Comparatively little damage had been done by the bursting of shells aboard the battleship. In fact, considering the rain of shot to which all the vessels3 of the invading fleet had been subjected, it was a matter of congratulation among the various commanders that no serious losses had resulted.
Launches were shooting this way and that as visits were exchanged; but these were in every case necessitated4 by the need of conferences, and not mere5 acts of courtesy. When the war paint was daubed on the battleships only business was
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supposed to occupy the minds of those who were entrusted6 with the charge of the many units of the vast armada.
Amos had not as yet succeeded in entirely7 getting rid of his headache, though he admitted that he felt better. What he had witnessed that morning had made a deep impression on his mind, so that he could talk of little else.
They had had a good lunch in the mess-room at about one, and later in the day, as the sun drew nearer the watery8 horizon toward the west, the boys lounged in a favorite spot on deck, surveying the pleasing picture.
In every direction they could see big battleships, swift destroyers, mine-sweepers, and transports that had brought out new additions to take the place of those who may have been lost, as well as troops from both Great Britain and France.
Jack had found an opportunity to make certain inquiries9, and he felt that it was time to communicate what he had learned to his chum.
“I asked about the British flag we saw floating
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at the lower extremity10 of Gallipoli,” he remarked, “as well as the tricolor of France that was waving across on the Asiatic side of the straits, where Fort Kum Kaleh used to be. And they tell me that some thousands of troops have been landed there, and are entrenched11, with batteries of quick-firing guns.”
“Then that is why certain vessels keep within a few miles of the straits all the time, is it?” asked Amos. “They mean to defend the shore parties if they are attacked by superior numbers of the Turks.”
“That’s just the whole thing in a nut-shell,” agreed Jack. “You know the fleet had little trouble in reducing the forts and batteries on the tip of Gallipoli to ruins in the beginning, because they could get a clean sweep and crossfire12 on Seddul Bahr and Orkhanieh. There in the ruins of those places the handful of British soldiers are standing13 at bay, ready to mow14 down the enemy if he starts anything.”
“But why are the French over across on the Asiatic shore, Jack?”
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“I suppose only to protect the British, for they have batteries too. But you understand, Amos, what I was trying to find out concerned the headquarters of the aviation corps15.”
“Someone told me he thought it was on one of the Greek islands lying about twenty miles away as the crow flies,” Amos said.
“That may be all very true, but on the other hand I’ve heard there have been men landed in another quarter of the peninsula, part way up, and my informant assured me he believed some of the fliers made their start from one of the two camps.”
“That would be important news, if only we knew it to be true, Jack.”
“It would mean that we must manage to get ashore16 some way or other, and find out for ourselves, Amos. We’ve never made it a point to depend on others when we had a thing to be done, like the old farmer did, you remember.”
“Well, perhaps I’ve heard the story, Jack, but it wouldn’t do any harm to tell it again,” suggested Amos.
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“Oh! it is meant to show how foolish it is to think others will do things as well as you can yourself,” Jack commenced. “You see, it is something of a fairy story, too, and concerns a mother bird that had her little brood nearly ready for flying, with the nest concealed17 among the ripening18 grain of a farmer.”
“A dangerous place to build a nest, that’s sure,” observed Amos.
“One day when she came home the youngsters were in a great fright, for they said the farmer and his son had been walking close by, and declared the grain was ready to be cut, so they would send around for the neighbors, and start in on the next day. After she had managed to quiet her excited little brood the mother bird told them there was no need of worry, for the grain would not be cut.
“The next day when she came home they were as badly scared as before. The farmer and his son had been around again, and this time the old man declared that since their neighbors had all been too busy to respond, he would have to call
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in his relatives, and get the wheat cut on the following day.”
Amos laughed.
“Chances were it wasn’t cut, Jack?” he remarked, sensibly.
“Well, she told them there was no danger, Amos; but when on the third day the mother bird came home, and the nestlings told her what had happened, it was different. The farmer had said that since neighbors and relatives had failed them, on the following day he and his son would have to take off their coats and reap the grain themselves. ‘It’s time we were going then, children,’ said the wise mother bird, ‘for when a man says he will do a thing himself, and stops depending on others, that settles it.’ And there’s the story, though I’m afraid it’s a chestnut19.”
“Honestly, Jack, I never heard it before, though it’s a cracking good one, and illustrates20 the point you were making. But ever since we’ve been going together we’ve tried to do things ourselves, and depend on others just as little as possible. We’ll do it again in this case.”
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“I’ll take the first chance I can find to have a little talk with the commander,” ventured Jack.
“About our getting ashore, you mean?”
“Yes,” replied Jack, “for it isn’t the easiest thing going, you can understand, making a landing, when a thousand enemy eyes may be on the watch. First thing you know they may open on you with a quick-firer, and your name will be Dennis.”
“Still, they must have some way of communicating with the forces ashore, and sending ammunition21 as well as provisions to them,” urged Amos.
“I imagine all that is done under cover of darkness, when a landing can be made without drawing the fire of the enemy. With every light out one of these small dispatch boats can creep in close enough to send a boat-load ashore. Perhaps some of these transports that look as if they had come a long distance may be loaded with more Australian or New Zealand troops.”
“They’re coming from all over the world to
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take a hand in this fierce scrap22, it seems,” suggested Amos. “Canadians, Hindoos, New Zealanders they call Kiwis and Australians known as Kangaroos, Algerians, Egyptians, Senegalese, and lots of others. It is a world war, sure enough, Jack.”
“Just stop and think of it for a minute,” urged Jack, shaking his head as the immensity of the titanic23 struggle struck him. “Besides Belgium, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, and France, there is Russia, with dozens of different tribes, and Austria with a patchwork24 lot of peoples. Then little Servia, and still smaller Montenegro are fighting. Italy is bound to get in the scrap at any day now, and before the end comes the Turk may find Rumania and Greece at his throat, eager to help kick him out of Europe.”
“No one knows yet what the end will be,” Amos continued in the same strain. “Even Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland may be dragged into the row. I only hope the good old United States is able to keep out of it, that’s all. We don’t want to fight the Germans
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if we can help it, because we think too much of them as a people.”
“We’ll never go in unless we are forced to,” declared Jack. “The only thing I’m afraid may get us there is this submarine warfare25 which Germany has started. They are torpedoing26 passenger steamers, and when some Americans are drowned Uncle Sam is apt to get riled, you know, and roll up his sleeves for business.”
They sat there chatting in this strain for some time. It was impossible to ever tire of the wonderful scene spread before them, with all those vessels that represented the vast sea power of Great Britain and France moving to and fro.
“Germany keeps her fleet shut up in the Kiel Canal all the time. What do you suppose their object is, Jack?” Amos asked after a while.
“They are waiting in hopes of crippling the British fleet by use of the submarines and mines,” he was told. “Already several old battleships have been lost out here, and others have been sunk closer at home. But I’ve been told that so many super-dreadnaughts have been finished
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since the war began that the British fleet is ever so much stronger today than early last August when the shadow of war fell across Europe.”
“All German commerce has been driven from the sea routes,” said Amos; “and what vessels have escaped capture are hiding in different friendly ports. Why, over in New York, you remember, we saw nearly a dozen splendid big steamers that haven’t earned a dollar since July last. And they daren’t go outside the harbor either.”
“For a pretty good reason, too,” chuckled27 the other. “Didn’t we see three British cruisers, stripped for action, hovering28 near by when we passed Sandy Hook lightship on our way out? They would soon riddle29 the biggest German vessel2, and sink her, if there was any attempt made at getting out. The sea just at present doesn’t belong to the Kaiser.”
“I can see the Vice-Admiral standing by himself up on the bridge,” Amos remarked just then. “If only you could catch his eye he might beckon30
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to you to join him there, for I fancy he’s taken a great liking31 to you, Jack.”
“That would give me the opening I wanted, to ask a favor of him about being put ashore, wouldn’t it, Amos? Besides, he would be likely to know about where aviation headquarters might be found.”
“Nothing like trying, Jack; and here’s wishing you luck.”
Jack managed to stroll forward until near the bridge. He stood there, keeping an eye on the figure in the admiral’s uniform. Apparently32 the commander was using his binoculars33 to some purpose, possibly locating certain units of the fleet so as to know which way to look for any orders that might come from the one in supreme34 control, while darkness rested on the sea.
Something caused him to glance downward after a little while, and seeing Jack saluting35 him, he smiled. Then, just as Amos had prophesied36, he beckoned37 the boy to ascend38 to the bridge and join him.
Amos laughed softly when he saw this.
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Doubtless he was saying to himself that he was a good guesser, since he had made a bull’s-eye the first shot. He watched Jack join the commander, who immediately engaged him in earnest conversation, pointing out certain warships39 as though telling Jack what they had accomplished40. Then Jack must have started to mention what he and his comrade wished to do, for the Vice-Admiral seemed to be listening, occasionally saying something as the opportunity arose.
“It’s all right,” Amos remarked, in a satisfied tone. “I know he’ll do nearly anything Jack asks of him, because my chum has such a convincing way about him, he can nearly always carry his point. And it may be we’ll not be aboard the bully41 old Thunderer when dawn breaks, though that remains42 to be seen.”
A short time afterwards he saw Jack again salute43 the grizzled commander, and start down from the bridge, while the officer again used his glass to locate the most prominent units of the big fleet of war vessels.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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3
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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4
necessitated
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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6
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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8
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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9
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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10
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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11
entrenched
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| adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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12
crossfire
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| n.被卷进争端 | |
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13
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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14
mow
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| v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆 | |
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15
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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16
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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17
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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18
ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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19
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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20
illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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21
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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22
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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23
titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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24
patchwork
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| n.混杂物；拼缝物 | |
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25
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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26
torpedoing
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| 用爆破筒爆破 | |
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27
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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29
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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30
beckon
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| v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤 | |
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31
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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32
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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33
binoculars
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| n.双筒望远镜 | |
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34
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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35
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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36
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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39
warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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40
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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41
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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42
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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43
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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