked.

"You'll have to turn in pretty sharp, or you'll be bowled out. They're getting a little bit excited on deck."

Realizing that it would be as well to act on Armstrong's advice, the subs, by dint of hard scrubbing and plenty of soap, succeeded in removing the burnt cork from their faces, necks, and hands. This done they donned their pyjamas and scrambled into their bunks, while the mate obligingly unpacked their bundles and laid out the garments with methodical precision.

Armstrong was not far wrong in his surmise. The excitement on deck bordered on a state of panic. Every man of the prize crew turned out.

Unter-leutnant Klick, having heard a muddled version of what had taken place, ordered the man who had been jumped upon to state what he knew.

The seaman, still shaken and frightened, could only affirm that he was pacing the deck as conscientiously as a sentry should do, when the black figure leapt upon him from behind and felled him.

"From behind, say you?" repeated Unter-leutnant Klick. "How, then, could you see that he was black?"

"I must have spun round, sir, as I fell," replied the fellow. "I distinctly remember seeing that he was black and without clothing. He may be a native."

"Where did he go after taking you unawares?" asked the prize-master of the _Myra_.

"Over the side, sir, I think. I believe I heard the splash."

Kaspar Klick, however, had his suspicions. Not for one moment did he imagine that anyone would be so utterly reckless as to attempt to swim ash.o.r.e and back again. The river, teeming with hippopotami and crocodiles, offered too formidable an obstacle. On the other hand, the mysterious a.s.sailant of the sentry might be one of several of the English prisoners, intent upon recapturing the s.h.i.+p. Had the faithful sentry been felled without uttering a sound, the plot may have succeeded; but when the seaman made enough bellowing to awaken the Seven Sleepers, the daring Englishmen probably thought better of it, and had retired speedily and discreetly.

Ordering half a dozen armed men to accompany him, Unter-leutnant Klick went for'ard. Over the hatchway leading to the forehold, where the _Myra's_ deck hands were under lock and key, he found a sentry on duty.

The man was most emphatic that no one had attempted to come on deck.

The state of the padlock proved that.

Still dubious, the unter-leutnant descended the main hold. Making his way over a pack of miscellaneous cargo, he came to the for'ard bulkhead. A careful examination showed that no effort had been made to cut through the part.i.tion separating the two holds. He could, therefore, feel rea.s.sured that the original crew of the _Myra_ had not attempted to put into execution a plot to recover the s.h.i.+p.

"Perhaps it is those harebrained officers we took from the j.a.panese liner," soliloquized Klick. "I'll go the rounds now I am about it, and see if those fellows have been up to any tricks."

Had the unter-leutnant gone aft as soon as he commenced his investigations, he might have noticed the tell-tale prints of wet feet, left by Denbigh and his chum as they scurried to the cabin. By this time the marks had almost vanished. The slight traces of dampness that remained were hardly noticeable in the gloom, for it was still dark, and 'tween decks the lantern gave but a feeble glimmer.

Klick inserted his key into the lock and threw open the door. The cabin was in darkness, until one of his men flashed a lantern into it.

The unter-leutnant sniffed suspiciously.

"Anyone awake?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Armstrong.

"You haf been a lamp burning," said Kaspar Klick accusingly. "It is again der regulations."

Armstrong's reply told the listening subs that he was "up to snuff".

The prize-master had sniffed the odour of burnt cork; but since he had suggested that it was the smell of an extinguished oil-lamp, the mate did not contradict.

"Yes," he replied. "Mr. O'Hara hasn't been very well. I had to give him some quinine, and a fellow must have a light to see that he is giving the right dose."

"Ach! Is dat so?" asked the unter-leutnant. "Now, tell me dis. Herr O'Hara, did he go on deck since last hour ago?"

"No," replied Armstrong with perfect truthfulness. "I am certain he didn't. I'm a very light sleeper, and if he had moved I should have heard. Besides, how could he get out without a key?" asked the mate with well-feigned innocence.

"I tell you dis----" began Klick; but before he could carry out his intention a loud shout of "Wer da?" came from the deck, followed by an unintelligible hail, coming from some distance down the river.

Kaspar Klick waited no longer. Hurriedly he left the cabin, slamming and locking the door, and rushed on deck. Aft, a sentry at the ready was repeating his challenge. The first blush of the short tropical dawn revealed the presence of a four-oared galley speeding up with the tide.

"We're from the _Pelikan_, sir," announced the petty officer in charge, as the boat ran alongside. Without attempting to board the man delivered his message.

In spite of the closed dead-light Denbigh and his companions could hear all the fellow was saying.

"Herr Kapitan von Riesser sends his compliments," continued the c.o.xswain. "He is anxious to know whether any of the English prisoners have escaped."

"No, certainly not," replied Kaspar Klick with righteous indignation in his voice, "our precautions are too elaborate to give the dogs a chance of that. But why has Kapitan von Riesser sent you with that question?"

"We've been in action, sir," declared the man.

"We heard the firing," remarked Klick. "And the result?"

"One English cruiser sunk, another driven on to the rocks," announced the c.o.xswain, allowing his imagination to kick over the traces. "There were others. We would have captured or destroyed those, only----"

"Only what?" asked the unter-leutnant sharply.

"Someone cut our field telegraph. 'B' battery could not get in touch with the observation officer and so the rest of the enemy escaped."

"How do you know that the wire has been cut?" asked the unter-leutnant.

"It might have carried away."

"A whole length of it has been removed, sir," reported the c.o.xswain.

"Then it was the natives. They'll steal anything in the metal line.

Kapitan von Riesser ought to have known that," replied Klick with asperity. "We look after our prisoners here. None of them has the faintest chance of getting out of the s.h.i.+p. Anything more to report?"

"Only that Major von Eckenstein is missing. He left the observation station to go to the _Pelikan's_ landing stage and never arrived.

Search parties were out when I left."

Unter-leutnant Kaspar Klick made no audible comment. Inwardly he rejoiced, after the manner of mean-minded men when they hear of misfortune overtaking those they dislike; for there was no love lost between the two representatives of the Kaiser's forces.