"What's the matter? What's wrong?," he whispered from the outside.
"Impossible!" Smith dived under the hood for himself.
Both heads just managed to squeeze in and the two men stared at Malone as if he were raised from the grave. The mate, however, was not funereal5. He seemed in the pink of condition, rather fatter than he had been on the dock, and he wore the pleased expression of a man well content with life.
As men will do when under a fixed6 stare, he presently glanced about and his eyes fell on the porthole. He looked at the dim port for several seconds intently, as if he could not quite make out their faces. Madden frowned, jerked his head up and down in a signal for Malone to approach.
The mate's little eyes went round at the request. He made a surprised gesture to his partner, scrambled7 to his feet and drew near. The whole cabin followed his motions.
"W'ot is it?" he whispered, still peering into the half-faces seen in the round hole.
"Madden and Smith."
"W'ot!"
"Yes."
"Great sharks! W'ot you lads doin' 'ere?"
"W'ot is w'ot?"
"This ship we're on?"
It seemed as if Malone's little eyes would pop out of his head.
"W'ot—didn't they ketch you? You don't mean to say you—you jest straggled aboard?"
"Sure we did. Catch us? Who is there to catch us?"
Malone stared as if at two ghosts. "Say! Say!" he said hoarsely9. "You don't mean to say you ain't caught? You don't mean you run th' tug up 'ere an' boarded us! You don't mean——" He turned and whispered hoarsely inside: "It's th' lads off th' dock, though 'ow they got 'ere, an' w'ot they're—douse th' light, some o' you fellows."
A stifled11 consternation12 seized the card players, who crowded up to the port. A moment later all the lights were snapped out one after another.
"Tell us who there was to catch us," begged Leonard in a whisper.
"Who? W'y a German warship13, that's who! One caught us—an' Cap Cleghorne. Caught th' Cap away hup on th' Newfoundland Banks. Caught us first day——"
"Why should a German warship capture us!" demanded Leonard in a voice that threatened to rise in excitement.
"Quiet! Quiet! 'Eavens, lad! Don't you know? Ain't you 'eard? W'y it's war! War! War's broke out all over th' world! Everyw'ere! Ever'body!"
"War!" gasped Madden.
"War! What countries?" demanded Smith in an excited whisper.
"Hall countries! Hingland, France, Rooshia, Japan, that's one side, an' Germany and Austria on th' other."
"America in it?" demanded Madden.
"Right enough. Canada is sendin' troops and——"
"America! America! The United States of America!"
"Oh, no, she's the only nootral in th' whole world among th' big powers! But she'll be in soon enough!"
"What's this we're on?" inquired Caradoc. "It isn't a warship?"
"Kind o' warship. It's a mother ship for submarines—sort of floatin' dry dock for the little sneakers. She takes 'em aboard, over'auls 'em, gives 'em new stores and torpedoes14."
"That's th' word, war!" whispered Malone thickly. "They say Hingland's got a tight blockade aroun' th' German ports, so th' German cruisers bring their prizes here in th' Sargasso, load all the prize stores they capture out o' Hinglish bottoms into submarines an' run it into Germany under th' blockade. See? That's w'y this mother ship is 'ere. She fixes 'em up at this end for their run back."
"What do they do with their prisoners—keep them here?"
"No, ship 'em to German East Africa an' intern17 'em. The Prince Eitel is due 'ere tomorrow to ship us."
So that was the explanation of all this mystery—War!
Madden fell silent with the sensation of a man who had lost his footing on earth. All his life he had been accustomed to peace. He thought of wars as small affairs that broke out now and then in South America or when the American Indians got hold of whiskey. But for Germany, France, England to fight, to hurl18 millions of men at each other! It was inconceivable!
Unless a person actually witness a murder, he cannot imagine the shock and dreadfulness of seeing one man shot down, writhe20, gasp4, grow pale and cease struggling. To picture ten men murdered simply stuns21 the mind. An effort to realize hundreds, thousands, millions of men mangled22, wounded, bayoneted, crushed, blown to atoms by shells and mine—all this becomes vague, formless, a dim, dreadful picture that is as unreal as a dream, or history.
"What caused it?" asked Madden in a strained tone.
"I don't know," whispered the mate huskily. "They say it all started because an anarchist23 killed an Austrian prince, but I don't believe it—that sounds too onreasonable for me."
"What has an Austrian prince to do with the rest of the nations?"
"I told you I don't believe it!" repeated the mate.
Madden felt impotent at the conclusion of the narrative24. As long as he had conceived himself to be attacking a force of pirates and thieves, he was ready to board this great vessel25, hunt for an engineer, or attempt any desperate scheme. But now when he learned that men were being murdered, goods stolen, ships scuttled26, in accordance with a kind of wild law, called rules of war, he no longer knew what to do. The world was mad. Its people were murdering each other.
He finally said aloud to Caradoc: "I suppose we may as well hunt up the commanding officer, surrender ourselves and sail for Africa with the others."
"No," interrupted Smith, "don't do that." Then he called softly inside, "Malone!"
"Well, w'ot is it?" inquired the mate gruffly, for he persevered27 in his dislike of Smith.
"Look sharp, Malone! I am an officer in the English navy—it is my right and duty to assume command of all English seamen28 in case of war!"
A blank silence followed this remarkable29 assumption of authority. The tone in which it was whispered prevented any doubts in the minds of his hearers.
"Do you understand?" inquired Caradoc in a sharp undertone.
"How many men have you in there?"
"Eleven Hinglishmen, sir."
"I assume responsibility for those men. From now on accept orders from me!"
"Yes, sir."
"Pass the word around. I am going to hand in some German uniforms through this port. Let every man put on a uniform!"
"Very well, sir!" came the dismayed reply.
Caradoc withdrew his head from the hood. In the faint gleam from the outside incandescents, he fell to untying32 the strings33 by which the suits were leashed to the lines. He handed eleven suits to Madden, who passed them under the hood and Malone received them inside. Then Smith deliberately34 stripped off his own clothes and drew on a pair of German trousers.
"Get on a pair, Madden," he advised. "Civilian35 trousers will be conspicuous36 in a bright light. You are going to see this thing through, aren't you?"
Madden nodded and followed his companion's example. Five minutes later the two, transformed into German sailors, walked out of the hanging laundry.
"Don't seem, to observe anything," whispered Caradoc. "Appear to be going somewhere, on an errand. Walk just as if you belonged aboard."
A moment later the Briton turned down a stairway that led to a shadowy deck, which was hung with long rows of hammocks with men sleeping in them. The air down here was remarkably37 cool, although Madden did not have time to give much thought to this. Caradoc pursued his way unhesitatingly among the sleeping sailors, and presently came to another hatchway, out of which poured the rumble38 of machinery39 and a stream of light.
Down this flight of steps, Smith moved with certainty, and a moment later Madden saw they were entering a great machine shop. A full complement40 of men worked at every lathe41, table, drill or saw. The clang of hammers, the guttering42 of drills, the whine43 of steel planes smote44 his ears in a cheerful din1 of labor45. The laborers46 worked at their tasks with that peculiar47 flexibility48 of forearms, wrists, fingers that mark skilled machinists. The scent31 of lubricating oil the faint tang of metal dust filled the air. Strange to say, the air down here was even cooler than that in the sleeping deck above.
All sorts of queer tasks were progressing. Here, men were working on gyroscopes that fitted into the shells of torpedoes; there, they fabricated little hot-air engines which propelled those instruments of destruction. They were repairing gauges50, steam connections, electrical fittings, what not.
Madden was tempted52 to pause and stare about this wondershop, when it occurred to him that if he and Caradoc were discovered they would be executed as spies. He had not thought of this before, and the mere53 suggestion somehow made him feel stiff and wooden. He was not frightened, but he felt clumsy, as a schoolboy does when he makes his first public speech. His arms and legs felt wooden; his head did not seem to sit in a natural manner on his neck. He felt that if anyone glanced at him, he would immediately betray himself. His walk, his looks showed it. He could not imagine why some workman did not leap out, seize his arm and yell "Spy!"
After a long stage-frightened walk, Caradoc turned down another flight of stairs. Here Madden discovered the secret of the cool air. On this deck was a big refrigerating plant, with frost-covered pipes leading in all directions. The sight of this plant gave Madden some faint insight into the thorough preparation made by the German government to carry on their struggle by sea. Long before war was declared, Germany must have planned a naval54 base in the Sargasso, and have foreseen the use of her submarines in evading55 the blockade. She had chosen these untraveled seas as a depot56, then established a refrigerated machine shop in order that the full-blooded German might work comfortably in the tropics. The plan seemed to have been worked out with infinite detail.
From the refrigeration deck, they descended57 to still another deck into the very bowels58 of the ship. This descent brought them to a long gallery that was formed by a bulkhead running down the center of the ship. As they entered this passage, three workmen came out of a small steel door that opened into this central wall. One of the workmen carefully rebolted the door, yawned sleepily and followed his comrades toward the companionway. As he passed he grunted59 something to Caradoc. Madden's heart beat faster lest they should be discovered at this last hour. He had no idea what mission moved the Englishman, but he sensed that here was his destination. Smith made some reply in German, moved briskly ahead until he came to the small steel door. He laid his hand familiarly upon the bolts, shot them back, swung open the door. One of the men whirled about and stared back at this assured intruder. Smith stood aside and with a curt60 military gesture motioned Madden to enter. The American drew an uncertain breath, glanced at the three Germans out of the tail of his eye and stepped into the dark square. Caradoc followed him. The laborers went on updeck apparently61 satisfied.
An electric wire was let in through the door. Caradoc reached for it, followed it with his hand and presently turned a switch. Next moment a bright flood of light bathed the tubular chamber62 in which they stood.
Madden glanced about. He stood in a room whose roof formed a half circle over his head. The place seemed as full of machinery as a watch case. Fore49 and aft were circular partitions of steel, like drumheads. These were penetrated63 with sliding shutters64, which stood open. Through the after shutter65, Madden saw a large Deisel oil engine, flanked by a compact heavy dynamo. Looking forward, he could see steel cylinders66 trimmed in shining brass67, and a maze of levers, gauges, dials, valves.
The central compartment68 in which the two stood was dominated by a little spiral stairway leading up into a steel dome69. On a shelf set in the bulkhead was a chart, a telephone receiver, speaking tubes, dials with red and black hands, an array of electrometers, pressure gauges.
Glancing up the stairway into the little dome, Madden saw a pilot wheel, more levers and speaking tubes and telephone receivers, and a square of ground glass, that was lined off with delicate cross-lines.
"Where are we?" asked Madden, amazed. "What do they do here? I never saw so much machinery before in so small a space."
Caradoc was stooping over a heavy metal box down at the floor level at the side of the desk. It was one of a series of such boxes. "We're inside of that submarine you saw enter a few hours ago," explained the Englishman shortly.
Leonard stared around with new eyes. "So this is a submarine! Do you know anything about them? What's that spirit level for?" He pointed70 at a horizontal gauge51.
"Measures air pressure—it's not a level."
"What's in these steel tanks overhead?"
"Compressed air."
"What's that you are getting into?" Here Caradoc lifted the lid, and Madden got a view. "Say, that's a torpedo15, isn't it?" he asked quickly as he saw a long needle-pointed steel cigar with propeller71 and rudder on the aft end.
The Englishman made no reply. He leaned over and selected a small steel crowbar from a tool locker72, drew it out with a quick nervous movement.
"Say!" cried Madden catching73 the strange expression on the face of his friend, "are you going to try to launch this and escape on it—escape on a torpedo?"
A sixteen foot torpedo lay in a steel frame on a runway, just ready to slide forward into the big expulsion tube that was the salient feature of the forward compartment. Caradoc walked quickly to the nose of the terrific missile. He looked at his friend and said in a strange voice: "Madden, I'm going to wipe this German ship-trap off the map!"
"Yes, this is for——" He swung up his crowbar.
Madden on the other side the gasoline-scented chamber had a sensation as if someone had jabbed keen needles into his throat, breast, stomach.
"Caradoc! Don't! Don't!" he screamed and leaped toward the desperate man.
It was all done at once.
"For England!" completed Caradoc Smith, and fetched down a furious doubled-handed blow on the primer of the big steel chamber packed with guncotton.
The crowbar landed with a crash!
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1
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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3
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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4
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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5
funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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6
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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7
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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8
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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9
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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10
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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11
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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12
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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13
warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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14
torpedoes
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| 鱼雷( torpedo的名词复数 )； 油井爆破筒； 刺客； 掼炮 | |
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15
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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16
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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17
intern
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| v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生 | |
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18
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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19
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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20
writhe
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| vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼 | |
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21
stuns
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| v.击晕( stun的第三人称单数 )；使大吃一惊；给（某人）以深刻印象；使深深感动 | |
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22
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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anarchist
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| n.无政府主义者 | |
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24
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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25
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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26
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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27
persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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29
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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30
doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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31
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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32
untying
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| untie的现在分词 | |
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33
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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34
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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35
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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36
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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38
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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39
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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40
complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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41
lathe
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| n.车床，陶器，镟床 | |
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42
guttering
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| n.用于建排水系统的材料；沟状切除术；开沟 | |
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43
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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44
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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45
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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46
laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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47
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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48
flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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49
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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50
gauges
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| n.规格( gauge的名词复数 )；厚度；宽度；标准尺寸v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的第三人称单数 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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51
gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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52
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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53
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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54
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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55
evading
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| 逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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56
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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57
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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58
bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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59
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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60
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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61
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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62
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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63
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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64
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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65
shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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66
cylinders
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| n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物 | |
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67
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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68
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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69
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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70
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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71
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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72
locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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73
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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74
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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