"Yes, yes, ropes, before we drown!"
"Was that you shootin' at us over there?"
"They were shooting at us! They hit two or three of us! Hurry!"
"And who's all that wid ye? Faith, the wather's alive wid min!"
"We're the crew of th' Vukan!" "Throw down ropes!" "Shut up and throw down ropes, ye bloody6 Irishman!" howled an angry chorus.
"Th' crew o' th' Vulcan, and thim all dead, these weeks ago! Sure if it's a lot o' ghosts——"
But others of the crew summoned enough courage to fling down aid to their old comrades, and soon the men came crawling up the dark sides of the tug and dropped limply inboard.
The utmost excitement played over the crew of the dock when they identified the former crew of the Vulcan. The air was full of excited questions and tired answers, but presently the word got out. It was "War." The news passed from mouth to mouth and grew in portentousness7. War! Nations were at war! These men had escaped from a German warship8!
It was unbelievable. It was stunning9. Presently Caradoc shouted out in the darkness for Malone, Mate Malone. The cockney answered.
"Put your firemen at the furnace! Set your engineers to work on the engines. We must have steam up and be away in an hour!"
The two crews fell into silence, and Malone ordered his men below. Some of the dock's crew hurried off with the others to cut down coal in the bunkers. Another gang fell to work; pulling in the sea anchor. But over all their various activities hovered10 the vast consternation11 of war.
Caradoc had climbed to the bridge of the Vulcan and stood staring silently at the bulk of the mother ship that was barely discernible through the night. The searchlight had been switched off. Neither ship showed a signal. From below came the muffled12 sounds of men working at the furnace, and in five or ten minutes a film of smoke trickled13 out of the Vulcan's great funnel14.
Madden climbed up on the bridge beside Caradoc.
"How long before the submarine will be out?" he asked in a low tone.
"Small boats will come first," replied Smith. "That's why they shunted off the searchlight—to surprise us."
"Will they try to board us?"
"Certainly. We'll have to defend ourselves with anything we can pick up, sticks, knives, hand spikes16—"
At that moment Malone appeared from the other end of the bridge.
"We'll have steam up in an hour," he announced, glancing up at the funnel.
"An hour?" thought Madden. "That's time enough for us all to be killed."
Caradoc said to the mate: "Go forward and tell the men to arm themselves, then take position along the rail to repel17 boarders. Tell them to look sharp for grappling hooks and throw them down."
"And what will they arm with, sir?"
"Use anything you can find, hand spikes, knives, sticks. They might throw lumps of coal. A cricket player ought to give a good account with a lump of coal."
A few minutes later the men were scurrying20 around to their positions. One or two men had gone down for a sack of coal, a queer ammunition21 that might possibly effect something. On the other hand, Leonard knew the attacking force would come armed with mausers, rapid fire guns, grappling hooks, swords. A onesided fight was brewing22.
The American looked anxiously at the funnel; a ribbon of black smoke filtered out into the air.
"Madden," said Caradoc, "they will make the hardest fight around the anchor ports and amidships. Which position do you prefer to defend?"
"I believe I'll take the forecastle."
"Good, I wish you luck."
"Same to you."
As Madden moved down the ladder to the deck, he heard, above the murmur23 of the busy men, the strong measured beat of a ship's cutter approaching the tug with deliberate swiftness.
There were some good men stationed to defend the forecastle, Hogan, Mulcher, Greer and two or three of the Vulcan's former crew whom Madden did not know. As the American approached in the gloom, two men came up, laden24 with sacks, and poured out a pile of coal on deck. Every lump was about the size of a baseball.
Hogan recognized Madden in the darkness. He was exuberant25 now that he had learned his enemies were human beings and not ghouls.
"Do ye think those Dutchmen will be able to put up a daycent foight, Misther Madden?" he inquired hopefully.
"They have plenty of arms, Hogan."
"Sure, that'll hilp 'em some. But Oi'm going to knock th' head off the spalpeen that firrust sticks his mug over that rail."
"Now, men," directed the American, "lie flat down behind the rail and use your sticks and hand pikes to prize off grapnels. They will shoot your hands."
"Very well, sor," breathed several voices.
The noise of the oars grew louder until it sounded immediately beneath the defenders28. Hogan stood up suddenly, leaned over the rail with a lump of coal in each hand, and threw down viciously. There was a whack30 as one lump hit the boat, and a grunt18 as the other struck some man. In return came a terrific crash of rifles, and bullets spattered the iron plates of the Vulcan. Fortunately Hogan had flopped31 down on deck in time.
At that instant, the searchlight of the mother ship swept the Vulcan's deck with startling brilliance32. The first volley had perhaps been the signal, and the fight was on.
There came a clanging of grapnels on the rail over the crouching33 defenders. Madden flung down the one nearest him, but others came flying through the air to take its place. The prostrate34 men worked busily dislodging the flukes. The fusillade from below prevented their getting on their knees, and they were forced to lie on their backs as they worked at the hooks. It seemed some sort of queer game: the attackers flinging up scaling irons, the defenders flipping35 them down. Madden had dislodged two or three, when Mulcher cried out for help.
The enemy had succeeded in catching37 a fluke on the rail, and putting so much weight on it that the cockney could not prize it off. Immediately Hogan and another defender29 crawled to Mulcher's aid like big lizards38. They thrust in sticks and spikes and prized vigorously, while the bullets were drumming on the plates outside.
It stuck and Leonard started to their aid, when a hook in his own territory demanded his attention. Just then a head came up over the rail just above Hogan and Mulcher. The German had turned his automatic on the defenders when Hogan's shillalah caught him on the temple. He reeled backwards39, his pistol spitting into the air. He knocked down the whole line of men below him amid crashings, shoutings and splashings in the water below. The moment the weight was off, Mulcher loosed the grapnel and flung it down into the confusion.
The hail of bullets was immediately renewed, and more hooks came flying over. The iron rails rang like a boiler40 shop, and the steel missiles glanced off whining41 like enormous mosquitoes. Madden whirled his head for a glance aft.
The same sort of drama was taking place amidship, boarders were climbing over the rail and arms, sticks, and iron spikes snapped out of the inky shadows and smote42 them. The invaders43 fired blindly into the darkness that rimmed44 the deck. As to whether they were killing45 or maiming Caradoc's crew, Madden could not tell.
One thing, however, he did observe, that aroused an anxious hope in the boy's heart. A heavy column of smoke ascended46 from the tug's funnel, and a tongue of steam played in its edge.
A frenzy47 of impatience48 seized Madden. If the Vulcan could only get under way and escape the fight! Why didn't they start at once! In the vivid light, he saw the steering49 wheel turning, apparently50 of its own accord, and he knew that someone was manipulating the hand grips from the bottom side.
From those slight signs of preparation, Madden's attention was suddenly whipped back to his business, by the sight of two figures climbing on over the prow51 of the Vulcan. These men had no doubt caught a hook in the anchor port and had climbed up without opposition52.
The invaders stood clearly limned53 by the searchlight, trying to pick out a target for their fire, when Madden reached for the coal pile. The American had once been pitcher54 for his college team, and the lump of coal crashed under the first man's jaw55 and he dropped backwards as if hit by a piece of shrapnel. The second gunman banged at the shadow where Madden was hid. The bullets sang about the American's ears, when Deschaillon's ostrich-like kick flashed through the light and caught the sailor in the pit of the stomach. The automatic dropped from his hand, and he crimped up like a stuck grubworm.
But while the defenders were occupied with this little flank attack, half a dozen hooks were firmly lodged36 on the rail, and at least eight men were mounting swiftly. At their head came an officer waving a sword. The firing from below suddenly ceased, lest they hit their own men. In the silence that followed, Madden heard the hiss56 of rising steam, and from somewhere the tinkle57 of a bell.
Suddenly out of the shadows, the whole force of the defenders leaped at the Germans and attacked them as they strode over the rail. There was a clattering58 of revolvers, a thwacking of sticks and iron pins, and the smashing of thrown coal.
Then the combatants grappled hand to hand on the rail of the tug, swinging eerily59 in and out like wrestlers, a strange sight in the beating searchlight.
Madden closed with the officer, and by good fortune caught his right wrist, so the fellow could not shorten his sword and stab him. The American kept trying to twist the German's arm and make him drop his blade, but the fellow had thrust his left hand under Madden's arm pit and reached up and caught him about the forehead. The result was a back half nelson, and put Madden's neck under a terrific strain.
In return he choked his adversary60, but Madden's mastoid muscles slowly gave way before the German's punishing hold. His head bent61 back, while he clung desperately62 to the sword hand and crushed in the fellow's gullet. There was a roaring in Madden's ears that was not from the fighting men. His neck and back slowly curved backward under the strain. Had it not been for the menace of the sword, he could have wriggled63 out with a wrestler's shift, but if he loosed the right hand... Madden wondered if he could fall backwards and still maintain his hold on the sword. If he could ever get down without being stunned64 by his fall, his strangle hold would give him an immediate27 advantage. He swung backwards, but the fellow did not go with him, but began a furious struggle to loose his weapon. Madden clung grimly. His whole body dripped with sweat, as he held away the sword and tried to choke the fat neck of his antagonist65. He shoved the fellow's throat with all his power, trying to break the nelson, but the pressure jammed his own head back till a hot pain streaked66 through the base of his skull67.
At that moment a tremor68 ran through the tug, and there came a chough-choughing in her stack. Immediately followed a great shouting and a frantic69 pelting70 of grapnels from the sea below. Madden knew that the Vulcan had at last got under steam, and would probably escape. This came to him dimly as his left hand, which had been struggling to fend15 off the sword, gradually lost its grip on the German's sweaty slippery wrist.
Along up and down the rail, he knew that the men battled with varying results. Came dimly to his roaring ears shouts, groans71 and blows. In another minute the sword would split his ribs72.
He was bracing74 his last efforts against the force that was bending him double, when a long-legged figure rushed from amidship, seized the swordsman around the waist, and with a mighty75 heave, flung the fellow upward and outward into the sea, falling end over end—a grotesque76 gyrating figure in the searchlight, still waving his sword.
"Down! Down! Everybody!" yelled Caradoc, as he waded77 up the rail, overthrowing78 the last of the boarders.
Madden and the defenders fell prone79 on the deck, and it was not too soon. The moment the boarding party was definitely repulsed80, there broke out a crashing volley from the long boat, and their bullets played a ringing tattoo81 over the ironwork. Then the tug drew steadily82 away from their assailants.
The searchlight played over the steamer for several minutes in order to afford a target for the small boats, but the crew lay close, only trusting an eye over the sheer strake now and then for a glimpse of the enemy. Up on the bridge, Leonard could see the steering wheel still turning of its own accord this way and that as the Vulcan gathered speed.
Presently the searchlight was switched off, leaving the deck in utter darkness. The cutters had given up the chase. Leonard sat up on deck and wriggled his sore neck this way and that. He could see nothing now save the stream of sparks that leaped out of the funnel and flowed aft into the black sea.
"Men!" cried Caradoc's voice, "is anyone hurt?"
"A few of us 'ave 'oles punched in us, sor!" came a reply.
"All the wounded will report to Captain Black in the main cabin!" called Smith.
At that moment, out of the mother ship there flared84 another bright light that wavered about the horizon for a moment and finally settled on the Vulcan. The wounded men dodged85 below the rail again, but no bullets came.
This light was not stationary86. It crept down through the inky sea toward the fugitives87 and grew larger and brighter in their eyes.
"W'ot is that?" cried several apprehensive88 voices.
"Malone," he called to the man hidden on the bridge, "what speed can this boat make?"
"Hi've got as 'igh as eighteen knots out of 'er, sir."
"Signal 'full speed ahead' and call down to the firemen for all the steam we can carry."
"Very well, sir."
Caradoc looked at the light for a minute or two longer and then remarked to Madden.
"They couldn't have repaired that submarine for several hours longer. They must have had two."
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收听单词发音
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1
exhaustedly
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| adv.exhausted（精疲力竭的）的变形 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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3
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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4
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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5
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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6
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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7
portentousness
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| Portentousness | |
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8
warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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9
stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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10
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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11
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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12
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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13
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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14
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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15
fend
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| v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开 | |
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16
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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17
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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18
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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19
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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20
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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21
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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22
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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23
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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24
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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25
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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26
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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28
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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29
defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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30
whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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31
flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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32
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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33
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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34
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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35
flipping
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| 讨厌之极的 | |
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36
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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37
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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38
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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39
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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40
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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41
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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42
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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43
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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44
rimmed
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| adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边 | |
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45
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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46
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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48
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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49
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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50
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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51
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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52
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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53
limned
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| v.画( limn的过去式和过去分词 )；勾画；描写；描述 | |
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54
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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55
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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56
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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57
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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58
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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59
eerily
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| adv.引起神秘感或害怕地 | |
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60
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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61
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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62
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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63
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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64
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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65
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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66
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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67
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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68
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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69
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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70
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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73
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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overthrowing
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| v.打倒，推翻( overthrow的现在分词 )；使终止 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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80
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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81
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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83
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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84
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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85
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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86
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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87
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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88
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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