FOR two hours more the Alerte held on a westerly course through a blinding fog before Captain Cain resolved upon a plan of action. Generally capable of forming a swift and workable decision, he was now beset2 with so many perplexities that for once at least his ready resource failed him.
Against one outstanding asset—the Admiralty declaration that the patrolling destroyers had been withdrawn—was a more than counterbalancing debit3. Cap'n Silas Porthoustoc's sudden demise4 had not only deprived the pirate of a necessary confederate—it had handicapped him severely5 in the important matter of refilling the almost empty fuel tanks.
It was impossible for the Alerte to enter any commercial harbour and obtain oil from the storage tanks without certain detection. Equally impossible was it for the same reason to receive supplies from an oil-tanker6 on the high seas, unless the pirate resorted to force. British vessels8 he had resolved to leave severely alone. There were Yankee tankers9 to be met with, but Captain Cain was chary10 in that respect. Although he had no love for citizens of "the greatest republic on earth," he had a wholesome11 regard for the physical and mental powers of the officers and crews of ships flying the Stars and Stripes. Men of the Latin races were excitable and easily intimidated12, according to his estimation. A German could be bluffed13, provided he could be made to realise the argument of brute14 force. But a Yankee strongly resembled a Briton, both in courage, resource and stubbornness.
No, United States tankers were not to be meddled15 with, he decided16. Apparently17 the only course open to him was to operate on the French side of the Channel upon any likely craft using liquid fuel——and during the last few years King Coal was being seriously threatened by King Oil in the mercantile fleet, both of the Old and New Worlds.
Porthoustoc's death had affected18 the situation in another way. The Alerte had no means of sending her unlawful booty to England. In future she must be her own store-carrier, unless she found a secluded19 and safe base of operations. It was too hazardous20 an enterprise to attempt to approach any of the little frequented Cornish coves21 under cover of night and land the spoil by means of boats. Besides, the moment the news reached the Admiralty that the same or another pirate ship was "out," all the previous destroyer activities would be resumed with increasing zest22. It was more than likely that orders would be given to depth-charge the pirate vessel7 if she sank herself under similar circumstances to that of the Memnon in St. Ives Bay. Captain Cain had a wholesome respect for the British Navy and its methods in dealing23 with submarine operations.
The only solution Captain Cain could find, lay in deserting home waters for less frequented seas. There were safe hiding-places off the African coast, ideal spots for burying the pirate's booty, until such times as the master villain24 could remove the spoil and cheat his partners in crime. But there again cropped up the baffling problem. Without sufficient oil-fuel, how was the Alerte to cover the sixteen hundred odd miles between Land's End and the African coast? Was it possible to intercept25 the first oil-burning vessel they met, British or otherwise, and help themselves to the precious commodity? Would a monetary26 payment in the case of a vessel flying the red ensign smooth over matters and at the same time absolve27 Cain from his promise to his crew and also remove their scruples28?
Picking up the copy of the Times, Captain Cain looked through the list of shipping29 as reported by Lloyds. Suddenly he gave a chuckle30 of satisfaction. Amongst the names appeared that of the s.s. Mendez Nunez, owned by the Bilboa Oil Company, which left Cadiz on the 9th instant bound for Swansea.
Hurrying to the chart-room, Captain Cain found and unrolled a chart of the west coast of Europe from Finisterre to Cape31 Clear. Assuming the speed of the Spanish tanker to be eleven knots, he arrived at the conclusion that the Alerte ought to fall in with her within twenty-four hours at about fifty miles S.S.W. of the Bishop32 Rock.
It was a daring proposition. Apart from the risk of missing the Spanish tanker altogether, the position given was not far from the junction33 of the traffic routes for shipping to and from the Straits and the West Coast of Africa bound to and from the English and Bristol Channel ports, the Bishop Light being the first one sighted by homeward-bound vessels approaching Land's End. In the event of the Mendez Nunez being sighted, could the capture be effected without the risk of other vessels coming to the Spaniard's aid?
Leaving Pengelly in charge of the bridge, Captain Cain called the gunner and the bo'sun to his cabin and put the case before them. He meant to ignore Pengelly altogether in the matter. Instinctively34 he knew that his second in command would strongly protest against the idea of an African base. Pengelly was all right up to a certain point in home waters, but not once but many times had he expressed his fears about proceeding35 far from his native Cornwall.
Both Barnard and Marchant fell in with the captain's suggestion. Already had they come to the conclusion that piracy36, even with the assistance of a submarine craft, was too risky37 a game to be prosecuted38 for any length of time in British and French waters.
"You see the idea?" said Cain. "A couple of good hauls of shipping homeward-bound from Senegal, the Congo, and other French and Belgian colonies, and our fortunes are made. We'll cache the booty, make our way home, charter a vessel all above-board, recover the stuff, and there you are. It's as simple as A B C. Our first business is with the Spanish tanker. Pass the word for'ard, Mr. Barnard. There's a double share to the first man who sights the Mendez Nunez."
Ten miles to the west of the Scillies, the Alerte ran out of the bank of fog into a clear expanse of water under a cloudless sky. The sea had moderated considerably39, although there was a long, sullen40 swell41 that caused the pirate vessel to roll until her scuppers were under water. In these circumstances, should the Mendez Nunez be captured, making fast alongside the prize would be a manoeuvre42 fraught43 with danger.
Captain Cain had made a correct guess with reference to the sighting of the Spanish tanker. A wisp of smoke away to the S.S.W. indicated the presence of a vessel. Half an hour later, two masts and funnel44 showed above the horizon.
Glass in hand, the captain went aloft. From his elevated perch45 he quickly ascertained46 that the on-coming craft was a tanker. Although end on, the vessel's build and rig confirmed his surmise47. She was long, low-lying, with a funnel right aft. The only break between the funnel and the bows was a small structure crowned by the bridge and chart-house. She was flying no colours, but the yellow and red bands round her funnel were sufficient to proclaim her nationality.
Rapidly the distance between the two vessels decreased. Giving a rapid glance to reassure48 himself that there were no other craft in sight, Captain Cain descended49 from the cross-trees to the deck and thence to the bridge.
"Port a bit!" he ordered.
By so doing the Alerte was merely conforming to the usual custom by which vessels meeting nearly end on ported helm. The action served its purpose. Quite in ignorance of the danger that menaced her, the Mendez Nunez followed suit, intending to pass the supposed tramp at not less than two cables' distance.
Already the Alerte's quick-firer was cleared for action, but was hidden from the Spaniard by the rise of the former's fo'c'sle. The moment the pirate vessel was in a position to enable the gun to bear, a shell was fired across the tanker's bows, instantly followed by the signal to heave to.
Signs were not lacking that this peremptory50 action had thrown the Spaniards into a state of panic. Apart from the threat of being sunk, they realised what the dire51 result would be of a shell exploding the highly inflammable cargo52. Some of the crew rushed to lower the boats. The captain and some of his officers on the tanker's bridge were beside themselves with terror.
"Stop instantly," signalled the pirate.
Some one on board the Mendez Nunez—certainly it was not the captain—rang down for the engines to be reversed. The tanker soon lost way, and was presently lying head to wind in the long Atlantic swell.
With her machine-gun mounted on the bridge and trained upon the Spaniard, and with every available man conspicuously53 displaying his automatic pistol, the Alerte was cautiously manoeuvred to come alongside the prize. There was very little risk to the submarine's hull54. Her false upperworks might be stove in. The danger lay in the fact that the Alerte might fracture the light steel hull-plates of the tanker, in which case the former would have to do without the precious oil.
"Get your fenders out!" shouted Captain Cain to the still dumbfounded crew of the Mendez Nunez.
Apparently some of the Spaniards understood English, or else they realised the intentions of the approaching Alerte. Three large fenders made of faggots bound with wire rope were lowered over the starboard side.
With a heavy jar, the pirate craft and the Mendez Nunez came together. One of the fenders nipped as the two craft ground each other's sides and was flattened55 like a pancake. Another carried away. The partially56 lowered boat was crushed to matchwood. Rolling a full fifteen degrees, the huge tanker stove in ten feet of the Alerte's bulwarks57 and buckled58 the stanchions at one end of her bridge.
"An hour of this and we won't have a shred59 of upperworks left," expostulated Pengelly. "Sheer off, sir, while we have the chance."
For a wonder, Captain Cain concurred60. With her port screw going full astern, the Alerte drew clear of her prey61.
It was no intention on the part of the pirate captain to abandon the attempt. Easing down a cable's length to leeward62, he signalled HNT—"Smooth sea by pouring oil on it."
In a few minutes the pumps of the Mendez Nunez got to work. Volumes of crude oil were released, spreading in vast iridescent63 patches to lee'ard of the tanker. Although the swell still continued, it lost its dangerous aspect.
"That's the ticket!" exclaimed Captain Cain to his second in command. "Well, it's their oil they're using, not mine.... Steady on your helm... port a bit... meet her at that."
Again the Alerte closed her prey, this time on the port side. Held by hawsers64 and springs fore1 and aft, the two vessels no longer ground against each other with any danger of violence.
At the head of fifteen armed men, Captain Cain boarded the prize. No resistance was offered. The Spanish captain and all his officers, with the exception of two engineers, were ordered for'ard and locked in the forepeak with the rest of the crew. Two of the tanker's ejector pumps were led to the Alerte's tanks and the work of refuelling the pirate submarine began.
While this business was in progress, the boarding party were by no means idle. A systematic65 search of the officers' quarters yielded a little booty. The ship's stores and provision rooms were pillaged66, and anything likely to be of service to the pirates removed.
Then the wireless67 gear was rendered useless, the operator of the Mendez Nunez having previously68 been ordered to produce a record of messages sent and received during the last four hours. None had been sent since the Alerte fired a warning shot across the tanker's bows, the operator having deserted69 his post in the general panic that ensued.
Meanwhile, Marchant the gunner, with a couple of hands, went below to the tanker's engine-room. Breaking open the tunnel of the main shaft70, they fractured the propeller71 shaft by means of a slab72 of gun cotton. Within the space of fifty minutes Captain Cain had accomplished73 his task. He had replenished74 the Alerte's fuel supply, plundered75 the tanker, and had left her helpless in the Atlantic, with no means of summoning assistance other than by visual signalling.
"Recall the hands, Mr. Marchant," ordered Captain Cain, when the gunner returned on deck and reported the fracturing of the propeller shaft.
"All correct, sir," reported the gunner, after the men had numbered off. "How about those chaps, sir?" he added, pointing in the direction of the forepeak. "Do we let 'em out?"
"No," replied Cain, with a sardonic78 smile. "Let 'em batter79 the hatch down when they find we're gone. A little extra damage won't signify."
Returning to the Alerte, the pirate captain signed to the two engineers of the tanker to cast off the hawsers; then, backing clear of the Mendez Nunez, the Alerte made off at full speed in a nor'easterly direction, towards the Irish coast.
Forty-five minutes later, having dropped the tanker beneath the horizon, the pirate submarine altered her course for the distant African shore, secure in the knowledge that when assistance did come to the disabled tanker, the Spaniards would declare that their attacker was making in a direction far different to the course she eventually took.
Just before eight bells in the first dog watch, the bo'sun came up to Pengelly, who was in charge of the bridge.
"Two men missing, sir," he reported.
"Who are they?"
"Broadmayne and Vyse, sir."
"Oh no, sir," declared Barnard. "They were seen some time after we sheered off."
But the bo'sun had made a genuine mistake. At that precise moment Broadmayne and his chum were having a very lively time on board the Spanish tanker Mendez Nunez.
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1
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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debit
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| n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项 | |
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4
demise
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| n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让 | |
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5
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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tanker
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| n.油轮 | |
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7
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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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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tankers
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| 运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车 | |
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chary
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| adj.谨慎的，细心的 | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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12
intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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13
bluffed
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| 以假象欺骗，吹牛( bluff的过去式和过去分词 )； 以虚张声势找出或达成 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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meddled
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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18
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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coves
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| n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 )；家伙 | |
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zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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23
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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27
absolve
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| v.赦免，解除（责任等） | |
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28
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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31
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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35
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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36
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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40
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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41
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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42
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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43
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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45
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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46
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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48
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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49
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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50
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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51
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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52
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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53
conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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54
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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55
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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56
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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57
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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58
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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59
shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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60
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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61
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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62
leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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63
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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64
hawsers
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| n.（供系船或下锚用的）缆索，锚链( hawser的名词复数 ) | |
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systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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66
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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68
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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70
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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71
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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72
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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73
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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74
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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75
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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77
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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78
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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79
batter
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| v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员 | |
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80
smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
参考例句： |
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