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Title: The young naval captain
The war of all nations
Author: Edward Stratemeyer
Release date: February 17, 2025 [eBook #75394]
Language: English
Original publication: United States: Thompson & Thomas, 1902
Credits: Aaron Adrignola, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE YOUNG NAVAL CAPTAIN ***
THE YOUNG NAVAL CAPTAIN;
OR
THE WAR OF ALL NATIONS
BY Captain Ralph Bonehill
Author of "WITH TAYLOR ON THE RIO GRANDE,"
"BOYS OF THE FORT,"
"THE TOUR OF THE ZERO CLUB," etc.
THOMPSON & THOMAS
CHICAGO
Copyrighted 1902
By THOMPSON & THOMAS
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. The United States Against the World
CHAPTER II. First Battle on the Ocean
CHAPTER III. An Interview with the Secretary of the Navy
CHAPTER IV. Blowing Up of the Tien-Tsin
CHAPTER V. Prisoners of the Sea
CHAPTER VI. Out of a Living Tomb
CHAPTER VII. An Attack on the Japanese Troops
CHAPTER VIII. The Act of a Madman
CHAPTER IX. Another Blowing Up
CHAPTER X. The Fraudulent Message
CHAPTER XI. An Urgent Call for the Holland XI
CHAPTER XII. Defeat Turned Into Victory
CHAPTER XIII. The Central American Canal
CHAPTER XIV. Cast Upon the Shore
CHAPTER XV. Tidal Waves and Whales
CHAPTER XVI. Saving the Merchantman
CHAPTER XVII. Playing the Spy
CHAPTER XVIII. The Capture of Hang Chang
CHAPTER XIX. News of the President's Daughter
CHAPTER XX. The Cave Under the Ocean
CHAPTER XXI. Out of One Danger Into Another
CHAPTER XXII. A Run Not Wanted
CHAPTER XXIII. The Fight off Cape Nome
CHAPTER XXIV. Sinking of the Ivan II
CHAPTER XXV. In Which the Holland XI is Captured
CHAPTER XXVI. Prisoners on the Holland XI
CHAPTER XXVII. The Defeat of the Enemy
CHAPTER XXVIII. An Underwater Earthquake
CHAPTER XXIX. The Rescue of Jean Fevre
CHAPTER XXX. The Last Battle--Conclusion
PREFACE.
My object in writing this imaginary tale of a war of all nations in
years to come has been two-fold.
In the first place, I wished to draw the attention of my young readers
to the fact that naval science, as well as science in all other
branches, is making wonderful strides, and that for the future hardly
anything seems impossible. In years gone by electric lights, the
telephone and telegraph, not to mention wireless telegraphy, navigable
balloons, and even our railroad trains would have been laughed at as
impossibilities. Yet to-day we have all these things, and many others
equally wonderful, and each day we look forward to something even more
startling.
In the second place, I wished to draw attention to the fact that our
country is growing with marvelous rapidity. From thirteen States we
have multiplied to several times that number, and our flag waves from
the coast of Maine in the East to the coast of Luzon in the West, and
from Alaska in the North to Texas and Porto Rico in the South. What
a truly great country it is, and what glorious freedom it grants to
millions upon millions of people! In these days it is truly worth while
to be an American, and in the days to come the honor will probably be
even greater.
There is an important lesson to be learned from all this, and I would
that every lad who reads these lines would take that lesson to heart.
The opportunities for boys and young men were never greater than they
are to-day. The future lies with you, and you can make of it, and of
our grand country, what you will. The path to success is open to rich
and to poor alike, and even the humble rail-splitter or the canal-boat
boy can become President. Will you take hold of that opportunity or
will you let it slip by?
CAPTAIN RALPH BONEHILL.
THE YOUNG NAVAL CAPTAIN.
CHAPTER I.
THE UNITED STATES AGAINST THE WORLD.
"War is declared!"
"Impossible!"
"It is true. The news has just come by telephone from the cabinet
chamber at Washington."
"And against whom?"
"Against the world!"
"Are you joking, Andy?"
"Oscar, I was never more serious in my life. The War Department has
just sent the news to the office. The three new warships we are
building must be completed without delay. The firm is offered a bonus
of fifty thousand dollars if we can float them complete by the first of
July."
"That is just six weeks off."
"Exactly, and it means that four months' work must be accomplished in
that time. We can't do it," and Andy Greggs shook his head doubtfully.
He was a tall, well-built fellow of eighteen, with blue eyes and
curly brown hair. He was a machinist, employed in the great Standard
Shipyard of Bridgeport.
"We can do it and we will," answered Oscar Pelham decidedly. "We can
work nights."
"It won't be enough."
"Then the firm will have to double the force."
"Where are you going to get the men?"
"Advertise for them--hunt for them--take them from other shipyards if
necessary. If Uncle Sam wants those ships he is going to have them. But
a war against the world! It's enough to stagger a fellow, Andy."
"So it is, Oscar, but it was bound to come, sooner or later. Foreign
nations have been watching the United States with great envy since we
whipped the Spaniards and gathered in Porto Rico and the Philippines,
and when Cuba became a new state and Canada broke loose from England, I
reckon they thought we were getting too big for our boots."
"No, the real trouble started in China," was the answer from Oscar
Pelham. "England, France, Germany, Russia and Japan wanted to carve up
poor China to suit themselves during the Yellow War of 1925 and Uncle
Sam wouldn't allow it. Then South Africa tried for liberty again, and
that put England's nose out of joint worse than ever when we helped the
Boers to freedom. Then came the old quarrel about that money Turkey is
owing us, and when we turned the Turkish kingdom inside out in 1928
that set all the rest of Europe in a rage."
"Well, we were justified in going for the Turks. They are the worst
heathens on the face of the globe, outside of the Chinese."
"The Chinese ought to be our friends in this war, for we did so much
for them when the other nations were after them. But England, Russia
and the Japanese have bought her, body and soul, and now she is against
us with all the rest."
"But we'll win out--we must win out!"
"Right you are! The Stars and Stripes forever!"
The conversation recorded above took place one spring morning of the
year 1936.
For two years the United States--that vast territory which now embraces
all of North America, from the Isthmus of Panama to Hudson Bay, and
takes in all of the West Indies, Hawaii, the Philippines, and half
a dozen other islands of the sea, as well as a corner of China and
another corner of Japan--had been at peace with the world. We say
peace. What we mean is, there was no war, but war talk was on every
tongue.
In the past twenty-five years the country had prospered immensely. We
now numbered over a hundred million of inhabitants, and nearly all of
these were well-to-do and had money in the bank.
Jefferson McKinley Adams was President, and had been for six years,
and under him were a standing army of five hundred thousand men, and a
navy of five hundred of the best warships which human ingenuity could
devise.
Many of the best of the warships had been turned out at the Standard
Ship Yard at Bridgeport, which, up to a year before, had been under the
personal supervision of Commodore David Pelham, the father of Oscar
Pelham, just introduced. David Pelham had been a retired veteran of the
Civil and the Spanish-American wars, and had followed his beloved wife
to her grave, leaving Oscar alone in the world.
Oscar Pelham was a young man of nearly twenty, well-built and strong,
with piercing black eyes and curly black hair.
At first he thought to follow his father into the navy, but he had a
strong taste for electricity and mechanics generally, and he ended by
entering the services of the ship building company, after spending
three years at Edison's Electrical University at Llewellyn Park.
Oscar was a smart young man, and already many of his electric and
other devices were beginning to attract attention. When the improved
submarine torpedo-boat destroyer, Holland X., was building at
Elizabethport he had gone to see her, and had come away much impressed
by the novel construction of the craft.
"I'll build such a boat myself some day," he said to his boy friends,
"only I'll make her better than anything afloat."
Some of his friends laughed at this, but others only smiled faintly.
"Perhaps the boy is right," said one old machinist. "He had a smart
father and a smart grandfather. Blood ought to tell."
And blood did tell, for, although only twenty years old, Oscar now
had the whole run of the extensive shipyard and hardly any plan went
through but what somebody came to him for his opinion on it.
Once Oscar disapproved of the plan of a new submarine boat, invented by
an old war captain from Vermont.
"That boat will sink fast enough," he said. "But she won't come up."
The experts laughed at him and said he was mistaken. Then the boat was
built. She sank on her first trial and blew up in her effort to raise
herself.
After that Oscar Pelham's opinion counted for a good deal in all
matters under consideration, so far as ship structure and the use of
electricity went.
"Can't git around him," said George Dross, the oldest engineer in the
yard. "He's got it all down on his finger tips. Him as tries ter corner
him will git bit sure!"
The visit to the Holland X. had never left Oscar's mind. He remembered
exactly how the submarine destroyer had been built and just how she was
worked.
Once, when some of the naval vessels were at Newport, the Holland X.
took a midnight trip among them, and Oscar was allowed on board.
The destroyer sank almost out of sight, and unknown to those on the big
warships, passed completely around and under, first one vessel and then
another.
"We could have blown every warship sky high!" said the inventor, but
of this Oscar was doubtful. Yet he realized that the Holland X. was a
grand boat and one calculated to do some terrific damage in a naval
contest.
"But I'll build a better--wait and see," he said, over and over again,
and when he was nineteen years of age he began to perfect the plans
which had rested so long in his brain.
His boat was to be built of aluminum and steel--aluminum on account
of its lightness and steel because of its strength. The craft was to
be one hundred and fifteen feet long, sixteen feet wide, and eight
to eleven feet six inches high. She was to be shaped like a stubby
cigar and have three windows of glass on each side and one in front,
and another in the stern. She was to have two small but exceedingly
powerful screws, operated by an electric engine. She was to carry
both natural and manufactured air, and had ample space for provisions
and water, as well as ammunition, the latter to consist principally of
torpedo tubes and dynamite bombs. She was to attain, under favorable
circumstances, a speed of twenty-three knots an hour, and must work
absolutely without noise, both while under water and while sailing over
the surface.
Luckily for Oscar Pelham, his father had been rich, and upon the
commodore's death, all the wealth went to the young inventor, to do
with exactly as the young man saw fit. Several thousands of dollars
were immediately spent upon a model of the Holland XI., as Oscar
christened his craft, and this model was, one dark night, taken out on
Long Island Sound for a trial.
No one was in the secret but Oscar and his particular friend, Andy
Greggs, and it must be confessed that Andy was almost as anxious for
success as the young inventor himself.
"If she runs all right, she'll be the biggest thing on the water," he
declared.
"You ought to say, under the water," said Oscar.
The trial took the best part of the night and when it proved a perfect
success Oscar Pelham could hardly contain himself.
"She'll be the submarine terror," he observed. "No warship, no matter
how big she is, will be able to stand up against her secret attacks."
CHAPTER II.
FIRST BATTLE ON THE OCEAN.
The news that war had been declared against practically the whole
civilized world was correct.
In a thousand ways Uncle Sam tried to settle the many existing troubles
without an appeal to arms, and had failed in each and every instance.
Other nations looked with keen envy upon our growth and development.
"We must cut that nation down," they said. "If we do not it will,
sooner or later, rule us all, commercially and otherwise."
Yet the United States had no intention of ruling any nation without the
people's consent.
Freedom had been given to Cuba and the Philippines, and some years
later these islands had begged to be admitted, first as territories and
then as states.
They saw how much it would be to their advantage to form part of our
glorious Union. They saw that the United States was destined to become
the one great world power.
Even when this great war broke out--the like of which the world had
never before witnessed--several large countries of South America, as
well as several smaller countries of Central America, were knocking for
admission into the Union. Brazil, Chili, Peru and Honduras were among
those who wished to enter.
Mexico had come in through the solicitation of the people of Texas, and
after her admission the bitter Mexican war of 1848 was forgotten.
And nothing was now heard of the contest against the Filipinos.
Aguinaldo was dead, yet in the main square of Manila an imposing
monument had been erected to this remarkable military personage who had
done so much and yet so little for his countrymen.
The appeal to arms created a tremendous excitement, both in the cities
and in the country places.
In New York the whole population went wild, and a grand "war march," as
it was termed, took place. The city at that time was built up solid as
far as Yonkers, and the marchers proceeded as far as that, while some
of the columns went over the four bridges uniting New York and Brooklyn
and the two bridges reaching from Manhattan Island to the New Jersey
shore.
The decorations were magnificent, and Oscar Pelham and Andy Greggs came
down from Bridgeport to see them. Banners were flung from the tops
of all the big buildings, including the Empire, which was fifty-six
stories high, and balloons were anchored a mile in the air, each ablaze
with electric lights, turning night into day.
It was felt that the war would be carried on principally on the ocean,
or rather, on the oceans, and for that purpose every available warship
was put into service with all possible speed.
Enlistments in the navy were followed by enlistments in the army, until
our soldiers and sailors numbered over a million men.
The soldiers were armed with the Miles-Gilford electric repeating
rifles, which were known to shoot with great accuracy up to two
thousand yards.
The rifles of the sharpshooters were fitted with telescopes, and many
of the sharpshooters could pick off an enemy at a mile distance with
ease.
It was felt that the combined navies of the world would come first
to our Eastern seacoast, and the coast defenses were put in the best
possible condition without delay.
The forts at Sandy Hook and on Long Island were armed with the latest
improved Hotchkiss bomb guns, which could carry projectiles weighing a
thousand pounds a distance of sixteen to eighteen miles.
But it was felt that these fortifications were not sufficient, and
others were speedily projected, taking in the whole coast from Nova
Scotia to Florida, as well as Cuba, Porto Rico and other islands in
that vicinity.
Our naval vessels, as said before, were as good as any on the face of
the globe, and included the submarine boat, Holland, the one first
accepted by the government in 1900, and also the Hollands III., V.,
VI., IX. and X., the II., IV., VII. and VIII. having been destroyed or
condemned.
Much was expected of the Holland boats, especially in night work, when
they might run out to any foreign warship and wreck her with one or
more powerful torpedoes attached to her hull.
Those who managed the submarine vessels were enthusiastic about them,
and had good reason to be.
One day Andy Greggs came into the shipyard wild with excitement.
"Something awful has happened!" he cried, as soon as he met Oscar.
"What is it?" demanded the young inventor.
"The Holland I. has been blown up into a million pieces!"
"Andy, you can't mean it."
"It's true."
"Who did it, some of the foreign warships?"
"No, one mean, miserable skunk of a man did it all."
"And who was he?"
"An Italian named Gabretti. He was employed on the boat as an engineer.
The foreign governments bought him up, it's said, for a hundred
thousand dollars, and he blew her up by connecting an electric battery
with the torpedoes she was carrying."
"And were the crew killed?"
"To a man. Gabretti had just time enough to get into a steam launch
when the Holland sailed skyward. The steam launch was followed by the
cruiser Massachusetts, but escaped in the darkness, and it is surmised
that the Italian went on board one of the foreign warships cruising
around the Atlantic Ocean."
This news, startling as it was, was true.
Bitter was the denunciation of the Italian engineer, who was a
naturalized citizen, and who had thus proved a traitor to his country,
and the government immediately offered a reward of fifty thousand
dollars for his capture, dead or alive.
"I'd like to earn that reward," said Andy Greggs.
"I would like to capture him," returned Oscar Pelham. "The traitor!
He ought to be tortured to death!" Oscar came from a long line of
true-blue patriots, and to his mind a traitor was the worst thing to be
imagined.
The loss of the Holland I was a sore one for the United States, for
during the past year England, Germany and France had constructed
submarine boats of more or less efficacy, and it was now felt that we
were at a disadvantage so far as this class of vessel was concerned.
But worse news followed. In two days came word that all the other
submarine craft were either blown up or seriously damaged.
Soon came the news that a great fleet of foreign warships had been
sighted off the coast of Nova Scotia. The guns at the forts in this
vicinity had tried to reach the flotilla, but failed, for the foreign
vessels had kept well out to sea.
The foreigners were headed southward, and it was felt that they would
probably attack Boston or New York.
The foreign vessels numbered at least fifteen and to combat them the
United States sent out twelve of their best warships, including the new
Columbia, an armored cruiser of eighteen thousand tons displacement and
carrying a battery of twelve twenty-pounders and sixteen twenty-inch
guns.
The foreign fleet was sighted off Montauk Point and it was seen to head
directly for New York Harbor.
It was on a rainy Saturday that the two fleets met, twenty miles off
Sandy Hook.
The foreign ships had tried to enter New York Harbor under cover of the
darkness the night before, but the powerful searchlights at Sandy Hook
had exposed them, and one ship had been sunk by the guns from the forts
and another had struck a submerged mine and been literally split in
twain.
It was thirteen vessels to twelve, and the fight opened with a
terrific bombardment from both sides which lasted for nearly an hour.
The din could be plainly heard in New York, where it sounded like
rolling thunder, and the top of every tall building was covered with
spectators, with first-class telescopes, watching the magnificent
contest.
At the end of an hour it looked as if the Americans had the better of
the fight and those on shore were jubilant in consequence.
"We'll lick 'em out of their boots!" shouted more than one old veteran.
"It's America against the world, and we are bound to come out on top!"
At this time but one American vessel, the Chicago, had sunk. Of the
foreigners, a German and a French vessel were blown up, while a large
Russian man-of-war and an Italian cruiser were in flames from stem to
stern.
But now the fortunes of war turned swiftly.
For some unknown reason, the French and the German submarine boats
which had accompanied the expedition had been delayed in getting to the
battle ground, having run foul of some wreckage off the coast of Long
Island.
Now they came up, and after some minute directions from the admiral in
command of the Allies, as the foreigners were termed, both boats sank
promptly out of sight.
It was afterward learned that the French submarine vessel could do next
to nothing. She tried to sink the Indiana, but was promptly discovered
and two fifteen-inch shells soon put her out of existence forever.
Not so, however, with the German craft, a boat fully the equal of any
of the ill-fated Hollands. She came up silently under three of the
American warships, and half an hour later every one of those gallant
cruisers was wrecked and hundreds of those on board were killed.
The shock was so unexpected that the Americans for the moment knew
not what to do. Then another ship was blown up, and the few which
remained had to withdraw to New York Harbor, where they were under the
protection of the guns of the numerous forts.
CHAPTER III.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
"Andy, I am going to see the Secretary of the Navy, and at once."
"About your submarine boat, Oscar?"
"Yes."
"I thought you had written to him about it."
"So I have, but the Old Harry knows what has become of the letter."
"More than likely they thought your scheme that of a wild-brained
inventor and cast the letter aside."
"So I've been thinking. I start for Washington to-morrow."
"Want me to go along?"
"No, I want you to remain here and take charge of that model, which is
in the storeroom at my boarding-house. If I telegraph to you, you come
on with the model, at once."
So it was agreed, and that night saw Oscar Pelham whirling toward the
capital at the rate of eighty-five miles an hour, on what was known as
the Congressional Limited.
This train was a great favorite with politicians and on the cars Oscar
met many men who had known his father.
One in particular, Senator Forbish, from New York, became interested in
the young inventor, and asked him why he was making the trip.
"Going to try for a position in the navy, to follow in the footsteps of
your father?" he questioned.
"Yes and no," answered Oscar. "I will enter the navy if they will allow
me to do so in my own way."
"Then you are particular. Perhaps you wish the command of a ship." And
the senator smiled pleasantly.
"I do wish the command of a ship--but the ship must be of my own
designing."
Senator Forbish could readily see that Oscar was not joking, and he
asked the young man to explain himself, which Oscar did readily, for he
knew the senator was a power, both in military and in naval circles.
"And you say this boat will really work?" he questioned.
"Yes. The model worked perfectly when we tried her in Long Island
Sound."
"Such a submarine boat would be far in advance of the others which we
have lost."
"She would be, and that would mean that she would also be superior to
the submarine boats owned by our foreign foes."
"Then you must press this matter upon Secretary Short by all means."
"I shall do my best. But he may not be willing to listen to me. I
understand he is very busy."
"He is busy, but I will give you a letter to him which will insure you
an audience."
The senator was as good as his word. There was a stenographer and
typewriter on the train and he dictated a letter and signed it without
delay.
When Oscar reached Washington he found the entire city in a state of
suppressed excitement. The destruction of the American warships off New
York Harbor was on everybody's lips, and many predicted that the United
States would soon be at the mercy of her foreign foes.
"And they will show us no mercy," they declared. "They are too anxious
to see us broken to pieces. England will retake Canada, Mexico will go
to Spain, Russia will cry for Alaska, with its gold, while France and
Germany will want a slice of the Eastern coast and China and Japan a
slice of the Western."
When Oscar arrived at the office of the Secretary of the Navy he found
the cabinet officials busy in the extreme. Naval officers, politicians
and citizens looking after contracts filled the rooms and corridors,
and clerks and messengers were coming and going constantly.
"What is it you want?" demanded a clerk, as he met the young inventor
at the inquiry desk.
"I wish to see Secretary Short," was the answer.
"On what business?"
"That is a private matter."
"The secretary is very busy to-day; better call to-morrow."
"I think he will see me." And Oscar handed out his card.
"Hum! Does he know you?"
"No."
"Then I think you are mistaken. Nearly all strangers must first go and
see one or the other of his assistants."
"Here is a letter of introduction from Senator Forbish," continued
Oscar, with a quiet smile.
The face of the clerk immediately changed color.
"Oh--er--of course that makes a difference, Mr. Pelham. I will take
your card and the letter to the secretary at once."
The clerk dove through a swinging door and was gone the best part of
ten minutes.
"Secretary Short will see you at half-past three," he announced. "Be on
time if you want to make sure of your interview, and boil your business
down."
"I'll be on time, never fear."
Promptly at half-past three Oscar was admitted to the private office
of the Secretary of the United States navy.
It was a large apartment, handsomely fitted up, and on the walls hung
numerous charts of our coast defenses and pictures of war vessels.
In one corner rested several models of ships, including one of the
ill-fated Holland X.
"Well, young man, what can I do for you?" asked the secretary, as he
motioned the young inventor to a chair.
"Secretary Short, you can give me the opportunity to destroy some of
the foreign warships which are battling against us," answered Oscar.
"Eh? Er--what's that?" said the secretary, who feared he had not heard
aright.
"To be brief, sir, I am the son of the late Commodore David Pelham,
whom you, I think, knew fairly well. I am a practical electrician and
inventor. I have worked around shipyards for a number of years. I have
invented a submarine torpedo-boat, somewhat on the lines of the late
Holland, but with numerous changes, which I know will be beneficial. I
want to build this ship for the government and I want to be placed in
command of her when she is built."
The Secretary of the Navy stared at Oscar in amazement. "What, you!
Why, really you are--a very young man to talk in this fashion."
"That is true, sir. But if I prove that I have a boat superior to any
of the Hollands, will you take me up?"
"Certainly; we want the best ships, submarine and otherwise, that money
can buy. Expense is no object. But I have no time to waste now on
experiments. The war is on; we have already suffered a tremendous loss,
as you must know."
"I have a working model. At this time to-morrow, if you'll say the
word, I'll have that model at the government experimental station and I
will show you how perfectly it works."
"You are positive you have a good thing?" And the secretary looked
sharply at the young inventor, as if to read his innermost thoughts.
"I am, sir."
"Then I will be at the station to see your model work, at five o'clock,
to-morrow."
CHAPTER IV.
BLOWING UP OF THE TIEN-TSIN.
The Secretary of the Navy was as good as his word. He was on hand five
minutes before five, and Oscar arrived ten minutes earlier, accompanied
by Andy Greggs, who had had the model shipped on by express, in a stout
coffin-like box.
The government experiment station boasted of a large pond of water,
where all sorts of models were tried and experiments made.
In the presence of the secretary and two of his assistants the model
was produced.
At this moment the President of the United States, Jefferson McKinley
Adams, a descendant of John Adams, the second President, came in to see
what was going on, having heard that something unusual was in the air.
"We need such a boat, if it will work, now the Hollands are no more,"
he murmured to the Secretary of the Navy.
"Wait--we will see if this is all right or a humbug," answered
Secretary Short.
The model was placed on a stand and Oscar gave a little lecture
concerning the working parts and what the craft was designed to do.
The model went to the bottom of the basin and arose without an effort.
Then it went down as far as desired, ran forward, backward, and then
turned in circles right and left. The screws were next shifted slightly
and the model went forward in saw-tooth fashion, first up and then
down, but all under water.
"Wonderful!" murmured the President. "The old Hollands could not do
that."
"He has certainly solved the science of under-water navigation,"
answered the Secretary of the Navy.
A model of a warship was now placed in the basin, at one end. Then the
model of the submarine craft was set in motion to place a torpedo under
the warship's keel. The work was performed with great accuracy and it
was shown how easily the warship could be destroyed and how quickly the
other boat could get away without being discovered.
"Good! It is perfect!" cried the Secretary of the Navy. "But how about
air for your crew while under water?"
Oscar then went into the details of his scheme for storing air and for
manufacturing it as well. Everybody listened with close attention.
"How much will your craft cost to build?" was the next question asked.
"Two hundred thousand dollars," was the answer. "For into that
construction must go the best of everything."
Those who had witnessed the exhibition consulted together for a few
minutes.
"How long will she take to build?"
"Give me that sum and I will build her in three months; give me a
hundred thousand dollars more and I will have her ready for service in
two months."
"You shall have your answer to-morrow noon," said the Secretary of the
Navy.
The night to follow was an anxious one, both for Oscar Pelham and his
faithful friend, Andy Greggs.
Would the government accept the offer?
At ten the next morning came a telephone message from the Navy
Department.
"We are willing to appropriate half a million dollars if that submarine
boat, to be called the new Holland, can be built inside of one month."
Even Oscar was staggered at this.
"A month!" he gasped. "But I'll do it if I have to set every shipyard
and every steel plant at work to push it through."
For thirty days Oscar Pelham hardly ate, drank or slept.
He was here, there and everywhere, now inspecting this work done, now
that work done, and anon sending telegrams and telephone messages in
every direction.
Some refused to do any work for him, thinking him mad. But when his
orders were indorsed by the Navy Department, owners of shipyards and
steel plants quickly changed their minds.
Work went on night and day, without interruption, and on the afternoon
of the twenty-ninth day the new Holland was slid into the waters of New
York bay and a telegram was sent to Secretary Short that the vessel was
ready for service.
In the meantime the war had gone on and another naval battle had been
fought in Cuban waters. Here an Italian cruiser had been sunk by
the gunboat Yankee Doodle, but the Americans had lost four of their
old-fashioned types of war vessel.
It was reported that a flotilla of sixteen foreign warships was in the
vicinity of Cuba, and that soon there would be an active bombardment of
the whole Cuban coast.
"If they capture Cuba they will use the island as a base of supplies,"
said the Secretary of the Navy, "and they will be able to land millions
of soldiers there. We must stop this movement."
Ten first-class warships had been dispatched to the seat of trouble,
and now the new Holland was ordered thither, after a trial off the New
Jersey coast to see that the new vessel worked perfectly.
The crew of the new Holland, or Holland XI., as she was officially
registered, consisted of ten all told. Oscar was placed in supreme
command, with a rank in the navy as captain. Next to him came Andy
Greggs, as first lieutenant. The head engineer was George Dross, the
old shipbuilder, who had stood by Oscar when he was building his model
at Bridgeport.
The Holland was stored with provisions and fresh air and a number of
powerful torpedoes, along with a large amount of other explosives.
"Good-bye to land," said Oscar, as he stepped on board. "We are running
a great risk, Andy. Perhaps we will never see home again."
"I don't care. Hurrah for Uncle Sam!" responded the first lieutenant,
recklessly.
Soon the Holland--we shall at all times call her by her simple
name--was moving southward at a lively rate of speed.
As there was no need to draw on the air in the reservoirs the boat was
kept on the surface of the ocean, skimming along like some monster
sea-fowl.
Four days later Captain Oscar Pelham was able to report to Commodore
Garrison, in command of the fleet in Cuban waters.
Another great naval battle was expected daily and Commodore Garrison
was glad to see the Holland put in an appearance.
"I have heard that there is one monster Chinese armored cruiser coming
up here from the coast of Brazil," said the commodore. "She is one of
the swiftest and most dangerous craft in the world. She is named the
Tien-Tsin. If you can blow her up it will be a great work accomplished."
"We shall do our best," replied Captain Oscar promptly.
He passed the word around and the Holland ran along the Eastern coast
of Cuba, on the lookout for the Tien-Tsin.
Soon several warships were sighted and two days later the Tien-Tsin
hove in sight and began to bombard the Cuban city of Baracoa.
It was the intention of the Chinese commander to make the city
surrender and then land an army of three thousand Celestials in Cuba,
as the beginning of a great command of invasion.
"The Tien-Tsin is in sight," cried Andy, who was the first to sight the
craft.
Captain Oscar waited long enough to confirm the news, then gave orders
that the Holland XI. be sunk immediately.
Down went the torpedo-boat destroyer until fully twenty-five feet of
water floated over her.
The Chinese cruiser had stopped her powerful engines and lay motionless
on the ocean, while she poured shot and shell into the city, four miles
away, to the terror of the Cubans, who were fleeing in all directions.
Swiftly but silently the new Holland crept up until almost under the
keel of the Celestials' warship.
Then a large torpedo was sent forth and fastened to the warship's broad
bottom.
To the torpedo was attached a clock-like arrangement, and this was set
at the five-minute limit.
"Now, away!" cried Captain Oscar, when the work was done. "Dross, crowd
on all speed!"
And, like a thing of life, the Holland darted off in the direction
where the American fleet lay, miles off.
One minute passed--two--three--four--and those on the Holland watched
their watches anxiously.
"We will ascend!" cried Captain Oscar, and up shot the boat to the
surface.
Four minutes and a half--three-quarters--fifty seconds--fifty-five
seconds--six--seven--eight--nine----
Crash! Bang! Boom!
It was as if heaven and earth were split in twain. First there came a
flash as of lightning out of the depths of the ocean, followed by a
grinding, ripping, sucking noise, and then up went the monster Chinese
cruiser, blown into millions of fragments. With the wreckage went
soldiers and sailors, guns, ammunition, spars, everything, straight
into the sky! It was a sight as awful as it was amusing.
"She's gone forever!" cried Captain Oscar, hoarsely. "Our work has
proved a perfect success. The new Holland is the most dangerous warship
ever constructed."
"You are right," answered his first lieutenant. "Those Chinese----"
He got no further, for he had glanced up in the sky, and now saw
something strange and uncanny approaching. It was a gigantic dynamite
shell, thrown by a French cruiser, which had crept up behind them
unawares.
The shell was aimed straight for the Holland, and if it struck the
submarine boat it would blow her up as effectively as she had blown up
the Tien-Tsin!
CHAPTER V.
PRISONERS OF THE SEA.
"We are lost!"
"That shell will blow us to atoms!"
Such were some of the cries which arose from those on the new Holland
when they saw the shell thrown by the French cruiser whirling swiftly
toward them.
In an instant all was wild excitement and the face of Andy Greggs grew
pale as death.
But one person on the submarine craft was cool, and that was Oscar
Pelham.
As he saw the shell approaching he stepped to the rear end of the tiny
enclosed deck of which the Holland boasted.
Here was a hidden keyboard, connected by electricity with the moving
power of the strange craft.
He touched one of the tiny steel buttons.
"Hold fast!" he cried, and as everybody clutched the railing or threw
himself flat, the Holland fairly jerked forward, rising two feet higher
than she had been lying, by the action of the sudden spurt. Then she
continued to go ahead.
_Zip! Bang!_
Down came the shell from the French cruiser in the exact spot where the
Holland had been lying. It sent the water flying in all directions,
while the noise of the explosion was deafening.
The submarine torpedo-boat destroyer had gotten away a distance of a
hundred yards, and some of the fragments of the shell rained down upon
the deck like hail.
The forward rush had made the Holland ship considerable water, and for
the instant it looked as if the submarine craft would be swamped.
The French cruiser was coming closer, and now another shell was hurled
forth, but this flew wide of the mark.
"We must go down," said Captain Oscar, and at once those on deck
tumbled into the interior of the submarine boat. Then the steel hatch
was closed, the railing sank out of sight, and the new Holland sunk
beneath the surface of the ocean.
By examination it was found that the boat contained six inches of
water, and this was immediately forced out by the electric pump. Then
Oscar entered the engine room and held a consultation with George Dross.
"Are we safe in descending twenty-five feet in these waters?" he asked.
A chart was examined and it was found that they might descend forty
feet without danger of running aground, providing they kept in the old
channel.
"Then put on all speed, descend thirty feet, and bring up behind that
French cruiser," was the young captain's order.
"You will sink her?" questioned Andy.
"If we can."
"But the commodore's orders----"
"Orders from the Secretary of the Navy are to sink any foreign vessel
that opens fire on us. The government has half a million dollars locked
up in this vessel, and Uncle Sam doesn't intend to lose her."
No more was said, and soon the new Holland was gliding through the
ocean with the rapidity and silence of some monstrous sea serpent.
While she was thus moving Oscar had the crew arrange another torpedo,
similar to that which had blown up the Tien-Tsin.
He remained at the side window nearest to the front of the submarine
boat, watching for anything unusual which might occur.
As they moved on in a large semi-circle a sight met his gaze which was
truly horrible.
They passed through the wreckage of the big Chinese cruiser, and on
every side he saw the torn and mutilated bodies of the Chinese sailors
and soldiers, some dead and some drowning, sinking slowly to the
bottom of the ocean.
One poor wretch made a mad clutch at the glass window as it passed him
and glared fiercely into Oscar's face.
The sight made Oscar shudder and brought to him a sense of how horrible
this fearful war was to be.
But now was no time to think of these things.
The French cruiser had noted the disappearance of the submarine boat
and her commander was doing his best to get out of danger.
He had crowded on all steam and felt that it would be impossible for
any submarine boat to catch the Republique, as his craft was named.
He did not know that the new Holland was one of the fastest ships
afloat--much faster, in fact, than any submarine craft built up to that
time.
Although it was daylight, he kept a powerful searchlight at work,
trying in vain to locate the Holland XI. under that rolling cover of
greenish-blue waves.
But here he again failed, for the Holland kept too far below the
surface to be thus located.
At last Captain Oscar saw that they were less than fifty yards behind
the Republique.
Both vessels were going at their topmost speed, and thus the pursuit
was a highly dangerous one.
The new Holland was up on a level with the Frenchman's keel, and should
the speed of the cruiser slacken suddenly the submarine craft would
surely crash into her with disastrous effect.
"Get ready to throw out that torpedo," ordered the young captain of the
submarine destroyer, and his crew obeyed without delay.
In a few seconds more they were directly under the Frenchman's keel,
and then the torpedo was brought out, ready to be adjusted.
At that moment something unlooked for occurred, something which nearly
brought the new Holland to an end then and there.
In her anxiety to get away from the torpedo destroyer those on the
Republique had run close to a stretch of land on the Cuban coast which
hid from view a bay half a mile in diameter.
In this bay were located three American men-of-war, of the old style,
but fitted up with modern dynamite guns.
As the Republique came in sight of the Yankee warships, all three
opened fire on her.
The aim of the American gunners was perfect, and five ten-inch shells
crashed through the side of the French cruiser.
Three of the shots went below the water-mark, while a fourth struck
into the magazine.
There was a deafening explosion, which tore away the middle deck of
the cruiser, and then the huge mass of iron and steel began to sink
like one vast lump of lead.
She came down directly on top of the new Holland, at the very moment
that the time fuse had been set in motion by which the torpedo was to
be blown up.
"By ginger! Something's wrong!" came from old George Dross. "She's
a-comin' down on top o' us!"
"Back her!" ordered Captain Oscar. "Back, quick!"
But it was too late to back. Down came that monstrous weight, settling
directly on top of the new Holland and quickly burying the submarine
craft in several feet of sand!
Luckily the French cruiser rested, fore and aft, upon two slight hills,
forming something of a hollow in the middle, otherwise the Holland XI.
must have been totally crushed.
As the submarine craft was pinned fast, Andy Greggs clutched Oscar by
the arm.
"We are lost, Oscar!" he gasped. "That fuse--it is ready to go off!"
The young captain nodded, for words failed him. The fuse was set for
three minutes. Two minutes had already passed. A minute more--and then?
One of the crew--ordinarily a brave man--fell upon his knees, the
tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Nothing can save us!" he moaned. "That torpedo will crush us into a
million pieces!"
Thirty seconds passed--forty-five. Everybody on board held his breath.
Captain Oscar felt as if his head was on the block and the axe of the
executioner ready to fall.
And then the full minute passed--swiftly, silently--and then another
minute. One and another straightened up and each looked at his comrades
as if doubting that he was not dreaming.
The torpedo had failed to explode!
"The shock of the wreck must have torn the fuse from its place," said
Captain Oscar.
"Pray heaven such is a fact!" murmured his lieutenant.
The wrecked Republique was still settling, and through one of the
windows which was not buried in the sand they saw numerous dark objects
floating about, including the bodies of some French sailors.
But now was no time to look upon such sights.
"We must get out of this," said the young captain. "The longer we
remain here the deeper we will be buried in the sand and the harder it
will be for us to get away."
"Right you are," answered his lieutenant. "But how shall we move?"
That was a difficult question to answer just then, for nothing could
be seen excepting out of one window on the left side and out of one
window in the rear.
"I think we had better try to back first," said Captain Oscar. "Dross,
put on all power."
"Aye! aye!" responded the old engineer, and soon the dynamos on board
were working as never before. But though the screws revolved with
lightning-like rapidity, the new Holland scarcely budged. The screws
whirled the sand in every direction, sending it against the rear window
like, a sheet of hail.
"We don't move," said Andy Greggs.
"Try to go ahead," suggested Captain Oscar, "Have we reached the limit
of our power?"
"We have," answered the old engineer.
Again the screws were set in motion. The submarine boat strained and
quivered, as if to pull in twain every bolt that held her together. But
move from her resting place she did not.
They were prisoners at the bottom of the ocean.
CHAPTER VI.
OUT OF A LIVING TOMB.
Everybody on board looked to the young captain regarding what move was
to be attempted next.
"We are stuck," muttered Andy Greggs.
"We must get out," returned Captain Oscar. He turned to one of the men.
"How much air in the reservoir, Marney?"
"Two hundred and fifteen feet, captain."
"Humph! Enough for two hours."
"And after that?" put in Andy Greggs.
Oscar shrugged his shoulders. "We must get out before that time, old
chum."
And this meant that if they did not they would all die of suffocation!
Truly their peril was extreme.
The weight of the wrecked French cruiser was so great that she was
slowly but surely sinking deeper and deeper, sending down the Holland
under her.
In another hour the windows would be buried in the sand so that nothing
of the outer world could be seen.
"We'll be in a living tomb," muttered old George Dross.
"If I could get outside I would inspect the situation," said the young
captain.
"If we could get out we might all save ourselves," muttered one of the
men.
"And leave the Holland XI.?" returned the inventor. "Never! I'll never
desert her!" Oscar would no more have thought of leaving his treasure
than would a young mother her child.
"The torpedo hole," suggested Andy Greggs.
"Right!" ejaculated Oscar Pelham. "I'll do it, if it costs me my life."
With all speed he donned one of the diver's suits with which the
submarine craft was provided.
What he intended to do, or rather try to do, was indeed perilous.
This was nothing more than to leave the Holland through the chamber in
which were stored the torpedoes the craft carried.
He would have to pass through two trap-doors, and then to the outer
sea, providing he could get out.
His preparations were carefully made and he went out provided with
several instruments by which he might measure the hollow and figure out
how best to start the submarine craft.
It was with great difficulty that he squeezed himself out into the
water, which here represented a pressure of many pounds to the square
inch.
The first thing that his eyes rested upon was the torpedo which had
failed to go off.
The clockwork was still in position, and what had caused it to cease
moving was a mystery.
"But it's a good thing it didn't go off," he mused, as he began his
inspection of the situation.
He soon found out why the Holland could not move from her position.
In coming down the keel of the French cruiser had split into two parts,
and these now held the top of the Holland fast, as a pair of ice tongs
holds fast a cake of ice.
Had the ends of the cruiser been allowed to settle a foot more, the two
grips of the keel must have crushed in the sides of the Holland like
the shell of an egg.
Oscar examined the ends of the keel with interest and soon felt certain
that the Holland could be moved only after great labor to liberate her.
"And that will take time," he muttered sadly. "And time is what we
cannot afford."
Slowly and painfully he made his way back to the hole through which he
had emerged into the ocean.
The bow of the submarine craft was just gained, when suddenly a
concussion occurred which hurled him flat on his back and for some time
to come deprived him of all sense of hearing.
One of the powder magazines which had not been touched by water on the
Republique had blown up, creating something like an earthquake under
the sea.
Sand and wreckage flew in all directions, and when Captain Oscar
recovered he found his body covered with a mass of stuff difficult to
remove.
As soon as able he stared about him, and to his utter amazement saw
that the Holland had disappeared!
"What can it mean?" he asked himself. "Is it possible she has been
blown up?"
The vicinity of the wreck was now dangerous, with so much loose matter
still floating about, and as soon as able he left the spot, mounting a
sand hill several hundred feet away.
The Holland was nowhere to be seen, nor was any wreckage belonging to
her about. This gave him a little comfort, for he concluded that she
must have escaped.
But he must now pay attention to his own safety, for his supply of
fresh air was limited, and with the weight of the diver's outfit it was
impossible to ascend to the surface of the ocean.
What should he do?
He knew the coast of Cuba was near, but in what direction?
"I must move," he told himself. "Anything is better than staying here."
He moved on, slowly and painfully, to where he thought the bottom of
the ocean ascended gradually. Soon it grew lighter, telling him that he
was getting closer to the surface.
But now the fresh air was almost gone and a sleepy sensation stole over
him. But he must not sleep, or it would be the slumber of death!
On and on he went, now climbing a rugged hill, covered with sand, rocks
and moss, the home of innumerable fish and strange looking crabs.
The fish rushed past him, hitting him often with their tails, while
the crabs spit at them spitefully, their beady eyes bulging from their
heads.
He was almost to the top now, but his air was gone, and with it his
strength. There was a strange flicker before his eyes and a roaring in
his head.
Once he stumbled headlong, but quickly picked himself up again.
Half a dozen steps more and his head came out of the water. Then he
dragged himself to a higher point and with nervous hands unscrewed his
air-and-water-tight helmet.
Oh, how good the fresh air tasted! It was fairly intoxicating, and he
filled his lungs repeatedly.
He was saved!
Looking around, he found a small jut of land not a dozen yards distant,
fringed with a series of overhanging bushes and trees.
It was on the Cuban coast, two miles west of the city which the
Tien-Tsin had been bombarding.
He dragged himself to the shore, and finding a safe place in the
bushes, threw himself down to rest.
From a distance he heard the booming of cannon, telling that the Cuban
city was being bombarded still by other vessels of the foreign foe.
But to this booming he gave no attention, for he was dead tired.
Soon he dropped into a doze in spite of himself, from which he did not
awaken until early the next morning.
He awoke with a start, and then a noise in the bushes beside him caused
him to leap to his feet.
He gave a cry of dismay, for, looking inland, he beheld at least a
thousand Japanese troops marching in his direction!
The advance guard was on him and in a moment more he was discovered and
surrounded!
CHAPTER VII.
AN ATTACK ON THE JAPANESE TROOPS.
"Chan-cera-ree!" shouted one of the Japanese soldiers, and aimed his
rifle at Oscar Pelham's head.
But another soldier--an under officer--saw the movement and stopped the
shooting.
"We will make him a prisoner," he said in Japanese. "He is an American
and may prove useful to us in this accursed country."
Oscar was quickly made to leave the shore.
He had discarded the diver's suit, but the Japanese soldiers took it
along, considering it a great curiosity.
Because of the suit they thought Oscar was one who had planted a mine
under the ocean and that the Tien-Tsin had struck upon this and been
blown up.
"He is a great capture," said the Japanese commander. "Who knows but
what he may be a leading American officer."
As he could not speak English, he could not question the young
inventor.
Baracoa had fallen and Japanese and Chinese troops had landed to the
number of six thousand.
They expected to be re-enforced by German and French soldiers, and then
a land attack was to be made in Florida, the troops marching across
Cuba to Havana, and there taking transports to Key West.
In the meantime England and some other nations were sending a large
force, upward of a hundred thousand men--to attack the Canadian shore.
England wished to reconquer Canada, no matter what the cost.
The Japanese continued to move along the northern coast of Cuba until
two o'clock in the afternoon.
By that time it was so hot that the soldiers had to rest, even though
the Japanese are the toughest race on the face of the globe.
Thousands of Cubans had fled before them, for the landing had been
unexpected, and the people of the island were not prepared to offer
resistance.
When the rest came Oscar found himself at the mouth of a small river
flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
He was secured to a tree with ropes while his captors proceeded to take
it easy, lying in the grass, smoking cigarettes and drinking Japan tea.
The young inventor felt that he was in a serious situation, for he knew
that in this world-wide war the Japanese would not hesitate to kill him
whenever it pleased them.
He tugged at his bonds, but if there is anybody who knows how to tie
knots it is a Japanese, and those which bound Oscar could neither be
strained or broken.
An hour went by, when suddenly the young inventor saw something which
both amazed and delighted him.
Far off in the ocean he beheld something come up to the surface. It was
like the back of a turtle, about four feet in diameter.
It was only a few inches above the waves, but it shone like a plate of
bluish steel--and such it was--the top-center plate of the Holland XI!
"Thank fortune, she escaped!" he muttered to himself.
Then he waited for several minutes, when the trap-door in the plate was
slid aside and a form appeared--head and shoulders--the form of Andy
Greggs.
Andy had a spy-glass, and with this he swept first the ocean and then
the land.
On catching sight of the Japanese soldiers he was about to retire at
once and sink the submarine craft, when by accident his eyes rested
upon Oscar.
At first he could not believe the evidence of his senses. Then he waved
his hand in recognition.
The young captain of the new Holland could not see the movement very
well, but he nodded his head vigorously in the direction of the first
lieutenant.
In another moment Andy disappeared and soon the Holland sank from
sight. Oscar waited anxiously, wondering what his friends would do--in
fact, what they could do.
The submarine craft was designed wholly for warfare on and under the
ocean, not on land.
Yet Oscar knew that his friends would never desert him, now they knew
he was a prisoner of the enemy.
Quarter of an hour went by. To the prisoner it seemed an age.
He was watching the water and soon saw a slight movement behind a
number of bushes just where the river met the ocean.
He knew what the movement meant. The Holland XI. had come in shore as
far as the depth of the water permitted.
Up came that plate again and out popped Andy Greggs, armed with a
pistol and a short knife.
The young lieutenant slipped into the water like an eel and dove down
almost out of sight, to come up near to Oscar's feet.
The Japanese were half asleep, thinking their prisoner secure.
With cat-like steps Andy left the water, pushed through the bushes and
came up behind Oscar.
Two slashes of that sharp knife and the young captain of the new
Holland was free.
He slid behind the tree, and side by side he and Andy ran for the ocean.
"Hi-cha-kling!" roared one of the Japanese soldiers, rousing suddenly,
and then he aimed his rifle at Oscar.
But before he could pull the trigger Andy fired his pistol, which had
been kept dry on the journey to shore, and the bullet pierced the
enemy's heart.
Before the other Japanese could do anything both of the chums were
swimming for the Holland. They tumbled into the trap-door one after the
other and then the plate was slid shut.
"Down!" ordered Andy, and immediately the submarine craft sunk several
feet. Then a swift run was made for a third of a mile away from the
coast.
"Oh, how glad I am to see you alive!" cried Andy, when the pair were
safe.
"And I am glad, too, cap'n," put in George Dross. "I never expected to
set eyes on ye ag'in."
"But how did the Holland escape?" asked the young captain.
"The explosion set us free," answered Andy. "But we had to move out
lively, or we would have been crushed as flat as a pancake when the
wreckage came down a second time."
Captain Oscar was now asked to tell his own story and did so. He was
very weak, but a good dinner with a strong cup of coffee soon made him
feel once more like himself.
"What's orders?" asked Andy, coming in the dining-room while he was
eating.
"We must attack that Japanese army," answered the young captain. "They
are marching for Havana, with the intention of invading Florida."
"And how are you going to do it?"
"They are marching forward in almost a solid body. As soon as they
form, we will rise to the surface and throw a couple of dynamite bombs
into their midst."
Orders were at once delivered to the ammunition men and the bombs were
brought forth and inspected, to see that they were ready for use.
Half an hour went by and then they saw that the Japanese were preparing
to move.
The enemy did not like the manner in which Oscar had been rescued and
the leader wanted to get out of the way of the submarine craft.
Soon the foreign soldiers were in columns for the march and the command
came to move forward.
The drums beat and the band began to play one of the Japanese national
airs in a music which to the Americans was nothing short of a hideous
discord.
"Now then, up we go," commanded Captain Oscar, and in a minute the new
Holland lay well out of the water.
Then the stern was sunk, so that the bow might stand well up.
The gun to fire the two bombs was carefully sighted.
"Touch off!" was the next command.
Boom! went the gun, and into the air flared the two missiles of death,
straight for the Japanese column.
Zim! crash! bang!
The two bombs exploded directly in the midst of the Japanese troops,
dealing death and destruction upon every hand.
The carnage was something frightful. Dozens of men were literally blown
to atoms, arms, legs, heads and bodies flying in all directions!
A yell of terror went up, commingled with shrieks of pain.
When the smoke cleared away it was seen that at least fifty Japanese
had been killed and as many more wounded.
Terror-stricken, the remainder of the army fled from the road along the
ocean to the rocks and hills beyond.
"Give them another," ordered Captain Oscar, and it was quickly done,
and this brought down several more men, including the Japanese
commander, who had his head taken off just as he was about to order a
rifle attack on the strange sea monster that had attacked them.
The remainder of the Japanese took to the woods and inside of three
minutes not a soldier was to be seen.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE ACT OF A MADMAN.
"I reckon we have given that army a setback," remarked Andy Greggs
after the contest was over.
"Yes," answered the young captain of the new Holland.
"But they ought not to be allowed to get to Havana, much less to land
in Florida."
"What do you advise?"
"Have you reported to Commodore Garrison yet?"
"No; we were trying to find out what had become of you."
"Then we will report first, and see what the commodore has to say."
It was easy to find the commodore's flagship, and they surprised the
guard on deck by coming up directly at the side of the cruiser without
anybody on board being aware that the new Holland was in the vicinity.
"Hello, you!" cried the officer of the deck, when Oscar hailed him.
"Yes, sir," answered the young captain, with a salute. "I could have
torpedoed you nicely had I wished."
"You're the old Nick himself," growled the officer.
Captain Oscar Pelham's interview with Commodore Garrison was brief and
to the point.
"The new Holland has done more than well," said the commodore. "I don't
believe that Japanese army will ever reach Havana. We have already
three thousand soldiers there."
"Then I presume our duty lies elsewhere."
"It does. I have just received a message by wireless telegraphy asking
if I can spare your boat to go to the coast of Canada. The Secretary
of the Navy was delighted to hear of the blowing up of the Tien-Tsin,
and he wishes you to help the warships which will meet the British,
French and German squadron off the coast of Canada. These warships are
acting as an escort to some army transports carrying about a hundred
thousand soldiers, who wish to land in Canada." And the commodore gave
the details so far as he knew them.
"I will go to meet the American squadron in Canadian waters without
delay," answered Oscar, and bowed himself out of Commodore Garrison's
presence.
Once again the submarine craft was put at her best speed and she went
spinning through the ocean like a thing of life.
Several days passed and they were making rapid progress northward, when
one night the new Holland came to a sudden halt.
Her screws continued to revolve for a time, but soon they were clogged
up and the power had to be stopped.
"Now what is up?" cried Captain Oscar, as he leaped from the couch
where he had been sleeping.
His lieutenant could not tell, nor could the engineer.
According to their charters no land was within fifty-six miles of the
submarine craft.
The lights were turned on full and an examination made.
It showed that the new Holland had run into the Sargasso Sea, that
dense mass of seaweed which floats along the Atlantic shore near and in
the Gulf Stream.
The weeds were so long and thick that the boat could not be budged.
The screws were tangled up completely, and for the time being the new
Holland lay helpless.
The weeds pressed against the windows of the craft and through the mass
darted innumerable fish, some of the most ugly order Oscar had ever
witnessed. The larger fish were continually preying upon the smaller.
"Let us try to ascend," said the young captain, and this they did, but
without success. The weeds were above them as well as around them, and
to try to go down under the mass only made matters worse, for many were
fast to the very bottom of the ocean.
"Here's a pickle truly," sighed Andy Greggs. "How far do you suppose
this Sargasso Sea extends?"
"Humph! Perhaps for miles," answered Captain Oscar.
"Well, we've got to do something."
"We will do something," was the quiet answer. "We can't stay here."
"It's only a question of expense, Andy."
"I don't follow you."
"I mean the expense of getting out."
"How is money to get us out of this confounded mess?"
"It will cost us the price of one dynamite bomb, placed just above and
in front of the new Holland."
"Oh! By ginger, I never thought of that. Oscar, you have a long head."
The young captain's plan was to float a bomb above and ahead of the new
Holland, using one of the water-proof variety for the purpose.
This was done, and when the bomb was set off the dense seaweed was
hurled in every direction.
Meanwhile the screws were cleaned, and as soon as an opening appeared
the Holland shot upward into an open space fifty yards in extent.
A searchlight was called into play, and by this they saw that the
nearest open sea was to their right.
But they had to continue to fight the seaweed with long poles, and with
more shells, and even then it was nearly morning before they were clear
of the mess.
"That's an experience I hadn't bargained for," remarked Captain Oscar,
as they sped once more on their way. "After this we must keep a better
lookout." And they did.
At last they came in sight of the Canadian coast, and rounded Cape
Breton into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Here Captain Oscar Pelham reported to Admiral Fielding, who was in
command of the warships stationed there.
"I am glad to have you here," said the admiral. "We have a big fleet of
ships to contend with. They are lying twenty miles out to sea, awaiting
a favorable opportunity to attack us."
"And what do you wish the new Holland to do, admiral?" asked the young
captain.
"Go out and do all the damage you can before they have a chance to get
in here."
"I will do the best I can, sir."
Once more the new Holland was off on her mission of death and
destruction.
With the crew went a pale-faced lieutenant from the admiral's flagship,
sent on board to watch proceedings.
The lieutenant's name was Raxtell, and Oscar did not at all like his
looks. Yet he said nothing and treated the lieutenant to all the
courtesy due his naval rank.
But that night Oscar could not sleep. Something worried him, he could
not tell what.
"Something is wrong, and I know it," he muttered to himself, and,
unknown to any of the others, began a tour of inspection.
All went well until he reached the magazine room in which the
explosives were stored.
Then he heard a low chant, and looking in, saw a sight that caused his
very heart to stop beating.
Lieutenant Raxtell was there, with the look of a madman upon his
ghost-like face.
He had attached a long fuse to all of the dynamite bombs and was in the
act of firing the explosives.
[Illustration: HE WAS IN THE ACT OF FIRING THE EXPLOSIVE.]
Should they go off the new Holland would be blown to atoms!
CHAPTER IX.
ANOTHER BLOWING UP.
For the moment after Captain Oscar Pelham made his terrible discovery
that Lieutenant Raxtell intended to blow up the new Holland he could
neither move nor speak.
He clearly saw that the lieutenant was mad, but what had caused his
insanity was a mystery.
His face was like chalk, and his eyes rolled in a fashion horrible in
the extreme.
"We will all go to heaven!" he heard the naval officer mutter. "All go
to heaven--and that will be better than going home. Home! Ha! ha! So
the admiral would not give me shore leave? I will show him a trick or
two! Here goes!"
"Hold!"
The cry came from Oscar, and aroused as from a dream, he hurled himself
upon the madman and bore him to the floor.
Frothing at the mouth, Raxtell struggled desperately at first to free
himself and then to bite Oscar as might a wolf.
But the young commander of the new Holland was fighting for life, and
held him as in a vise of steel.
"Let me go!" roared the madman. "Let me go, or I will eat you up alive!"
"Be calm, lieutenant," gasped Oscar. "Be calm. You are not well. Be
calm."
"What's the row here?" came from the doorway, and Walton, the
ammunition man, came in.
"Quick, he is mad," answered Oscar. "Help me."
"Mad! By Jove, captain, is it possible?"
Walton hurled himself into the contest without hesitation, and between
the pair they speedily made Raxtell a close prisoner, binding him hands
and feet, and fitting his face with a leather mask, that he might not
bite himself or others.
It afterwards came out that the lieutenant was of a nervous
disposition, and that homesickness had preyed upon his mind until his
reason forsook him.
Nothing could be done at present but keep him on board, and realizing
that the poor fellow was not accountable for what he had tried to do,
Captain Oscar treated him with every consideration.
Early in the morning of the next day the fleet of the enemy was
discovered riding the ocean in a vast semi-circle.
The warships numbered thirty-four, and the transports sixty-six, and
the sight was a truly imposing one.
"We can't do much against that fleet," said Andy Greggs, after the new
Holland had sunk out of sight.
"We can do our share," responded the young captain.
He had his eyes on three ships of the enemy--the British cruiser
Terrible, the German gunboat Wilhelm II., and the French
ship-of-the-line Philippe.
"I'll sink all three, or know the reason why," he said to himself, and
laid his plans with great care.
The three ships he had in view were not over a quarter of a mile apart,
one from another, the Terrible being in the center.
This would necessitate a run of half a mile to reach all three warships.
The course of the new Holland was changed and they moved slowly and
cautiously up to the Wilhelm II., keeping well under water all of the
time.
While the run was being made Oscar held a consultation with the
ammunition man and with George Dross.
It was calculated that it would take five minutes to run from one ship
to another, and five minutes to adjust each of the several torpedoes.
Soon the Wilhelm II. was gained, and in absolute silence the torpedo
was fastened to her keel.
Only fish watched the movement and gazed curiously at the torpedo,
against which they rubbed their slimy sides.
"Set the fuse at half an hour," ordered Captain Oscar, and this was
done.
Five minutes later they had gained the keel of the Terrible, and here a
torpedo was set at twenty minutes.
Then a swift run was made for the Philippe, where they set a torpedo at
ten minutes.
"Now run for it!" cried Captain Oscar, and the new Holland spun away,
straight into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The torpedoes had been set to go off at exactly half-past eleven, and
it lacked but two minutes of that time when the new Holland shot to the
surface at a safe distance from the hostile fleet.
But the submarine boat was discovered and at once several torpedo-boats
belonging to the British set off to give her chase.
"We are going to catch it from the little fellows," said Andy Greggs,
with a grim smile.
"They won't reach us. We'll go down as soon as the explosion is over,"
answered Captain Oscar.
He held his chronometer in his hand and was counting off the seconds.
The time was up!
As he put the watch in his pocket a deafening roar rent the air, and
the German warship was seen to rise in the air and then fall, a broken
and shapeless mass upon the waters.
Then came two other roars, one directly after the other, as the English
vessel and the French ship-of-the-line caught it.
The explosion under the Philippe was the most perfect, for the craft
was literally split to bits, not alone by the torpedo, but by the
explosions of her various magazines. Everybody on this ship was killed
but a cabin boy, who leaped overboard at the first noise, and was
picked up by one of the smaller warships.
With the Terrible it was different. The English cruiser was an
unusually large one, and to have cut her to pieces would have taken
several torpedoes.
Inside of two minutes she sank, the majority of her crew leaping
overboard as she went down.
Some of the sailors were caught in the suction created and went down
with the warship, never to rise again.
An explosion under the ocean added to the panic, and many were killed
by this.
Over two hundred were floating around on the sea until other warships
came to their assistance and picked them up.
The blowing up of the three warships created consternation among the
others of the fleet, and signal after signal was displayed from the
commanding officer's flagship, all reading: "Clear for sea immediately;
a submarine torpedo-boat is among us. Double your watches."
Then the entire fleet began to move for the broad Atlantic, chasing the
transports before them.
The torpedo-boats which had come out to do battle with the new Holland
were tremendously surprised to see the strange craft slide from view,
and realizing that they themselves might be blown up at any instant,
they lost no time in running for their lives.
The new Holland could have given them plenty of trouble, but Captain
Oscar considered his ammunition too valuable to throw away on such
"small fish," as he called them.
"One of our torpedoes costs the government eight thousand six hundred
dollars," he said. "Those little chaps aren't worth that to me. I am
after big guns."
Considering that the new Holland had done enough for the time being,
and wishing to obtain a new supply of torpedoes and dynamite bombs, the
young captain now turned back to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and reported
to Admiral Fielding.
The admiral had witnessed the blowing up of the three warships through
a powerful field glass which was stationed in an observation tower at
the top of the mainmast of the flagship, and he was highly delighted
at the success of the new Holland's work.
"That craft is a marvel," he said. "The government must have more of
them."
"It certainly would be a good thing," replied Oscar. "I think I've got
the enemy pretty well frightened. Perhaps they think we already have
more than one of these boats, having seen the work done in Cuban waters
and now here."
"Perhaps; and I hope they think we have a dozen. They will then
imagine their costly warships of no value against such an enemy, and
consequently be glad to treat for peace."
Using the wireless telegraphy system on the admiral's flagship, Oscar
sent word to Bridgeport arsenal to send him at once a large quantity
of torpedoes and dynamite bombs, and also a new style of bomb called
highite.
Highite was a new explosive, of which much was expected. A highite
shell when it exploded sent hundreds of little shells forth in a
circle, which exploded an instant later.
"That is what we ought to have had in Cuban waters," said Andy. "We
could then have made those Japanese sick."
A week elapsed before the ammunition reached the new Holland and was
stored on board.
In the meantime it was learned that the fleet of the enemy had turned
southward, probably with the intention of landing on the New England
coast.
The fastest despatch boats in our naval service were sent out to watch
the enemy, and at the same time the new Holland was ordered southward,
to be in readiness at any time the hostile fleet should show itself too
close to our shores.
CHAPTER X.
THE FRAUDULENT MESSAGE.
Four days later found the Holland lying snugly concealed in the waters
of Cape Cod harbor.
The run to Boston had been made without a sight of the hostile fleet.
Andy had gone ashore on a little business, and soon he came back from
Provincetown wild with excitement.
"Captain, this beats the Dutch!" he cried, as he entered the tiny cabin
of the submarine craft.
"What is it now, Andy? Another fleet in sight?"
"Worse than that. The enemy is in Washington."
"Washington!" roared the young captain, and leaped from his seat. "Do
you mean they have gotten soldiers into the country----"
"Hold on; I said the enemy was in Washington," interposed the young
lieutenant. "I don't know how many of them are there, but enough to do
a mean piece of work."
"And what? Have they blown up the Capitol, or the White House?"
"No; but they've robbed the White House of its loveliest inmate."
"You mean President Adams' daughter----"
"Has been kidnaped--carried off--last night--and nobody knows where to.
The whole country is wild with the news, and there is a reward up of a
hundred thousand dollars for anybody who will bring her back safe and
sound."
"She's worth the money, too," added Captain Oscar, promptly. "Martha
Adams is one of the sweetest girls in this country. How in the world
was the deed accomplished?"
"Last night she was left home alone, the President being at a Cabinet
meeting, and Mrs. Adams being at a meeting for the benefit of disabled
soldiers. Two of the servants in charge of the President's apartments
were drugged and one stabbed in the back and killed. That is as much as
is known now, excepting that two men were seen to hurry somebody in a
coach and drive off with her."
"And in what direction did the coach go?"
"Straight for the Potomac--and a boat was seen to leave and go down the
river an hour later."
"Then she has been carried off to sea, beyond a doubt."
"So I'm thinking, and more than likely she is now a prisoner on one of
the foreign warships."
The captain of the new Holland scratched his head thoughtfully.
"If she is on a warship, it must be either a Japanese or a Chinese
craft," he muttered.
"Why so?"
"Because I don't think England, France or Germany would stand for any
such thing as that. It's heathens' work, and nothing less--or private
spite."
"And why private spite?"
"Oh, easily. Somebody may be mad because he didn't get a fat position
from the President, or something like that. You know how much
wire-pulling there is at Washington," concluded Oscar.
The news interested everybody, and when the papers came on board each
read the reports on the case closely. But nothing new had been learned,
excepting that it was practically certain Martha Adams had been carried
off to some foreign warship lying off Chesapeake Bay.
"I'd like to catch the rascals who abducted her," sighed Captain Oscar,
after finishing the reading of the newspapers.
"After the reward, eh?" laughed Andy.
"Humph! I wasn't thinking of the reward. Martha Adams is the sweetest
girl I ever----" He broke off short, and as Andy looked at him closely
he blushed in spite of himself.
Oscar had seen Martha Adams three times while the girl was at the
shipyard with her father and others.
"Oho! so that is how the wind blows," cried the lieutenant. "Well, it's
a long step to a President's daughter, captain, but who knows what
you'll be when this war is over--if the Holland XI. keeps on as she has
begun?"
"Andy, you get on deck," came quickly, and the lieutenant did so, but
with a broad grin on his face. He knew that Oscar had met Martha Adams
and had "gone sweet" on the President's only child in those days.
Late on the following night a special messenger came on board of the
Holland with orders for the submarine boat to move out to the east
coast of Cape Cod, the locality being mentioned in detail.
Captain Oscar was much puzzled by the order, for it was entirely
unexpected.
Yet there was nothing to do but to obey, and soon the new Holland was
on her way out of Cape Cod Bay and heading first northeast and then
southeast, outside of the cape.
"This is strange," he said to the lieutenant. "I don't understand it."
"Perhaps the navy department is afraid some foreign ship will crawl
along Cape Cod in the dark," suggested Andy.
"Perhaps."
There the conversation ended, but still Captain Oscar was doubtful, he
knew not why.
His experience with Raxtell, who had been put ashore at Boston, made
him extremely cautious.
"I didn't like the looks of that messenger," he mused. "He had a bad
eye."
The outside of the cape gained, it was a run of two miles to the spot
mentioned in the order.
"Put on the searchlight and see that our way is perfectly clear," he
said to the man who attended to the lights.
"Aye, aye, cap'n!" was the answer, and the powerful searchlight was
made to do duty under the sea, bringing within its rays thousands of
fish who knew not what to make of the unexpected glare.
Soon Oscar found his way to the lookout.
The way seemed to be perfectly clear, and he was on the point of having
the speed of the submarine craft increased when something caught his
eye which made him pause.
The Holland had glided into a fine netting made of copper wire.
The netting was shaped like a funnel, running down to a hole at the end
not quite as large in diameter as the width of the ship.
Here was located a hidden mine, ready to go off the instant any moving
body of large size should strike it.
Had the Holland kept on running the huge copper netting would have
led the submarine craft directly into the hole, the mine would have
exploded, and that would have been the end of the craft and all on
board.
"Back, quick!" cried Captain Oscar, and touched the button which
connected with the engine.
The screws were reversed, and the Holland XI. gave a shiver from stem
to stern as her rapid head-way was checked.
Still she went on, however, until the end of the hole was almost gained.
"A mine!" shrieked the lookout. "We shall be blown up!"
"All power backward!" cried Oscar to George Dross through a speaking
tube. "Quick! It means life or death to us!"
The backward power was increased. Yet the Holland drifted closer and
closer, until her sharp prow was less than two feet away from the butt
of the mine. Oscar held his breath. Another instant and they might all
be blown to pieces.
But then the forward motion ceased, the Holland gathered power in the
opposite direction, and soon they had backed out of the huge copper net
and were free!
"What does this mean?" demanded Andy Greggs, as he crowded into the
lookout.
"It means two things," answered Oscar, drawing a long sigh of relief.
"In the first place we have had a close shave from death, and in the
second place it means that the order to come here was fraudulent."
"Then this was a trap set for us?"
"Beyond a doubt. And I would just like to lay hands on that messenger."
And Oscar grated his teeth.
"Perhaps he is somewhere around, in a boat. Undoubtedly he was a
foreign sympathizer."
"We will go to the surface and see if any craft is in sight."
Going to the surface did not consume long, and the waters were swept by
the powerful searchlight.
Far out from land was an English despatch boat.
"I'll wager that is the messenger's ship," cried Oscar. "We'll run
closer and make sure."
Again they went down, and now the light was put out, and they swept up
to the despatch boat as silently as a black ghost.
When within a hundred yards of the craft they came up and the light was
turned directly upon the despatch boat's deck.
Every man on the deck could be seen distinctly, and looking through his
night glass, Oscar made out a form he had seen before.
"That messenger--and in the uniform of a lieutenant!" he cried.
He ordered the Holland below, but not before the despatch boat fired
two four-pounders at the submarine craft.
The four-pounders were powerless to hurt the Holland, further than to
make a dent in her starboard side.
"Now for a quick revenge!" muttered the young captain. "Close those
front windows!"
Those on board knew what that meant, and the order was quickly obeyed.
Then the new Holland went forward at full speed.
Bang! crash; The despatch boat was hit fairly and squarely in the side
and began to sink immediately.
The Holland withdrew, and Captain Oscar watched the result of the
ramming.
Down went the English vessel and the most of her crew with her.
A few tried to swim away, but the swell of the ocean was too strong for
them, and one after another sank to rise no more.
The new Holland had added another to her list of triumphs over her
enemies.
CHAPTER XI.
AN URGENT CALL FOR THE HOLLAND XI.
Early on the following morning the Holland went back to her old
resting place near Provincetown, and the young captain reported to his
superiors what had occurred.
"You have done well," said the commodore, who received his report. "You
beat them at their own game. But we must be very careful in the future,
for there may be more fraudulent messages afloat."
"I would like to make a suggestion to the department," replied Oscar,
modestly.
"What is it?"
"Why not have every real message marked in some peculiar and secret
manner known only to those who can be trusted? Then every commander
would know at once whether a message was genuine or not."
"An excellent suggestion," answered the commodore. "I will recommend
that this be done."
Later on Oscar's plan was carried into effect, and by it three false
messengers were caught, and later on these men were hung as spies.
Nothing had been seen of the foreign fleet since they had run to sea,
but it was not long before the warships were discovered about thirty
miles outside of Boston harbor.
The new Holland was at once ordered to that vicinity, "To do as much
damage as possible," so the order read.
"And we'll do it," said Captain Oscar. "They'll clear out for good when
we're done with them."
But alas! the best laid plans are sometimes miscarried by things really
small in themselves.
A small fishing smack one night came in the bay and anchored directly
above the Holland.
When the Holland started to move, the anchor of the fishing smack got
tangled up in one of the submarine boat's screws.
The result was the wrecking of the screw and the grinding of the anchor
into powder. Those on the fishing smack were scared almost to death,
thinking there was an earthquake going on under the boat.
Andy Greggs was in despair, but not so Oscar.
"No use crying over spilt milk," said the young captain. "We must get
that screw repaired without delay."
And he had the Holland XI. towed over to the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The accident put a damper on the enthusiasm of the navy department,
for much had been looked for from the new Holland.
But the enemy was close at hand and must be met, and Admiral Fielding
gathered a squadron of twenty-six cruisers and gunboats for that
purpose. With this squadron went two of the regular torpedo-boat
destroyers.
More warships were telegraphed for from New York, but it would take
these vessels two days to reach the scene of battle.
The squadron sailed out at night, with everybody in the best of spirits.
It was felt that one of the greatest battles of the war was at hand.
"We'll smash every one of the enemy!" cried one old salt, "just as
Dewey smashed the Spanish warships in Manila Bay."
"And Schley smashed the Spaniards in Santiago harbor!" added another
jackie.
And so the talk ran on until morning dawned.
It was expected that the enemy would be in sight, but not a single ship
was to be seen anywhere.
"This is remarkable," said Admiral Fielding. And he at once sent some
scouting craft ahead to find out what had become of the foreign vessels.
The scouts came back at nightfall and reported that the foreigners were
running up to the coast of Maine. The enemy was making for Casco Bay,
off the city of Portland.
At once began a chase after the foreign ships which lasted all of that
night and up to noon of the next day.
Then the American cruisers Vermont and Canada came up to the rear guard
of the enemy and opened fire without delay.
Inside of half an hour a fierce battle was in progress, with
twenty-eight warships on the American side, and thirty-two on the side
of the allies.
The din was terrific, as broadside after broadside was poured forth
from one ship or another.
The first vessel to go down in the dreadful encounter was the German
cruiser Berlin. She was quickly followed by the Italian gunboat Carlos
II. and the French frigate Siene. In the meantime one of the British
cruisers had caught fire and was burning fiercely.
But now the Americans began to catch it, and presently the cruiser Utah
took fire. Her magazines blew up, and this set fire to the Tennessee,
which happened to be close at hand when the explosion occurred.
In the van of the fight was the noble Oregon, with the Brooklyn beside
her. These old ships had done wonders in the Spanish-American war, and
they were now adding nobly to their laurels.
To the right of the line, the New Jersey was having a sort of private
duel with the English cruiser Windsor. The Windsor had pumped three
ten-inch shells into the New Jersey, but still our cruiser held her
own, and let drive with two of her thirteen-inch guns. Both shots hit
below the water-mark, and the Windsor slowly sunk, many of her crew
swimming to the neighboring warships.
To the left of the line was the New York, fighting two French ships
whose names could not be ascertained. The Frenchmen were plucky, and
poured shot and shell hotly into the New York. But presently one was
sunk by a ten-inch shell, and rushing around in a semi-circle, the New
York managed to ram the second, nearly cutting her in two.
But now more foreign ships were coming up and the fight became hotter
than ever, until the surface of the sea was filled with nothing but
waterspouts and thick clouds of smoke. At times but little could be
seen, and it is no doubt that on more than one occasion a friendly ship
fired into one of its comrades without knowing it.
But though the American ships were doing nobly, it was seen by
nightfall that the battle was slowly but surely going against them.
They still had sixteen ships fit for service, but the other foreign
war vessels had come up, and the good ships on the other side numbered
twenty-six, just ten more. The newly arrived warships were big ones,
and the outlook for the Americans became blacker and blacker.
"If only we had the new Holland here," sighed Admiral Fielding. "I
believe she could turn the scales in our favor when morning comes."
By the wireless telegraph he sent a message ashore to Portland, which
was immediately transmitted to the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Soon this message came back:
"Have just finished repairs and am at your service.
"OSCAR PELHAM,
"Captain, commanding Holland XI."
"Good!" cried the admiral, and then he sent this massage in reply:
"Come to Casco Bay instantly, and do all the damage you can."
"We are off for Casco Bay!" cried the young captain to his lieutenant.
"The call looks important," answered Andy.
"It is important. There has been a big battle, and it looks as if our
fleet was almost knocked out."
"By Jove! Then we are wanted, and no mistake."
Boston harbor was soon left behind, and they stood up the New England
coast.
"Crowd on all power!" said the young captain to the engineer. "Don't
spare anything. This run may prove the run of our lives."
And power was crowded on, until the Holland XI. quivered with an
energy that seemed to endow her with life.
Slowly the night went by, and when morning came it found the submarine
boat in sight of the great battle ground.
The foreign ships were hammering the Americans as never before, and
matters were going badly with the upholders of Old Glory.
"Here is where we make a record for ourselves, or die in the attempt!"
cried Captain Oscar. "We must turn that defeat into victory. Let every
man do his duty to the utmost. Down we go, Dross."
And down plunged the new Holland into the ocean on her course of
destruction and death.
CHAPTER XII.
DEFEAT TURNED INTO VICTORY.
Captain Oscar Pelham knew that whatever was to be done must be done
quickly.
In the terrific naval battle now in progress the Americans were getting
the worst of it fast.
Ship after ship was either going down or burning up and thousands of
brave lives had already been sacrificed.
Officers and men were doing their best to hold their own, but the
foreign fleet was so much larger, that defeat appeared inevitable.
The first warship the Holland attacked was a British armored cruiser
which was pounding our own Iowa III.
The Iowa was suffering from several big gaps in her larboard side, but
still fought on desperately.
Under the British cruiser sunk the Holland XI. a torpedo was rapidly
adjusted, and then the submarine craft ran away with all speed.
Some sixteen-inch guns had just been trained on the Iowa III. and the
English gunners were about to set off the pieces when a deep rumble
was heard, like an earthquake, and up went the British cruiser into a
million atoms.
The explosion was a surprise to everybody. The Holland had, so far not
shown herself and it was thought by friends and foes alike that the
British warship had been the victim of her own magazines.
Those on board might have told a different story, but all were either
killed outright or drowned in the awful wreckage which followed.
"Number One!" cried Captain Oscar. "Now for Number Two!"
Close at hand lay a broad-beamed French ship, the Coronet, carrying a
newly-invented battery of dynamite guns.
Another torpedo was quickly adjusted here and an explosion as loud as
the first followed. The Coronet, however, was not blown to pieces,
but suffered a hole in her bottom four feet long and three feet wide.
Through this the ocean poured with the power of a Niagara, and swiftly
the Frenchman sank from view, leaving her dead and dying scattered in
all directions. Some of these sailors were picked up and they told of
the explosion from the bottom, and then the foreigners knew a submarine
craft was at work.
This explosion also revealed to Admiral Fielding the true state of
affairs.
"Nothing but a torpedo from the Holland XI. could have done that!" he
cried. "She is among us and is doing nobly. The day will be ours after
all!" And the old salt almost fell to dancing a jig.
The news was quickly communicated from ship to ship and all felt the
inspiration of the Holland's presence.
To the northward two big German cruisers had cornered the Virginia, a
gunboat of fair size.
The Virginia was fighting desperately, but the German men-'o-war were
slowly but surely driving the American ship on a low-lying reef.
"We will fight to the last," said the commander of the Virginia. "A man
can die but once and what more noble than to give up one's life for his
country!" And his men cheered him loudly.
Captain Oscar had noted this state of affairs, and as soon as the
Coronet was disposed of he made after the two German vessels.
As he came closer, he noticed the two ships moving up side by side, as
if their commanders were consulting together.
"I'll end that consultation," he muttered, and ordered that a torpedo
be shot out directly between them.
Wizz! went the huge instrument of death, and as it struck the side of
one of the German warships it went off with a terrific noise, tearing
great holes in both vessels.
The ships were not sunk, but consternation now reigned supreme, for
both were in danger of sinking.
"Hurrah!" yelled the jackies on board the Virginia. "Hurrah! The new
Holland is at hand. The fight is ours!" And then the Virginia went into
the contest with new vigor, which speedily placed the two foreign ships
completely at her mercy. The Holland did not wait to see the end of the
struggle, but ran back to where the sea battle was still at its hottest.
To the northward four American warships had been cornered by eight
foreign ships and shot and shell were raining down as never before.
Coming to the surface to get a good view of the situation, the young
commander of the new Holland ordered that two of the new highite bombs
be thrown at the largest of the enemy's vessels.
The bombs were aimed with great accuracy and did fearful execution,
one almost clearing a deck of all the men standing upon it, while
smoke-stacks and riggings went flying in all directions.
Then the Holland XI. sank below, but not before one of the Allies'
warships had sent a thirteen-inch solid shot over her bow.
"Phew! But that was close!" muttered Andy Greggs. "A foot nearer and we
would have had a pretty good-sized hole into us."
"We must expect to get hit sooner or later," answered Oscar. "Every one
of the enemy is laying for us. They would rather sink us than capture
our largest armored cruiser."
"To be sure, for the Holland XI. is more deadly to them than a score of
cruisers."
The Holland now turned her attention to several Italian and Turkish
vessels which were guarding the enemy's transports, far to the eastward.
"If we make a demonstration against the transports those cruisers in
front will have to run back to protect them," said Captain Oscar. "It's
a pity to sink the soldiers who haven't had a chance to fight, but it's
got to be done."
The attention of the Holland was first turned to the Turkish
man-'o-war, that being the nearest. It was crowded with Turkish
soldiers and sailors, their bright-red uniforms standing out boldly in
the sunlight.
A time torpedo was attached to the Turkish ship, and before it went off
another torpedo was attached to the Italian corvette. Then the Holland
went for the nearest transport, one carrying nearly two thousand
foreign soldiers of various nationalities.
Bang! crash! boom! went the torpedoes, and as the Turkish and the
Italian ships sailed skyward, the Holland hurled two highite and one
dynamite bomb at the transport.
The execution was horribly perfect, for the upper deck of the
transport, crowded with soldiers, was literally swept clean; men,
deckhouse, masts, sails, smoke-stacks, everything being hurled into the
sea. A blood-curdling yell went up, and instantly the steam whistles of
numerous other transports sounded a note of warning.
It was the beginning of the end and that end was triumph for the
Americans.
But the victory had been dearly bought, and would have been a defeat
had it not been for the timely arrival of the wonderful Holland XI.
By night what was left of the Allies' fleet had withdrawn to the
darkness of the Atlantic Ocean.
What a celebration there was when the news of the victory reached land!
Bells were rung, cannon fired, bonfires lit, and the people went almost
crazy.
The name of the Holland XI. was on every lip, and everybody spoke of
her young inventor and commander, Oscar Pelham.
"A wonderful young man," said President Adams. "He will assuredly make
his mark in the world, indeed he has already done so."
He telegraphed his congratulations to the fleet at large and sent an
extra message of thanks to Oscar, which pleased all on board of the
submarine ship very much.
Yet the President was very sad.
He could not forget that his daughter, his only child, was in the hands
of the enemy.
The shock had been severe upon Mrs. Adams and she was now sick in bed
and not likely to get up for a long time to come.
It must not be supposed that the strain of the great naval contest had
not told upon the Holland.
Her machinery had been taxed to the utmost and needed overhauling, and
several of her plates had to be re-riveted. Besides this, she needed
another supply of ammunition.
She accordingly put back to Boston and to the Charlestown Navy Yard,
where the repairs were made with all possible speed.
A week passed and all remained quiet.
Then came news which was calculated to fill the stoutest heart with
dread.
A fleet of fifty Chinese, Japanese and Russian warships had set sail
for Asiatic waters, bound, so it was surmised, for the western coast of
the United States.
The fleet would probably try to enter the Golden Gate and bombard San
Francisco and Oakland!
These twin cities now rivaled New York in size and their commercial
value was enormous.
During the past ten years thousands of Chinamen had been driven from
San Francisco and other cities of California, and this made the
Celestials wild to gain a footing in what had once been their beloved
Chinatown.
Soon came a message for Captain Oscar Pelham:
"You are wanted immediately on the pacific coast. If you do not
come we are doomed.
"Chester."
Alvin Chester was the Admiral in command of the Pacific Squadron of our
navy. He was a fighter to the core and had been well acquainted with
Oscar's father.
"Wanted, eh?" mused the young captain of the new Holland. "All right,
we'll go."
"But how are you going?" demanded Andy. "It will take a long while to
sail around Cape Horn."
"We will go by the way of the Central American Canal," answered the
young captain.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CENTRAL AMERICAN CANAL.
The great canal, in Central America, had just been completed by the
United States at a cost of thirty-six millions of dollars.
Other nations, especially France, had tried to push a canal through for
years, but had failed.
The United States now controlled all the land in the vicinity of the
canal, and, as previously stated, thought seriously of taking these
Central American States into our glorious union.
"Can we get through the canal?" questioned Andy.
"Yes. I figured it out long ago--when I thought we might be needed on
the western coast."
"Captain, you have a long head."
"Thanks, Andy, no compliments. Let's go to dinner." And there the
subject was dismissed.
Thirty-six hours later found the new Holland on her way southward.
Cuba was passed without special incident and then they ran into the
Caribbean Sea.
At the canal entrance a special message awaited them, urging them to
come on with all possible speed.
"The enemy are coming to the western coast as fast as they can," said
Oscar, after reading the message to Andy. "It is feared that they
intend to bombard the Hawaiian Islands on the way over, and capture
Honolulu and other important seaport towns."
"Can't we head them off?"
"Perhaps that is what we will be called upon to do," answered the young
captain of the Holland XI.
The weather was very hot everywhere and in the interior of the
submarine craft it was stifling.
"This isn't so much fun," grumbled old George Dross. "I expect some day
you'll find nothing but a grease spot left o' me."
"All right, George, we'll give the spot decent burial," answered Oscar,
dryly, and then a laugh went up.
With no time to lose, preparations were made to go through the great
canal with all speed.
In the meantime the enemy heard of the proposed trip and it caused all
foreign nations to worry a good deal.
They knew that if once the new Holland got into the Pacific Ocean she
could do incalculable damage to their warships.
A plot was at once instituted to blow up several of the canal locks,
thus rendering the artificial waterway useless.
This was to be accomplished when the Holland was half way to the
Pacific side, so that the submarine craft might be left high and dry
some seventy miles from either coast.
Ten miles from the Atlantic coast entrance, or more particularly the
Caribbean Sea entrance, the Holland put up for a few hours at the town
of Ambrose, a Spanish settlement.
Oscar went ashore for despatches and with him went Andy, glad to have
the chance of stretching his legs on Mother Earth once more.
The despatches filled Oscar with suspicion, for there was one from the
Pacific end of the canal which read as follows:
"Be on your guard, or the Holland XI. will suffer while coming through
the canal."
"Humph! Now what does that mean?" muttered the young captain.
"It means that there is more deviltry afoot," answered his lieutenant.
"We must be wide-awake. Perhaps the Spaniards down here are not so
friendly as they would like to appear."
Feeling hungry, the pair entered a restaurant not far from the edge of
the canal.
They sat close to an open window and while eating, caught some talk of
three Spaniards who rested in a small boat directly under the window.
The talk was about the new Holland, and Oscar gathered that the
foreigners were far from friendly to the craft.
"I vish she vas sunk," growled one Spaniard.
"Perhaps your vish vill come true, Carlos," said a second Spaniard.
"Remember, Pargloss ees vide awake."
"And Pargloss ees a vonderful man," added the third Spaniard.
Then the three rowed away in the darkness.
"Who can this Pargloss be?" mused Captain Oscar.
"I don't know. There used to be a Nathan Pargloss in the Treasury
Department, but he was kicked out on account of some crookedness."
"Then perhaps he is the man, Andy. Perhaps he wants to get square with
the United States."
The young captain had struck the nail on the head.
Nathan Pargloss was furious because he had been discharged from a
position paying five thousand dollars per year.
He was a dishonest man and for years had been in sympathy with Spain
and other foreign nations.
He had sold valuable treasury secrets to foreigners and the discovery
of these actions had caused his dismissal.
It was he who had concocted the scheme to blow up two of the canal
locks when the new Holland should reach about the middle of the long
water-course.
All of the next day Oscar thought of Nathan Pargloss and of what the
Spaniards had said.
When the second lock was gained he spoke to the keeper about Pargloss.
"Ha! I heard of him only yesterday!" cried the keeper. "He is around
here somewhere."
"Then we must set a trap and catch him," returned Oscar, decidedly. "I
cannot risk the loss of the Holland at such an important time as this."
It was decided to set a close watch all along the canal.
Trustworthy men were hired at Oscar's expense, the young captain
knowing full well that the Navy Department would reimburse him for any
outlay thus made.
The plan worked well, for about midnight a small boat was seen to
approach the lock.
It contained two men, Pargloss and a confederate.
Pargloss' craft contained a large can of dynamite and this was placed
close to the gate of the lock.
Pargloss was about to depart when Oscar and several men fell upon him.
"Halt!" ordered the young captain of the new Holland, and aimed a
pistol at Pargloss' head.
The wretched man, however, was game, and he flung himself upon the
young captain and both tumbled over the brink of the lock into the
waters below.
Pargloss had Oscar by the neck and the young captain was in peril of
either being choked to death or drowned.
Oscar tried to free himself but in vain.
Pargloss was a powerful man and could not be made to let go.
In desperation, Oscar pulled the trigger of his pistol.
He scarcely expected the weapon to go off, but it did, and the bullet
struck Pargloss in the shoulder.
The man was not seriously injured, but the sudden pain made him loosen
his hold and in another instant Oscar was free.
Coming to the surface he reached a ladder running up the side of the
lock and soon found himself once more above the canal.
In the meantime, Pargloss' confederate had been made a close prisoner
by the others.
"Where is Pargloss?" asked Andy.
"In the canal. Watch for him, he must soon come up."
They did watch, and in a few seconds the criminal appeared and gazed
around him savagely.
"Come up out of there!" ordered Oscar. "If you don't you are a dead
man!"
"I defy you! You shall never capture me!" shrieked Pargloss, and dove
out of sight again.
Ten minutes passed, but he did not come up.
They watched in vain, running up and down the canal bank and bringing
many torches to bear upon the scene.
"He went under to stay under," was Andy's sober comment.
Early in the morning they dragged the canal, and at the bottom came
upon Pargloss' body.
Rather than give himself up he had clung fast to an old tree stump and
thus drowned himself!
CHAPTER XIV.
CAST UPON THE SHORE.
Forty-eight hours later found the Holland XI. out in the Pacific Ocean,
on her way to the Golden Gate.
The death of Pargloss and the capture of his confederate had put a
damper on other plans to tamper with the Central American Canal, and no
trouble was experienced in finishing the journey.
Arriving in San Francisco, Oscar was much surprised to receive what was
little short of an ovation by the citizens.
All had heard of the wonderful work done by the new Holland and all
wished to see the craft, her young commander and her brave crew.
But time was precious and the submarine boat remained in San Francisco
Bay but a few hours.
A cablegram had come from the Far East, that the Hawaiian Islands were
to be attacked and that the enemy wanted to use Honolulu as a base of
supplies.
At that time, Honolulu, the capital of the islands, had grown to be
a city of three hundred thousand inhabitants. Many of the people were
Americans and much of the money invested there had come from California.
The Holland was soon bound for Honolulu, and this made a run of nearly
ten days for the craft.
"Now we are getting into the territory of earthquakes," remarked Andy.
"I wonder what a strong under-water earthquake would do to us?"
"I don't think I would care to experience an earthquake," replied
Oscar. "We are having lively times enough fighting the enemy."
The run to the Hawaiian Islands was made without trouble of any kind,
excepting that the weather was hot and they had to come to the surface
of the ocean every night to get cooled off.
The harbor of Honolulu is an ideal one, situated behind a high series
of rocks called Diamond Head.
When the Holland came into view of Diamond Head, not a native vessel of
any sort was in sight.
"By Jove!" cried Oscar, suddenly. "Look!"
He pointed to the very top of Diamond Head.
From a tall flagpole situated there, floated a large flag of red,
black, yellow and blue.
It was the standard used by the Allies!
"The enemy have captured the Islands!" ejaculated Andy.
His words were true.
Just three days before the new Holland reached there, the fleet of
warships from Asiatic waters had arrived in front of Honolulu and
demanded an immediate and unconditional surrender.
The authorities would not surrender and the three American warships in
the harbor, along with the shore forts, had done their best to hold the
enemy at bay.
But it was a vastly unequal contest from the start, and before sundown,
the three American ships were annihilated, the forts reduced to ruins,
and the capital taken by main force.
For many years the Chinese had been very bitter against the Hawaiians,
for they had been thrown out of the island States after Hawaii was
annexed, and now when they came ashore from their warships they did
everything they dared to make it unpleasant for the inhabitants.
Had it not been for the Russians, every man, woman and child of
Hawaiian birth would have been butchered.
The majority of the foreign fleet had now sailed to capture other
seaports on the islands.
Eight big men-o'-war, however, lay close in Honolulu harbor, keeping
watch over the town.
Watching his chance that night, Oscar went ashore, and from several
Americans gained a full knowledge of what had occurred.
"We would still fight, were the outlook more hopeful," said one of the
Americans, a Custom House official.
"We will make it more hopeful," answered Oscar, grimly. "By morning not
many foreign warships will be seen in this harbor."
The young captain hurried back to the Holland and the submarine craft
immediately sank out of sight and came around Diamond Head into the
harbor. By the aid of a powerful glass they made out the location of
the enemy's ships with ease.
Then Oscar paid a long visit to the ammunition room and where a number
of torpedoes were adjusted, and also a number of dynamite and highite
bombs.
The foreign ships rode at anchor, so that the bombs and torpedoes could
be set off by means of a wire charged with electricity instead of the
time fuses.
"They shall all go up together," said the young captain. "It will be
the greatest blow-up of the age."
Again he sent word ashore, stating that all Americans must keep away
from the water front between the hours of seven and eight o'clock the
next morning.
At midnight the Holland began to move around the bottom of Honolulu
harbor, adjusting the torpedoes and bombs.
The bombs were concealed in seaweed and floated on top of the water,
close beside the ships they were to destroy.
By six o'clock in the morning every instrument of destruction was in
position, and all attached to the fatal electric wire.
Those on board of the Holland were exhausted by their work, yet nobody
thought of going to sleep.
An early breakfast was had and then the Holland ran out of the harbor
as far as the length of the electric wire permitted.
Watching the foreign ships, Captain Oscar saw the sailors stirring and
then heard the roll-calls sounding.
The warships were crowded with Chinese, Japanese and Russians.
These commanders had ordered fresh meat and vegetables to be brought
on board their vessels at half-past seven, and when no native lighters
came out with the things they grew very angry.
"We are not to be disobeyed!" stormed one Chinese commander. "If that
food is not forthcoming quickly, I will go ashore and fire the accursed
city."
Similar threats were made by the other commanders, and by quarter to
eight some of them prepared to leave their ships, to put their threats
into execution.
"We will let them get ashore," said Oscar to his companions. "They will
make good prisoners."
The foreign commanders went ashore with much pomp, and hurried to the
Custom House to see why their commands had not been obeyed.
Oscar had ordered that any foreigners ashore should be made prisoners,
yet as the warships still rode unmolested in the harbor, the Americans
at the Government Building knew not what to do.
If they made the commanders prisoners, and the plan of those on board
of the Holland failed, it would go bad with the city people.
But at ten minutes to eight came what appeared to be a terrific
earthquake.
There was a noise like a sharp crash of thunder, followed by broad
sheets of fire playing across Honolulu harbor, and then those at
a distance saw several of the foreign warships flying skyward and
townward, blown into atoms.
The air was filled with debris and the streets of Honolulu and the
housetops were covered with bits of wreckage. In some instances the
wreckage was on fire and produced other fires in the city, but these
were rapidly extinguished.
The native Hawaiian thought the end of the world had come and some of
the most superstitious of them ran hither and thither, shrieking in
terror.
The explosion shook the Custom House and broke some of the glass in the
windows.
"Ha! What does that mean?" demanded one of the Chinese officers, who
had come ashore.
"It means that your ship is blown up and that you are our prisoner!"
answered one of the Americans, and pointed a pistol squarely at his
head.
A wild scene followed, but the foreigners were outnumbered and soon
all eight of those who had come ashore were made prisoners, and cast
into one of the dungeons of the old fort. The sailors who had been left
in charge of the small boats at the dock were either killed by the
shock of the explosions, or shot down by sharpshooters stationed at a
distance.
The annihilation of many of the foreign warships was complete, and
when the wreckage and the smoke cleared away, nothing remained in the
harbor but several sunken hulks, the other ships having lost no time in
leaving. The lives of all on board the sunken ships were also destroyed.
Oscar came ashore at ten o'clock and the Americans nearly hugged the
young captain to death.
"You have saved us!" said one of the number. "That was the greatest
move I ever witnessed in my life!"
"Now we must watch for the return of the other warships," said the
young captain.
But he first wanted some more torpedoes. Fortunately these were close
at hand, for Honolulu was an American base of supplies for warships
sailing between San Francisco and the Philippines.
That afternoon found the Holland lying off shore about two miles from
the city.
It was rumored that seven other foreign ships were coming, but so far
they were still out of sight.
Suddenly a strange rumble rent the air, coming from the depths of the
sea.
The terrific explosion of the morning had loosened some rocks of the
reefs outside of the harbor and now followed a regular under-water
earthquake.
The disturbance was a violent one, and brought on a tidal wave which
arose to a height of fifteen feet.
"Hi, look!" screamed Andy to Oscar.
Both were on the deck of the Holland at the time, and before they could
go below the craft was caught by the tidal wave and carried rapidly
toward shore.
Over the beach swept the wave, carrying the Holland with it, a distance
of two hundred feet and more.
Then the wave went down almost as suddenly as it had arisen, and the
young captain found his submarine craft high and dry on the rocks,
three hundred feet from water deep enough to float her!
There was great confusion on board, and in the midst of this came
another alarm.
"The foreign warships are in sight! They have spotted us and are
running this way!"
CHAPTER XV.
TIDAL WAVES AND WHALES.
It was a perilous situation, of this there could be no doubt.
The tidal wave had cast the Holland XI. high and dry on the Hawaiian
shore, where she lay as helpless as a whale on a grassy plain.
In the offing loomed up three foreign warships, a Chinese, a Japanese
and a Russian.
The enemy had already sighted the new Holland, and were drawing closer
to the curious-looking craft.
The submarine boat had landed on the shore right side up, and Captain
Oscar Pelham and Lieutenant Andy Greggs had just come to the little
deck to view the situation.
"We are knocked out this trip," groaned Andy. "As soon as they learn
who we are they'll throw a shell this way and that will finish us."
"Let us see if we can't train one of our guns on them," suggested the
young captain.
The word was passed and it was found that one gun could be trained on
the Russian warship, which was coming up from the southward.
The gun was loaded with a highite bomb and at the proper moment was
touched off.
Boom!
Loud and clear the sound echoed over the Pacific Ocean and the shell
exploded close to the deck of the Russian warship, causing death and
destruction upon every hand.
The effect of the awful shot was soon apparent, for those left on the
warship lost no time in turning the vessel about and sailing out of
range.
The shot, however, was noticed by those on the Japanese and the Chinese
cruisers, and soon they came in and let fly at the Holland XI.
One solid shot plowed up the sand in front of the submarine craft,
while several others struck the rocks behind, causing a shower of
stones to cover the craft as with flying hail.
"By Jove! But this is dangerous!" muttered Oscar. He turned to his men.
"What do you wish to do, remain here or leave the Holland XI. and take
to yonder wood?"
"We'll do what you do," answered old George Dross.
"I will never desert the Holland XI.!" answered the young captain,
calmly.
"Neither will I!" added Andy.
"We'll all stay!" came in a shout. "Hurrah for Uncle Sam! We'll get the
best of 'em yet!"
"Give them another shell," went on Oscar. "Even if it doesn't hit them
it may make them keep their distance."
The shell was soon sent forth, but the enemy was out of range and the
bomb did no further damage than to land in the body of a shark sporting
in the offing.
Then the three foreign ships got together and concocted a scheme to
bombard the new Holland from three different points at the same time.
Soon shot and shell were raining all around the submarine craft.
One shell struck so close it smashed out one of the side windows,
sending a shower of glass and sand into the little cabin.
"This is hot!" cried Andy, and of a sudden came a yell from a man at
the stern window, which was pointed out to sea.
"The water! The water!" yelled the lookout. "It is rising again."
His words were followed by another rumble, similar to that which they
had before experienced, and looking toward the ocean all saw another
tidal wave sweeping toward the shore.
"Close up the deck!" ordered Oscar, hurriedly. "And, Marken, get some
sort of cover for that broken window."
Then the young captain turned to the old engineer.
"We must take advantage of that wave when it strikes us," he said. "We
are lying stern to the ocean. If we get afloat, start her backward with
all power."
"Aye, aye!" answered George Dross.
Soon the sea could be heard rushing up the sand and then they found the
new Holland rocking from side to side. But the water only came up to
her windows and the submarine craft did nothing but slip a dozen feet
closer to the Pacific.
"Left!" muttered Andy, in disgust. "That wave was not strong enough."
"Another is coming!" cried Oscar. "By Jove, look!"
Far out to sea they saw the ocean becoming white with foam, while a
very mountain of water loomed up. It had struck the Chinese cruiser and
that ship had keeled over and lay a wreck in the boiling sea.
Then the mighty torrent rushed up the beach, bringing with it driftwood
and fish innumerable. It reached the new Holland, raised her up and
whirled her around and around like a top.
"No use to use our power!" yelled Oscar, that George Dross might hear
him. "We are being carried further inland!"
The young captain was right, and now came a thump and a bump, as the
craft struck rocks and palm trees and then slid along a cliff. Oscar
thought they might be carried directly to the center of the island,
when of a sudden the tide turned and rolled back to the vast ocean. And
they went with it!
But those inside of the Holland XI. knew little now of where they were.
Having gotten into deep water, the force of the tidal wave turned the
craft completely over, and all those inside had all they could do to
keep themselves from being smashed to death on walls or ceiling.
But in less than three minutes the agitation was over and the new
Holland righted herself. The water had come in at the broken window and
this had to be pumped out with all rapidity. Had not one of the men
placed a temporary plate over the window when first ordered to do so,
the new Holland would surely have been swamped.
Inside of half an hour the tidal disturbances were at an end and the
ocean rolled as peacefully as before. Feeling they could now rise in
safety, the young captain gave the necessary orders and they went up.
The first sight which met their gaze filled them with wonder. All three
of the foreign warships had been caught by the tidal wave and carried
on the rocks, and there they lay, battered and broken almost beyond
recognition.
Sailors and soldiers lay in the wreckage or floating helpless on the
tide.
A few had gone ashore, but these the Hawaiians had either shot down or
made prisoners.
"Our work here is done," said Oscar. "Let us go back to Honolulu and
see what damage has been done there."
His orders were obeyed and at Honolulu they found much of the shipping
a wreck, yet but few lives had been lost.
The loss of the foreign ships was hailed with great delight and Oscar
and his crew were entertained in fine style for the remainder of that
day and also the next.
In the meantime the Holland XI. was repaired, making her once more as
good as new.
Everybody wondered what had become of the balance of the foreign fleet
which had set sail for San Francisco from Asiatic waters.
"They must be somewhere in these waters," said Andy.
"Perhaps they have pushed on to the United States," answered Captain
Oscar.
The young commander of the submarine craft was right.
Thirty-two of the foreign warships had pushed on, and word to this
effect was brought to Honolulu the next day by a steamship which had
run away from them by sheer good luck.
"That ends our stay here," said Oscar.
And within the hour the new Holland left the Hawaiian Islands behind,
the people of Honolulu cheering lustily as the craft left the harbor.
The air was all that could be desired and the run toward the Golden
Gate was made for days without anything of special interest happening.
Sometimes they put out a small drag net in which they caught many fish,
which, properly cooked, were no mean addition to their table.
"If the weather holds out, we'll be in sight of California in two
days," observed Oscar, one evening.
"And I'll be glad of it," returned Andy. "I'll tell you what, there is
nothing like the old States, after all!"
"Right you are, Andy!"
The night was a hot one, and to get air, the new Holland came to the
surface and the trap-door of the deck was left wide open.
Oscar went to bed early and had been asleep less than an hour when a
strange rocking motion of the submarine awoke him.
"Hullo, something is wrong!" he cried, and slipped into his clothing.
The rocking motion continued and he heard cries from several of his
crew.
"We have sailed into a school of whales!" announced Andy, coming to him.
"A school of whales!"
"Exactly. They are around us as thick as bees around a pot of honey.
Just look!"
Oscar ran to one of the windows and gazed out.
His chum was right. Whales were on every hand, so thick that the
submarine boat could scarcely move among them.
"This is the oddest yet!" was Oscar's comment. "We had better close the
trap-door and go down, before a whale gets into the screw and disables
it."
He had just given the order to close the trap when there came a great
shock from above, followed by a dripping of water.
One of the more sportive whales had thrown himself into the air,
intending to come down on the Holland XI. and crush it.
[Illustration: THE WHALE INTENDED TO CRUSH THE BOAT.]
The whale had struck the trap-door opening head first, and now his head
was as tight as if in a bear trap, sticking six feet and more down the
narrow companionway, leaving his mighty tail to flop above, high in the
air!
CHAPTER XVI.
SAVING THE MERCHANTMAN.
"Held--with a whale in us for a mast!" roared old George Dross. "Hang
me, ef this isn't the wust yet!"
"We must get rid of that whale!" cried Captain Oscar. "If we don't he
may turn the Holland over, with that trap-door open!"
"All hands get something and shove him back!" put in Andy Greggs.
"We can't do it," answered Oscar. "Hold, I have it!"
With all speed he ran to the ammunition room and soon returned with a
small shell, of the kind usually used for signaling purposes.
This he rammed into the mouth of the whale, while the huge creature
strained and puffed and turned, rocking the new Holland violently.
"Run away!" he cried, and set fire to the fuse of the shell.
All got out of sight as speedily as possible, and then waited.
Fifteen seconds passed and then the shell went off, with a muffled
roar.
The head of the whale was torn to shreds, fat and blood spattering all
sides of the companionway and the apartment around it.
With the head torn away, the body slid from the top of the Holland XI.
into the sea.
"We are free!" gasped Andy, as soon as he could speak.
"Shut the trap!" ordered Oscar, and it was done, old George Dross
cleaning off the slide with a broom.
Then the order came to sink the new Holland and they went down in the
very midst of the whales, who had parted for the instant after the
explosion and the sight of their headless companion.
"That was an adventure I don't care to repeat," remarked Oscar, when
all danger was passed. "Who would have thought of a whale trying to get
into the Holland XI.?"
"Reckon he knew a good thing when he saw it," grinned Andy.
It took quite some work to clean up the mess and there was little sleep
for anybody for the balance of that night.
The next day came a thunder storm.
The lightning was terrific and when the Holland XI. came up for
some fresh air it seemed to play all around the steel plates of the
submarine ship.
One of the men went on deck and was hurled backward by the shock, with
such force that he died an hour later, having had his skull fractured.
This was the first death which had occurred on board of the new
Holland, and it cast a gloom over everybody.
The trap was closed and the vessel sunk thirty feet below the surface.
Here all was silent, for the heavy storm above could not reach them at
such a depth.
The body of the dead man was placed in a canvas shroud and consigned to
the ocean, Oscar reading a chapter from the Bible and making a brief
address and prayer.
Then they resumed the course eastward.
Twenty-four hours later the storm had passed away and the lookout
announced several steamships in sight.
As they came closer they made out an American steamship loaded with
merchandise for the Philippines.
The merchantman was being chased by two Japanese warships.
The warships had already sent a ball through the merchantman's upper
works, but the latter still held to her course.
Those on board knew that it was to them a matter of life or death.
Should they surrender to the enemy they would most likely all be
butchered on the spot.
"Here is work for us!" said Oscar, after surveying the chase through
his glass. "We must get after those foreigners at once."
Down went the Holland XI. to a distance of fifteen feet.
Then a course was laid straight for the nearest of the Japanese
warships.
The crafts soon came together and a torpedo was fastened to the enemy
close to the stern.
Then the new Holland sped off to where the second Japanese warship was
coming on.
Those on the first ship were in the act of planting a broadside into
the merchantman when there came a rumble and a roar from the ocean, and
the ship sailed skyward, blown up as the Holland XI. had already blown
up so many others.
It was a frightful spectacle, that lurid flash, that thunderous report,
and then the wreckage sailing in all directions and commingled with the
torn and mutilated bodies of the Japanese sailors and officers.
The sight held those on the merchantman spell-bound.
"She has blown up her magazines!" was the cry. "Heaven be praised that
it is so!"
Then all attention was placed on the second Japanese warship, which was
by far the larger of the two.
She was coming on swiftly, but now she turned and fled, all on board
filled with terror.
"We are saved!" cried those on the merchantman.
All were filled with wonder. Nobody could understand what had caused so
speedy a turn of the dire situation.
But when the new Holland came up and Captain Oscar showed himself with
an American flag in his hand a mighty cheer went up.
"It is the Holland XI.!"
"Three cheers for the boat and the men that saved us!"
Of course Captain Oscar was invited on board of the merchantman, and he
went, accompanied by Andy and George Dross.
All crowded around the young commander to learn how the destruction of
the Japanese vessel had been accomplished.
From those on the merchantman Oscar learned that over thirty of the
foreign warships had been seen off the Golden Gate, and that San
Francisco and Oakland were expecting a bombardment to begin at any
moment.
"If that's the case we have no right to delay here," said the young
captain.
Soon the Holland XI. was again speeding eastward.
A sharp lookout was kept for the foreign ships.
That evening they came upon half a dozen, riding close together.
Small boats were passing from one warship to another, as if an active
consultation of some sort was going on.
"They are plotting something special, and I know it," said Oscar to
Andy.
"What could they plot--the bombardment of San Francisco?"
"Perhaps worse. I wish I could find out."
No sooner had the thought entered the young captain's head than he
resolved to act upon it.
He would come up directly in the rear of one of the ships and try to go
aboard in the dark.
It was a risky thing to do, but Oscar was far from being a coward.
Indeed, nobody in the whole navy was more daring than this young
inventor.
The ships comprised two Chinese cruisers, two Japanese cruisers and two
English men-of-war.
The conference was being held on board one of the British ships.
As silently as a shadow the new Holland glided along under the Pacific
Ocean until directly under the stern of the British ship, which was
named the Corcoran.
All was dark here, for the lights from the deck could not reach the
spot.
With caution the trap-door of the Holland was opened.
Oscar came up and saw a large port open in the Corcoran to admit the
evening breeze.
He climbed to this and saw that the apartment beyond was empty.
From a distance came a murmur of voices and from overhead the steady
tramping of feet.
"Remain here for me," he said to Andy, who was on the deck. "Be
prepared to let the Holland XI. down the instant I come on board again."
Then the young captain passed into the Corcoran and out of sight of his
companions.
CHAPTER XVII.
PLAYING THE SPY.
Captain Oscar Pelham knew only too well that he carried his life in his
hands.
He was in the heart of the enemy's domain, and they would not hesitate
to kill him on sight.
He must be cautions, for the ship was a strange one to him and it would
be easy to make a false move and thus expose himself.
In one hand he carried a long knife and in his belt rested a brace of
pistols.
He walked silently to the end of the stateroom he had entered, and
through a half-open door saw a narrow passageway leading into a large
and well-furnished cabin.
From this cabin came the murmur of voices which had first greeted his
ears.
The British commander of the ship was holding a conference with the two
Chinese captains of the warships lying close alongside.
As Oscar took a step forward, a negro suddenly appeared, from another
stateroom.
"Hi, you----" began the negro, when Oscar caught him by the throat.
"Silence! if you value your life!" muttered the young captain of the
new Holland. "Say another word and I will kill you!"
The negro was powerful, and instead of keeping silent he tried to throw
Oscar off. Both went down to the floor and the negro strove to cry out.
It was a fatal move.
Down came the keen knife, straight into the negro's body, and he lay
still where he had fallen.
Oscar withdrew the bloody blade with a shudder.
He hated to take human life thus, but it had been rendered absolutely
necessary.
He stowed the body under a bunk and threw a blanket before it.
Then wiping the knife on a curtain, he tiptoed his way closer to the
cabin.
"I do not see how your plan can succeed," he heard the English captain
say.
"But it will succeed," replied one of the Chinese captains, with a
strong accent. "Chan Lee and I have it well in hand."
"Then you must have a strong hold upon President Adams."
"We have."
"I doubt if he will agree, even so. Why, sir, if he did that, he would
be a traitor to his country--a regular Benedict Arnold."
At this both Chinese captains shrugged their bony shoulders and drew
down their almond-shaped eyes.
"That is nothing to us," remarked the captain, who had heretofore
remained silent.
"He won't do it, I tell you."
"Captain Gresson forgets that the President has lost his daughter,"
went on the other Chinese captain.
"Ha! So that is the way the wind blows!" ejaculated Captain Gresson.
"You are now on the right path."
"The girl was abducted."
The two Chinese captains bowed.
"You have her on board of your ship?"
"No, she is many miles from here."
"Where?"
Again the two Chinese captains shrugged their shoulders.
"Let us talk of something else," said one.
"It is a clever plan, but a horrible one in the bargain," was the
honest comment of the British captain. "We don't make war in that
fashion."
"The Chinese fight as pleases them," answered one of the yellow
commanders.
"Yes, I know. But I don't think you will succeed, anyway."
"Why?"
"President Adams would rather see his child killed before his face than
prove a traitor to his country. I know these Americans."
"Good for the Briton!" muttered Oscar. "His heart is in the right
place, even if he is an enemy."
"We shall see!" muttered one of the yellow captains. "But what of this
attack on San Francisco?"
"Orders are to commence at sunrise to-morrow."
"And how many ships will take part?"
"Seven."
"But seven?"
"Yes."
"And the remainder?"
"The remainder will sail up the coast under the direction of the
Russian admiral."
"To bombard the Alaskan coast and try to retake the territory," said
the Chinese captain, with a shrewd laugh. "The great Russian bear has
always wanted Alaska back, since gold was discovered at the Klondyke
and elsewhere."
"Well, who can blame him?" answered the English captain. "What do you
ask at the hands of President Adams--a slice of California, where you
can locate a new Chinatown--and if he won't give it to you you will
kill his daughter."
The talk continued for several minutes more, when there came a call
from the deck.
"I will come in a moment," said the English captain, and arising he
hurried to the passageway in which Oscar was hiding.
The Englishman passed him, but not so the yellow captains.
One stumbled over a rug and pitched forward, clutching at the curtains
which concealed Oscar.
Down came the curtains.
"Walila! Cher walila!" roared the second yellow captain. "A spy! He
must be killed!"
"A spy!" cried the British captain.
"Ha! You are a stranger to us!" came from Captain Gresson, and he eyed
Oscar sharply.
"Hush! Not so loud!" said Oscar, and raised his hand, warningly.
He saw that he was in a bad situation--that nothing but a clever ruse
could save his life.
"Why be still, young sir?" demanded the British captain, but in a lower
tone.
"We may be overheard," whispered Oscar. "I come to you on a secret
errand. Is the admiral on board?"
"No, the admiral was here, but left an hour ago."
"To go up the Alaskan coast?"
"I believe so. But what is that to you? Who are you?"
"I am Barton Peeks," answered Oscar.
He mentioned the name of a notorious British spy who had been captured
in St. Louis, shortly after the great war broke out.
"Barton Peeks!" ejaculated Captain Gresson. "Where have you been? How
did you get here?"
"It is a long story, captain," replied Oscar. "I was placed under
arrest by those clever Yankees, but I found a friend and escaped one
dark night in a heavy storm. But I have important news for the admiral.
If he goes to the Alaskan coast all is lost."
"Then you thought he was on board this vessel?"
"I did; otherwise I would never have come on board."
"How did you get here?"
"In a submarine boat captured from the Yankees."
"Not the Holland XI.?"
"No, but a craft very much like her. We captured her while she was
coming through the Central American Canal. Six of the men on board were
killed. The engineer took the oath of allegiance to England and I got
aboard a new crew of men I could trust. We shall now be able to give
the Yankees a dose of our own medicine, captain."
"It is a strange story, Peeks--a strange tale, truly. But you were
always a wizard, by the war reports--captured to-day and free
to-morrow. Where is your craft?"
"At the stern. Will you come on board?"
"I am needed on deck now."
"I will go aboard and wait for you, for I want you to help me.
Everything is going wrong, and this movement on Alaska is the worst of
all."
"I would like to see that strange under-water ship," spoke up one of
the yellow captains, who had listened to the talk with interest.
"Then come with me," said Oscar, grimly. "And you'll be a prisoner in
five minutes more," he added under his breath.
The turn of affairs delighted him, for the Chinese commander was the
same who had spoken about President Adams' daughter. Once he was a
prisoner, Oscar was certain he could wring the yellow wretch's secret
from him.
"Remain here for a moment," said Oscar, as they neared the stern. "My
men are on guard and may not like to see me with a stranger, after
my telling them I had come on a secret mission. I will be back in a
minute."
The Chinese captain agreed to wait, and Oscar hurried to the rear rail
of the Corcoran.
He leaned far over, expecting to catch a dim view of the new Holland
underneath.
Then a cry of dismay burst from his lips.
The submarine craft was gone!
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE CAPTURE OF HANG CHANG.
"Gone!"
Such was the single word which escaped from Captain Oscar Pelham's lips
as he gazed over the stern of the British warship into the darkness of
the Pacific Ocean.
In vain he scanned the waves, to the rear, to the larboard and
starboard. It was all to no purpose; the submarine craft had vanished
utterly.
What had become of her? Had those on board become scared and deserted
him?
The thought was agony. Andy and old George Dross deserting him? Never!
And yet, why had they gone? Was it possible that men from other
warships had come up and captured his beloved ship and made prisoners
of all on board.
He looked back of him, and saw Hang Chang, the Chinese captain who had
expected to inspect the Holland, coming slowly toward him.
"Is something wrong?" questioned the Celestial.
"The boat--it must have sunk," said Oscar. He knew not what to say.
At this the second yellow commander plucked his companion by the sleeve.
"Perhaps he has no boat," he whispered in Chinese. "It may be a ruse.
He may have been deceiving Captain Gresson."
At this Hang Chang shrugged his bony shoulders.
"It may be so. Yet the English captain must know him, or all would not
have gone so smoothly in the cabin."
In the meantime, Oscar was straining his eyes as never before, in his
search for the Holland.
What was that? A tiny ray of light, shooting up from the dark green
depths of the ocean. It was the Holland XI., moving silently and slowly
to her old position under the stern. Soon she came up and the trap-door
opened noiselessly.
"My vessel is back, sir," announced Oscar, with a bow. "If it will
please your highness to visit my filthy quarters I will do what I can
to make his visit full of pleasure."
His form of address was in the regular Chinese style--for a Chinaman
always depreciates his own residence--and Hang Chang smiled broadly.
"Thank you, I will go," he said, his suspicions removed.
Oscar led the way and the Celestial followed. The second Chinaman held
back.
"Have a care!" he called out in Chinese.
By this time Oscar and Hang Chang were on the deck of the new Holland.
Andy was looking up the companionway filled with wonder.
"Sixteen, nine," said Oscar, to his lieutenant.
During their spare time Oscar had formulated a secret language and had
taught it to all on board of the Holland XI.
Each number meant something important.
Sixteen meant, "There is an enemy here." Nine meant, "Go down as
quickly as possible."
Andy understood and passed the word along.
Oscar was on the companionway and Hang Chang was following him, when
all of a sudden an alarm arose on board of the Corcoran.
The body of the negro had been discovered and all was confusion.
"A murder!" shrieked the second yellow captain. "I knew something was
wrong. Hang Chang, come back!"
Soon faces appeared at the stern of the Corcoran, and a pistol was
leveled at those below.
"Come back here!"
"I--I will go back," stammered Hang Chang, in alarm.
"Not much!" retorted Oscar, and seizing the Celestial by the foot he
gave a jerk, which landed Hang Chang flat on his back at the bottom of
the companionway.
"Down, quick!" cried the young captain, and in a trice the trap in the
deck was closed and the Holland XI. began to sink.
They were not an instant too soon, for just as the waters of the
Pacific closed over the craft a gun was trained on her from one of the
Chinese warships.
Bang! and the ball grazed the upper plates of the submarine boat.
But before another shot could be fired the new Holland was safe, having
slid under the Corcoran and away out of sight and hearing.
While this was going on Oscar had thrown himself on Hang Chang.
The Chinese captain was a powerful man and realizing that he had been
caught in a trap he resolved to sell his life as dearly as possible.
He was on the floor, but soon he struggled to his knees and tried to
throw Oscar.
Over and over went the pair, bumping against the companionway ladder
and the hard steel walls of the ship. Then the Chinaman grabbed Oscar
by the throat.
"Die, dog!" he hissed in his native tongue. "If I have to go, you shall
go with me!"
All was becoming black before Oscar's eyes. He tried to get his
breath--to cry out. All in vain.
The young captain felt his senses leaving him, when somebody rushed
up. It was Andy, who had left the spot to give directions to the
engineer.
Without hesitation Andy leaped at Hang Chang.
One heavy blow behind the ear staggered the Chinaman and another under
the jaw made him relax his hold and stagger to the lower step of the
ladder.
Then Oscar recovered sufficiently to add another blow, on the nose,
which drew blood and caused Hang Chang to become partly unconscious.
"Bring the irons," said Oscar, to one of the ship's hands who was
passing.
The irons were speedily brought, and by the time Hang Chang was himself
again he was bound, hands and feet, and chained to one of the walls of
the Holland XI.
He raved, swore and prayed to his gods for deliverance. He called Oscar
all the vile names his tongue could frame, and finally fell in a fit
from which he did not recover for hours.
"I tricked him nicely," said the young captain, with a grim smile.
"But what made you bring him on board?" asked Andy.
"He holds an important secret. He knows all about the abduction of
President Adams' daughter."
"Oh! Then you have made quite a haul."
"Yes."
The appearance and disappearance of the new Holland had caused much
consternation on board of all the warships congregated outside of San
Francisco harbor.
Several on board of the Corcoran had known the celebrated spy, Barton
Peeks, and from these men the English captain gathered that he was an
entirely different looking individual from Oscar.
"We have been duped!" said Captain Gresson. "That rascal must have been
a Yankee."
"Then his submarine boat must have been the Holland XI.," added his
first officer.
The foreign ships were very uneasy, yet just at present those on them
had nothing to fear.
The course of the new Holland was straight for San Francisco.
"We must inform the naval authorities of what has been done at
Honolulu, and of the expedition to Alaskan waters," said Oscar.
The new Holland arrived at San Francisco without anything unusual
happening, and here Oscar spent a full hour with his superiors.
The naval commander was well satisfied with the work at Hawaii, and
astonished that the bombardment of the Golden Gate was to be little
more than a ruse.
"We must send a strong fleet to Alaskan waters at once," he said. "And
the new Holland must go with our warships."
To hear was to obey, and soon Oscar had received his orders in full,
and was once more on board of his submarine craft.
He said nothing to the admiral about Hang Chang, wishing to discover
for himself what had become of Martha Adams.
He was not thinking of the one hundred thousand dollars reward offered
for her recovery.
He could think only of her beautiful form, her deep brown eyes and that
silvery voice which had so thrilled him in former days.
He knew that she was the President's daughter, and stood high in
society. Yet he was a captain in the navy and the inventor of a boat
which had performed wonders in this fearful war, and there was no
telling how high he might stand at the end of the contest.
From the admiral he learned that the navy department contemplated the
construction of three other vessels similar to the Holland XI.
If these were built, Oscar would be put in command of the submarine
squadron, with the rank of commodore.
CHAPTER XIX.
NEWS OF THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER.
"Now where, Oscar?"
It was Andy who asked the question.
"Back to those ships we left several hours ago."
"Are we to blow them up?"
"Blow up as many as we can."
"And after that?"
"We are off for the coast of Alaska."
"Gee-rusalem! That's a long trip!"
"So it is. But there may be lots of glory in it. And Andy?"
"Well."
"You want to make a good record for yourself."
"How so?"
"The government is going to build three more ships like the Holland."
"That means that they will want three more captains."
"Exactly, Andy, and I intend to put in a good word for you," added
Oscar.
"Thank you, Oscar, you always were the best chum in the world. But if I
get one of those boats I'll hate to leave you."
"I may become commodore of the squadron and if so I'll see that you are
always close to me."
It was now coming morning, and by the gray light of dawn they soon came
upon the two Japanese and two Chinese ships getting ready to bombard
San Francisco and Oakland.
The Corcoran and her sister ship had disappeared.
"I'm not sorry about the Corcoran," mused Oscar. "Captain Gresson
seemed a pretty decent sort of fellow. I would hate to blow him up."
"Suppose Martha Adams is on board one of those ships?" asked Andy.
At this remark the young captain could not help shuddering.
"Don't! It makes me heartsick to think of it," he groaned.
"Why don't you make Hang Chang talk?"
"I will make him talk! I'll make him tell me everything!" cried Oscar,
with sudden determination.
He had tried to talk to the Chinaman before, but Hang Chang had refused
to open his lips.
The Celestial was still chained to the wall. He sat on the floor, his
knees drawn up to his chin, a sullen look on his thin, yellow face.
"Hang Chang, I want to talk to you," began Oscar.
To this there was no answer. Indeed, the Celestial did not even lift
his eyes.
"Do you hear? I want to talk to you. If you value your life you will
speak."
At this the Chinese captain shifted uneasily.
"What does the Yankee wish me to say?" he asked, with a treacherous
look from his almond-shaped eyes.
"I want you to tell me the truth about President Adams' daughter. Where
is she?"
"She is--safe."
"You have her a prisoner."
"How does the Yankee know that? Ha! You overheard my talk on the
Corcoran."
"I did. Where is she? I demand to know."
"She is, as I said before, safe." And the Celestial grinned wickedly.
"Hang Chang, you are playing with fire. We Americans are civilized and
do not usually harm the prisoners we take. But unless you tell me what
I want to know it will go hard with you. Martha Adams is too good to
remain a prisoner of the yellow dogs who are holding her."
"There is an easy way for her to become free."
"How?"
"Let your President do as China demands and she shall be returned to
her father safe and sound."
"You talk as the savage Indians of years ago used to talk. I demand to
know at once where she is."
"I have nothing more to say."
"Do you value your life? Would you not give something to be set again
at liberty?"
"No."
"You tell a lie when you say that. You do value your life, and it would
be far sweeter for you to go free than to suffer the torture which
awaits you if you refuse to speak."
"Torture!"
"Aye, torture; Hang Chang--torture worse than any you ever inflicted on
Japanese or Tartar--a torture which will make you writhe and scream in
spite of yourself."
Oscar had no intention of torturing the yellow wretch, but he spoke so
earnestly that Hang Chang shivered and his yellow face blanched.
"I thought the Yankees did not torture their prisoners," he faltered.
"Usually they do not, but there are exceptions to all cases. I think
much of Martha Adams, and am bound to restore her to her parents. If
you do not tell me where she is you shall suffer all the horrors of the
Pit of Everlasting Fire! I will kill you by inches! You shall thirst,
you shall starve, you shall burn, all at the same time. Now take your
choice."
"I--I will say nothing," responded Hang Chang, but his lips trembled so
that he could scarcely frame the words.
Oscar turned to Andy, who had come up.
"Lieutenant Greggs, see to it that the foot plates are made red-hot,"
he ordered. "Perhaps he will talk after his feet have been well warmed."
"No! no! Do not scorch my feet!" wailed the yellow wretch. "I suffered
that once--from the Borneo pirates--I could not stand it again."
"And, Lieutenant Greggs, see that the branding iron is also made
red-hot," went on Oscar, calmly. "Hang Chang needs a mark of beauty
upon each cheek and upon his chin."
"No! no! no! I will not stand it! It is inhuman!" shrieked the
Celestial. "Do not touch me! I--I will tell all I know, if only you
will let me go!" And he fell upon his bony knees in front of Oscar.
"Then tell me at once where Martha Adams is. And mind I will not let
you go until you have proved your words true."
"And if I tell you the truth will you let me go?" questioned Hang
Chang, eagerly.
"Yes."
"She is on board of our warship, the Green Dragon."
"You are positive of this?"
"I swear it!" And Hang Chang beat upon his forehead with his hand.
"Where is the Green Dragon now?"
"Many miles from here."
"I asked where?"
"I cannot tell exactly. She sailed from Chesapeake Bay southward to the
coast of Cuba."
"Is she with other warships?"
"No, she is alone, for with the President's daughter on board, it was
thought best by our admiral not to let her go into any fights."
At this Oscar drew a long breath. At least for the present this lovely
girl was safe.
"Have you informed President Adams that you are holding his daughter?"
"Not yet, but we expect to do so soon."
"And you intended to give her up only when he should grant what China
demanded?"
"Yes."
"What ships have you here?"
"The Pekin and the Shanghai."
"You are certain she is on board neither of these?"
"She is thousands of miles from here, on the Green Dragon, as I swore
before."
"Very well, I will take your word for it. But if you have played me
false let me say no torture I can think of shall be spared you."
"I have told the simple truth. When will you let me go?"
"As soon as I can prove your words. I have work ahead now, and when
that is done I shall go in search of the Green Dragon."
"And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime you must remain on board of the Holland. But you will
fare as well as any of us."
"Then you will unchain me?"
"No, I cannot as yet trust you that far."
"And when you have found the Green Dragon, what then?"
"I will try to make terms with those on board."
"What terms?" questioned Hang Chang, eagerly.
"Wait and you will see," replied Oscar gravely.
CHAPTER XX.
THE CAVE UNDER THE OCEAN.
By the time Oscar's interview with Hang Chang was over it was broad
daylight.
The two Japanese and two Chinese warships had drawn as closely as
possible to San Francisco and Oakland, and now they began to bombard
those cities with all their power.
Shot and shell told heavily along the water front, but not one of
either struck into the heart of the cities, for the foreign guns could
not carry so far.
The guns of the forts in the harbor responded nobly and a well-directed
fire soon put one of the Chinese cruisers, the Pekin, out of the race
forever.
The Pekin was a sister ship to the Tien-Tsin, which the Holland had
annihilated on her maiden trip at the opening of the great war.
She carried many guns and over eight hundred sailors and officers, and
was certainly a formidable fighting machine.
This was Hang Chang's vessel, but Oscar did not let his prisoner know
of this.
"No use to make him feel worse than he does," said the young captain to
his lieutenant. "He may go and do something desperate. You know some
Chinese commit suicide after defeat."
"But not Hang Chang," answered Andy. "He's too much of a coward."
Boom! crash! came a rumble and a roar, and the Pekin was seen to be
enveloped in a sheet of flame from end to end. She did not sink, and
soon her magazines caught fire, and then it was the old story over
again of a cruiser blown into atoms.
The annihilation of the Pekin was speedily followed by the wrecking of
the first of the Japanese warships, which had the keel split into three
parts. The Japanese could not understand what struck them and scores of
them leaped overboard, to be speedily pulled under by the vast suction
when the ship suddenly settled with a plunge, and went from sight
forever.
The alarm was now great on board of the second Japanese warship, the
Tokio, for those on her had seen that something was around in the
water--a deadly enemy. The commander at once issued orders that the
vessel withdraw from the fight and run from the vicinity.
This sudden withdrawal proved almost fatal for the Holland XI. without
the Japanese being aware of what they were doing. As the great warship
made a turn, one of her anchors slipped overboard, and the anchor chain
became entangled in the screw of the submarine craft, hauling her
around like a flash.
"Something is wrong with the screw!" announced George Dross to Oscar
through the speaking tube.
"Turn off the power."
"I have already done so."
"We are being dragged backward!" put in Andy, as he looked out of one
of the glass windows.
The young captain ran to the rear lookout and made an examination.
He saw the anchor chain and saw how the new Holland was being towed
backward by the cruiser overhead. Then the chain became tighter, as
those on board of the Tokio tried to recover the anchor which had
dropped overboard.
But the power overhead was not equal to the task of bringing in
the anchor with such a weight attached, and presently the task was
abandoned for the time being.
"I reckon they are thinking only of escaping from the hidden monster
that blew up the other warships," said Captain Oscar, and in this
surmise he was correct.
On and on swept the Japanese cruiser, with steam at full power and
every sail set. The wind was almost due north and the course of the
vessel lay in that direction.
"Where can she be going?" asked Andy.
"Perhaps she is going to join that fleet in Alaskan waters."
"By Jove! That's so, Oscar. Perhaps those English ships have gone to
join that fleet, too."
"More than likely."
A consultation was now held as to what could be done concerning the
entangled screw.
With the Holland being towed at such a speed it was impossible to go
outside and untwist the anchor chain.
As the bow of the submarine craft was pointed away from the Tokio, it
was equally impossible to fire a torpedo at the Japanese vessel and
thus blow her up.
"Besides, if we did that," said Oscar, "some of the wreckage might
cling fast to the other end of the anchor chain and drag us to the
bottom of the ocean."
It was a desperate situation, yet as hour after hour went by and
nothing unusual happened, they became accustomed to it, and Andy even
cracked a joke on the point.
"We're getting a free tow," he said, with a grin. "Wonder if they won't
be sending in a bill to the Government for the job."
The course of the Tokio had been northward, but now the big cruiser
turned almost due east.
"She is running for Fisherman's Bay," said one of those on the Holland
XI. who happened to know the California coast thoroughly.
"Is it deep there?" asked Oscar.
Before the man could reply all on board of the submarine craft heard a
grating sound.
"We are dragging on the bottom!" gasped Andy.
Orders were passed to George Dross and the new Holland came up close to
the side of the Japanese warship.
Had they remained longer under the big craft they might have been
crushed between the rocks on the bottom and the keel of the cruiser.
Presently the big cruiser came to a standstill, and a minute later
those on board of the Holland XI. heard the roar of her mighty guns.
The Tokio had found a single American warship in the harbor and was
doing her best to sink the craft.
The warship was something of a transport and was carrying sixteen
hundred soldiers to San Francisco, from Tacoma, Washington.
She had put into the bay for fresh water and was now doing her best to
fight the Tokio off.
But it was an unequal struggle, for her guns were much smaller than
those on the Japanese vessel. Soon she had a gaping hole in her side,
but fortunately this was two feet above the water line.
While the Tokio continued to fire shot and shell, Oscar gave orders to
George Dross to bring the new Holland around under the warship's stern.
Then the young captain put on a diving suit and ordered Andy to do the
same.
Both went forth and with caution made their way to the stern of the
Holland XI.
The anchor chain was twisted twice around the screw and it took all
their strength on a long crowbar to set the screw free.
It was dangerous work, for had they been caught in the chain when it
slipped away, one or both would surely have been killed.
In a quarter of an hour they were back to the new Holland, but so
exhausted that neither could stand upright.
"Try the screw!" panted Oscar. "If it is all right, fix a torpedo under
the warship and run away."
The screw was tried immediately and found to work as well as ever.
Then the torpedo was brought forth from the ammunition room and
adjusted, and the Holland XI. ran off a distance of a quarter of a mile
and then came to the surface.
The Tokio was preparing to close in on the American transport; with
the evident intention of killing or capturing all on board, when the
torpedo went off with a rumble and a roar that could be heard for many
miles around.
The execution done by the torpedo was frightful, for the instrument of
death had been attached to the weakest part of the Japanese ship's
keel.
The charge went straight up through the four decks of the Tokio,
setting fire to every magazine.
It was a fireworks spectacle which could not be equaled and was
followed by a scene of horror.
Everything went to pieces at once, and it is safe to say that scarcely
an officer or a man on board escaped with his life.
Those on the American transport could scarcely believe their eyes,
and when the Holland appeared and a man went to the deck, to wave an
American flag and then the private flag of the submarine craft, there
was a wild hurrahing.
"The Holland XI.!"
"What a wonderful boat!"
"Three cheers for her and her gritty commander and crew!"
And the cheers were given with a will.
The captain of the transport wished to thank Oscar in person, but the
most the new Holland could do was to run alongside of the transport,
and Oscar merely showed himself.
"We are off for Alaska," he said. "We are after the big Russian fleet."
"Good!" was the answer. "Hope you do them all up!" And then another
cheer went up.
Soon the Holland was cutting the waters of the ocean at a speed of
twenty knots an hour.
Oscar felt pretty certain that the first attack of the Russian fleet
would be made at Cape Nome.
In 1900, Cape Nome had boasted of less than a thousand souls, now the
city contained over fifty thousand inhabitants.
The Cape Nome mines had proved richer than any mines ever discovered
in California or Australia, and the city contained a government assay
office and several first-class banks.
At one of the banks was stored gold to the value of thirty-five
millions of dollars, and silver to the value of eighteen millions of
dollars.
"The Russians have their eyes on that gold and silver," said Oscar.
"And they sha'n't get it, not if I can prevent the move."
Day after day the new Holland kept on her journey, only stopping once
for extra food and water.
Then they ran between a number of islands, and one day found themselves
caught in a storm and entered a little cave under a cliff.
The storm increased in violence and the heavy rains caused a landslide.
There was a strange rumble over their heads and the water was boiling
and foaming on all sides of the Holland.
"By Jove! I don't like this!" cried Andy. "Something is wrong."
"It sounds like an earthquake," replied Oscar. "And see how dark it is
getting."
The young captain of the Holland was right; the light of day had
suddenly ceased to shine in on them and nothing more could be seen
until the electric lights were lit.
"We had better move out of here," said George Dross.
"Right you are," said Oscar, "and the sooner the better. That cliff may
be coming down on our heads."
The order was given to go forward, but the new Holland had run less
than a hundred feet when she came to a sudden stop.
Rocks blocked her way on every side.
Then the submarine craft began to back, but soon other rocks brought
her to a standstill.
The terrible truth burst upon those on board.
They were prisoners in the cave under the ocean!
CHAPTER XXI.
OUT OF ONE DANGER INTO ANOTHER.
Entombed alive!
Such was the agonizing thought which came to the mind of everybody on
board of the Holland XI.
The submarine craft was caught in the cave under the ocean, and there
seemed no way of escape.
The darkness outside was intense, and the water still boiled and foamed
upon every side.
Once a huge rock came squarely down upon the upper side of the new
Holland with a shock that made those inside fear the craft would be
smashed flat.
But at last all became quiet as a tomb.
The searchlight was brought into play and they looked eagerly for some
way out of the cave.
But rear and front entrances were blocked by rocks almost as large as
the Holland herself and could not be budged.
An hour passed--a time full of awful anxiety.
What if the whole top of the sea-cave should give way?
It would prove the end of the new Holland and all on board!
"We must do something," said Oscar. "I am going outside.
"You may be killed," said Andy.
"And I may be killed staying here."
"If you go I shall go with you," returned the lieutenant.
Together the chums put on diving suits.
Then the torpedo trap was opened and they glided out on the bottom of
the sea-cave.
It was of sand, with sharp rocks scattered here and there.
Oscar took with him a powerful electric hand light, and also a small
dynamite shell.
The pair walked to the front end of the cave and made a thorough
examination of the rocks.
"No way out of here," muttered Oscar, and then shook his head at Andy,
who also replied in the negative.
The next movement was toward the rear end of the cave.
They had just passed the stern of the Holland XI. when Oscar grabbed
Andy by the arm and pointed ahead.
A huge mound of sand was moving, as if it were alive!
With anxious eyes they gazed on the sand pile, until of a sudden it
was scattered in all directions and from underneath a huge sea serpent
showed itself.
The monster was all of thirty feet long and as thick around as a
good-sized stovepipe.
It had a broad, flat head, from out of which shone two hideous eyes of
bright yellow.
Its color was green and white, and its tail was shaped like that of a
fish.
In a twinkle it curled itself into a number of loops and raised its
slimy head.
Those piercing eyes were turned first upon Andy and then upon Oscar.
They moved from one to the other with the steadiness of a clock
pendulum, and each young man was fairly fascinated.
Andy tried to move, but found himself rooted to the spot, for those
yellow eyes had burnt themselves into his very brain.
Oscar, too, was almost transfixed.
Then slowly, but surely, the huge serpent moved closer to the two,
intending to embrace the pair as one and crush them.
But the movement broke the spell so far as Oscar was concerned, and
hardly knowing what he was doing the young captain hurled the dynamite
shell at the water reptile.
It struck the serpent on the head, and with a strange hiss the monster
set its teeth into the shell.
Oscar was pulling Andy with him.
There was a dull explosion, and the water was filled with bits of the
serpent's head and neck and also with the sand which was stirred up.
When Oscar got up again he found the serpent's harmless body whipping
itself furiously against the rocks.
Andy was so weak he could hardly stand, and Oscar had to support him
back to the submarine craft.
All on board shivered when they heard of the sea serpent, and by
turning the searchlight in that direction they saw the body still
coiling and uncoiling on the sand.
"I wouldn't go out there for a million dollars," said Marney, the air
man.
"Nor I," said Walton, the fellow in charge of the ammunition room.
"Well, I'm going out again," said Oscar. "But this time I shall go
armed with a rifle as well as with the dynamite."
The new Holland boasted of several electric rifles, which could readily
be discharged under water.
"I'll go along in place of Andy, if you'll have me," said old George
Dross.
"All right," said Oscar.
The pair were soon outside, each with a rifle and each carrying a
dynamite bomb.
They made a thorough examination of the cave and during that time
nothing but a few curious, but harmless, fish came to disturb them.
At one point they discovered a small opening through which came a faint
light.
Some small rocks were in the way and these pulled aside they saw that
only one large stone lay between them and the outside ocean.
Oscar pointed to the rock and to his dynamite shell and George Dross
nodded, to show that he understood.
The two shells which they carried were placed in proper position and
they hurried back to the Holland.
They had scarcely re-entered the submarine craft when the dynamite
shells went off.
The water was filled with the shattered rocks and as these cleared away
they saw a good-sized opening ahead.
"Hurrah, for our imprisonment is at an end!" cried Andy.
The new Holland was sent forward at full speed through the opening, and
once she was free those on board lost no time in quitting the vicinity
of the islands.
"No more ocean cave for me," said Oscar. "One such experience is enough
for me."
"And that serpent!" said Andy, with a shudder. "I imagine I'll dream
of him for many a night to come." And he did, getting such a nightmare
that Oscar often had to wake him up.
Four days later they came up to a point within twenty-two miles of Cape
Nome.
The weather was now fine and a constant lookout was kept for foreign
ships.
Once they passed an American warship bound for Seattle, and hailed her
for news.
The Americans knew nothing about the Russian fleet, but said the people
at Cape Nome were daily in fear of attack.
"Well, I can't say that I blame them," said Oscar. "That gold must be a
great temptation."
"Right you are," returned Andy.
For several hours the sky had been overcast, showing that a heavy storm
was at hand.
It was so hot on board of the Holland XI. that the young captain hated
to order the submarine craft below the surface of the ocean.
"I don't believe that storm can do us much damage," he said.
"Unless we get struck by the lightning," replied Andy.
Presently it began to rain, but this did not matter, for what little
water came into the new Holland ran into the well and was promptly
pumped out by the electric pump.
Oscar was tired, for he had been working hard for several hours,
helping to repair some wires which had broken.
He laid down to rest, and was just in a doze when a report like a
cannon close to his ears almost stunned him.
The air was full of electricity, and as soon as he recovered he
realized that what Andy had mentioned had happened. The Holland XI. had
been struck by lightning.
Staggering to his feet he made his way toward the engine room.
He had scarcely entered the compartment when he stumbled over the body
of George Dross.
"Dross!" he murmured. "Are you dead?"
No reply came back and the engineer lay like a log where he had fallen.
Oscar had scarcely made his unwelcome discovery when he noticed that
something was wrong with the engines of the new Holland.
The submarine craft was running at a furious rate of speed, the
indicator showing several points beyond the danger limit.
"My graciolus! This won't do!" he ejaculated, and leaped to the
controlling lever.
As his hand touched the lever a spark of fire flew from the end of it
to a wheel close at hand.
Oscar received a shock, but not such a one as he would have gotten had
his hand remained on the bar of steel.
"Oh!" he gasped. "That was a close shave. I might have been
electrocuted!"
By this time he heard Andy calling to him.
"Here I am, in the engine room," he called back.
"Stop the boat! We are shipping water fast!" came from Andy.
"I can't stop her!" replied Oscar. "Shut the trap-door at once."
Without delay Andy tried to follow out the order given.
No sooner had he touched the steel plate than he gave a gasp and fell
down the companionway and lay like one dead.
The fall reached Oscar's ears and he came out to see what was the
matter.
Then the terrible truth burst upon him.
The bolt of lightning had disarranged the electric machinery on board
of the Holland XI. and the submarine craft was now at the mercy of the
powerful current which seemed to be beyond control.
CHAPTER XXII.
A RUN NOT WANTED.
"Andy! Andy! Rise up!" cried Oscar, with increasing horror. "Tell me
that you are not dead!"
But Andy did not budge, nor did even a groan escape his lips.
"If he is dead, and George Dross, what will I do?" thought the young
naval captain.
Never had his heart so failed him as now. He was still weak from the
shock, and to think that his two best friends might be lost to him
forever was sufficient to make him collapse utterly.
The electricity was now playing around every part of the engine room,
causing little flashes of fire and numerous sparks to fly hither and
thither. It was a pretty sight, but woe to him who should come within
the influence of that display!
Oscar dragged George Dross' body into another compartment, and as he
did so one of the other hands appeared.
"Captain," he cried, hoarsely, "we are running too fast!"
"I know it, but I cannot help it."
"The trap----"
"Don't touch the trap."
"But the water----"
"The lightning has played the old Harry with our engine. Everything is
charged with electricity. He tried to close the trap, and look at him."
Oscar pointed to Andy and the man gave a start of horror. Then he
stared at the body of Dross.
"Is he dead, too?"
"I trust not, but I am by no means sure, Gilson."
"But what shall we do, captain? I reckon all of the others are either
stunned or dead."
"The lookout, what of him?" demanded Oscar, quickly.
"On the floor in a heap."
"Too bad! We might run into something, and then----"
Oscar did not finish, but Gilson, who was a general all-around helper
on the submarine craft, understood what was in his mind.
"We'll go to smash, eh?"
"Yes, Gilson. But be careful what you try to do."
"Can't we turn the electricity off?"
"We can if the switch is all right."
It may be mentioned here that all on board wore rubber shoes, so that
no electricity might ever shock them through the feet while walking in
dangerous places.
Together the young captain and Gilson hurried to where the switchboard
was located, between the engine room and the tiny compartment built for
the lookout.
"Ginger!" came from Gilson. "Burnt out! That was a strong stroke of
lightning, and no mistake!"
Gilson was right. The switchboard was completely wrecked and lay in a
black mass on the floor. It had been burning, but the fire was now out,
for it could not communicate with the steel plates of the new Holland.
"Now what's to do, captain? How are you going to control that current?"
The question was one not easy to answer.
"I'll have to make a thorough examination first," replied Oscar. "In
the meantime you attend to the others and see if some of them at least
are not alive."
"Lieutenant Greggs don't look much alive," said Gilson. "Nor does
George Dross. But I'll do what I can for all hands."
Left to himself, Oscar made the entire rounds of the submarine craft,
surveying all of the intricate electric machinery with care.
"It's a wonder the lightning didn't set off some of the torpedoes or
dynamite bombs," he said to himself. "If they had gone off we would
have been blown to kingdom come."
The result of the examination was far from satisfactory. Many of the
electric wires on board had become badly "crossed," and a new machine,
called an electrogratrode, used for regulating the current, was running
in a manner that completely puzzled the young inventor.
"This is a brand new experience, that's sure," he told himself. "If I
ever get out of this alive I'll beware of thunderstorms in the future."
The new Holland continued to dash along over the surface of the water
and at every big wave a large quantity of water came pouring down the
companionway, until the well-hole was full and overflowing in spite of
the fact that the pumping engine was working faster than ever before.
"Something has got to be done," muttered Oscar, with set teeth. "If
that water gets too high it will carry the electricity everywhere and
we'll be killed on the spot."
Getting out a long hook covered with rubber he began to work on the
plate of the trap-door.
For some time he could not budge it and more than once a slight shock
of electricity made him halt. But at last the trap shut with a click.
"Shut," he muttered, and then came a thought that made him turn pale.
Had he locked himself and the others in what would prove their tomb of
steel?
The water had now stopped coming in and then the well-hole speedily
became empty. But the pumping engine ran on as madly as ever, with a
whirr that shook the Holland XI. from stem to stern.
Soon Gilson came running to him.
"Dross is alive," he cried, "and so are most of the others."
"Is Lieutenant Greggs alive?"
"I can't tell about him, sir. If he is he was touched pretty heavily."
"Well, do what you can, Gilson. I have no time to attend to them. I
must stop this machinery or the boat will be ripped to bits."
"Shall I stop the pumping engine. That seems to be O. K?"
"No, for if that power is turned off it will only be added to the
screw, and we have too much power there already. See how we are
flying--as fast as an express train."
"That's true, sir, and let me add, it's not the worst of it."
"No? What do you mean?"
"We are running due East, captain."
"I know that, Gilson."
"By this time we must be within two or three miles of land. If we can't
stop the Holland XI.----"
"We must stop her!" ejaculated the young captain. "If we don't she'll
strike shore like a battering ram!"
"Right you are, sir."
Oscar waited to say no more, but rushed to where the steering apparatus
of the submarine craft was located.
The electricity was still playing all over the compartment, yet he felt
that he must at least change the course of the new Holland or all would
surely be lost.
With a rubber glove on his hand he took hold of one of the levers and
tried to swing it over.
At first it refused to budge. Then came a snap and a click and the
lever slid over to where he wanted it and three notches further.
Instantly the Holland XI. gave a shiver from stem to stern and started
to run in a small circle.
The engines pounded away as before and the submarine craft tilted until
it was next to impossible to stand on the floor.
Then came an explosion from the engine room and Captain Oscar was
enveloped in a blueish smoke which threatened to strangle him on the
spot.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE FIGHT OFF CAPE NOME.
"Captain, are you dead?"
It was Gilson who uttered the cry, as he rushed forward through the
smoke, to where Oscar was leaning against a post, gasping for breath.
"No--no, Gilson," was the answer. "But we--we must have some fre-fresh
air!"
Gilson knew what to do and ran with might and main to where the air was
stored.
He turned several cocks and soon the foul air was being forced out of
the Holland XI. and fresh air began to circulate through the various
compartments.
This had hardly been done when Oscar heard a voice calling him. Then
the engineer appeared, as pale as death and with his forehead bandaged.
"Reckon I was knocked out," said George Dross. "What happened?"
"A good many things," answered Oscar. "How do you feel?"
"As weak as a half drowned cat, captain. But what is wrong? Did the
lightning knock us inside out?"
"Almost," answered the young commander, and told the engineer some of
the particulars.
"I'll do what I can with that engine," said Dross. "But it's a ticklish
job--with so much electricity flying around loose."
"Be careful," returned Oscar. "I don't want you to get knocked out for
good."
He followed the engineer to the doorway of the engine room and here a
long consultation took place.
Then it was decided that Dross should try to manage one part of the
engine while Oscar managed another, both at the same time.
In the meantime the Holland XI. continued to swing around in a circle
and once the craft came close to throwing herself completely over on
the starboard side.
"Now then, ready, George?"
"Yes, captain."
"Then let her go."
Both strained at their task and several sharp clicks followed. Then
Oscar sprang to a nearby lever and gave it a pull.
Instantly the power was shut off and in a moment more the Holland XI.
came to a standstill on the bosom of the ocean.
"Hurrah, we have stopped her at last!" cried Oscar, enthusiastically.
With the turning off of the electricity it became safe to walk all
over the submarine craft and both Oscar and the engineer, as well as
Gilson, set to work to repair damages.
While they were at work the most of the men who had been shocked by the
lightning came to their senses and wanted to know all about what had
happened.
But poor Andy still lay in a stupor and he did not recover until
several hours after.
It was no mean task to repair all the damage done to the intricate
machinery of the Holland XI. and for two days every man on board was
kept busy.
Fortunately, however, nothing had been destroyed but the burnt-out
switchboard, and luckily there was a duplicate switchboard in the
storeroom. Oscar himself put this into place and when tried it worked
perfectly.
"Now I reckon we are all right once more," said the young commander,
after a test had been made of all the working parts of the submarine
boat.
Yet to make certain that he was ready for active service, once again he
ran the Holland XI. out into the ocean and made her go through all the
movements of blowing up a warship.
Then the course was changed for Cape Nome and soon they were but a few
miles from that port.
An American warship was sighted, but Oscar got no opportunity to hail
her, for she was steaming along at full speed.
"Looks as if she was running from something," said Andy.
The American warship had scarcely sailed out of sight to the southeast
than the lookout announced a strange craft coming up from the southwest.
The new Holland was sunk almost to the level of the ocean, so that only
the trap deck was above the water.
At last they made out the newcomer to be a big Russian cruiser, the
Ivan II.
She was supposed to be the largest warship in the Russian navy, if not
in the world.
She carried a battery of over a hundred large guns and her muster roll
counted over two thousand men.
"By jove! but she's a wonder!" muttered Andy, as he gazed at her
through a glass.
"She is, and she's not alone," answered Oscar. "See two more warships
have come into view."
The young captain was right. The second and the third ships were also
Russian, and these were followed by a Chinese cruiser and a Japanese
frigate, and then came six other Russian vessels.
By this time the Ivan II. was so close that Oscar thought it best to
descend below the surface of the ocean, and coming down with Andy he
gave orders for the trap-door to be closed.
The button which communicated with the machinery of the Holland was
touched, but, much to the young commander's surprise, the trap-door
remained open.
"Hullo, something is wrong there again!" he cried, and ran to push the
button himself.
It worked all right, but he speedily discovered that the connection
with the power was broken in the engine room.
"We must shut the trap by hand!" he cried to Andy. "Quick, before that
Russian cruiser spots us!"
The chums ran up the ladder to move the door.
But the plate was heavy and ran in a tight groove which was
water-proof, and for the minute it refused to budge.
Suddenly a yell came from the deck of the Ivan II.
The Holland had been discovered.
"The accursed American sea-devil!" roared the Russian captain. "If she
gets the chance she will sink us as she has sunk the Tien-Tsin and
other ships."
He ordered that a bomb be brought on deck with all speed.
This was done, and a few seconds later the deadly thing was hurled
straight at the Holland XI.
It struck the open trap-door, bumped on the steps, and rolled at
Oscar's feet.
The fuse was burning briskly, and in a few seconds more the bomb would
go off, creating destruction and death upon every hand!
CHAPTER XXIV.
SINKING OF THE IVAN II.
"We shall be killed!"
Such was the cry which came from the lips of Andy Greggs as he stared
in helpless horror at the bomb, and its smoking fuse.
It was a moment to act, not to think.
By instinct more than reason Oscar leaped forward and caught the bomb
in his hands.
His fingers closed over the burning fuse, to put out the fire.
But the action was too late--the fire had gone inside!
Then with a lightning-like movement the young captain hurled the shell
up through the trap-door into the air.
Before it had time to drop into the ocean it went off with a loud
report.
Pieces of the shell came down through the trap-door, hitting both of
the young men on the head and hands and in the face.
Andy had the skin taken from one cheek and Oscar's left hand was
somewhat bruised.
But they and the Holland were saved!
By this time George Dross was running forward to shut the trap-door
with an instrument made for that purpose.
"What's up?" he asked, in astonishment.
"Shut the trap first and I'll tell you," gasped Oscar. For the moment
he could scarcely speak.
Once the trap was closed the new Holland sank down to a depth of thirty
feet.
The movement came none too soon.
The Ivan II. now had several guns trained on the submarine craft and
the balls from these struck the water and swept past them with no room
to spare.
"We'll fix you for that!" murmured Oscar.
Then he told George Dross of what had occurred.
"Oscar's move was the bravest I ever saw!" declared Andy.
The young captain now ordered that they follow the Ivan II. closely and
this was done.
As expected, the course of the big Russian cruiser was for Cape Nome
and soon she came to a stand about five miles from the sea front of the
city.
"Now we have her at our mercy," said Andy.
But for once the young lieutenant was mistaken.
The foreign ships--or at least a fair number of them--had profited by
the destruction of the craft wrecked by the Holland XI. and had adopted
a curious device by which they might be warned of the near approach of
a submarine ship.
From the under side of the keel of the Ivan II. there ran a number
of wires, stretching out in all directions, like the spokes of some
gigantic bicycle wheel.
These wires were connected with an alarm bell on the ship, which would
ring, by an electric circuit, the moment any large mass of metal
touched them.
The new Holland was going ahead at a fair rate of speed, when, by
aid of the searchlight, the lookout announced the discovery of some
odd-looking wires ahead.
An inspection was made, and those on board of the submarine craft soon
learned the nature of the defensive method the Russian naval officers
had adopted.
"That's pretty good," mused Oscar.
"I'm afraid its going to beat us!" declared Andy. "No telling what may
happen if we run into those wires."
"They may contain current enough to shock the Holland and kill
everybody on board," said George Dross.
The matter was talked over for a quarter of an hour.
In the meantime the other warships had drawn up in line and all were
preparing to bombard the city beyond, which contained so much of gold
and silver.
"Well, we've got to do something," said Oscar. "I have an idea."
His idea was nothing less than to float a torpedo out of the Holland
XI. and attach it to a long line, setting the time fuse at ten minutes.
They would then tow the torpedo into such a position that the drift of
the ocean would pull it under the Ivan II.
The job was a delicate and dangerous one, for the fuse when once set,
might become entangled in the line and set the torpedo off prematurely.
Oscar superintended the task himself and in a quarter of an hour the
torpedo was drifting close to the Ivan II.
The guns of the Russian warship had just spoken up against the city
forts, when the warning bell attached to the wires began to ring.
"Ha! that boat is now at hand!" cried the Russian commander. "We will
soon give him more than he sends!"
An electric current was touched off, but this only struck the torpedo,
which was slowly traveling toward the Russian cruiser's keel.
Two minutes passed and the Russians were wondering what had happened on
board of the Holland XI.
"Let the line go!" sang out Oscar, as he saw that the time for the
explosion was about up.
Then the new Holland ran for safety.
Boom! Bang!
Loud and clear came the report over and under the ocean, as the
torpedo, charged with both high explosives and electricity, went off.
It would have been impossible to smash up a craft of the size of the
Ivan II. with one torpedo, but a great hole was torn in her keel and
through this the water rushed in a veritable cataract.
"We are ruined!" shrieked one of the Russian officers. "The Holland has
torpedoed us after all!"
Then commenced a scene which beggars description.
To the upper deck rushed the sailors, gunners, ammunition men,
engineers and all others connected with the big craft.
There were men cursing, men praying, and men rushing around as if
crazy. Some leaped overboard, some climbed the tall masts, and some
stood as if turned to stone, too paralyzed to move.
Those on the other warships were horrified.
Then they realized that the Holland XI. must be at work and the various
captains gave orders to get into motion without delay.
Cape Nome and its gold were forgotten. The one thought of all was to
get away from this frightful submarine ship which had brought so many
foreign vessels to their doom.
Off went the ships, in all directions, putting on their best steam, and
running so well that the Holland did not attempt to follow them until
some time later.
Slowly and majestically the Ivan II. sank until reaching the bottom she
stood where she had gone down, only her tall masts showing above the
bosom of the ocean.
The going down of the Ivan II. and the sudden departure of the other
ships mystified those on shore and they wondered what it all meant.
But when the new Holland showed herself near one of the forts, those
inside understood and a yell arose, which soon became a ringing cheer.
As soon as he could Oscar went ashore and was received by the commander
of the fort, who shook him warmly by the hand.
"You have done nobly, sir!" said the commander. "You have saved both us
and the city."
"I would advise you to make prisoners of all the Russians found
floating in the bay," answered Oscar. "It may save you from another
attack at a later day."
"A good idea," responded the commander, and at once gave the necessary
orders.
As a result two hundred and nine Russians were captured, including an
Admiral, for the Ivan II. had been the flagship of the fleet.
It was announced that the Admiral would be held at Cape Nome until the
end of the war, and this saved the place from another bombardment, for
the Russians were afraid the naval officer might otherwise be put to
death.
After leaving Cape Nome the Holland put after the rest of the fleet,
but they could not be found.
This broke up the movement on Alaska for the time being, and then the
bow of the submarine terror was turned southward once more.
All this time the Chinese Captain, Hang Chang, had remained on board a
close prisoner.
He frequently begged for the freedom of the ship, but Oscar was afraid
to trust him.
"At least give me a sight of the outside world," he begged one day.
Oscar agreed to do this, as they were then in mid-ocean, and releasing
the prisoner, led him up through the trap-door to the tiny deck of the
Holland.
The movement was almost a fatal one. The confinement had preyed on Hang
Chang's mind and turning suddenly while on deck, he caught Oscar by the
throat.
"We go--we die together!" he hissed, grating his teeth and rolling his
wicked eyes. "Farewell to the world!"
The next moment he had leaped into the ocean, dragging Oscar with him!
CHAPTER XXV.
IN WHICH THE HOLLAND XI. IS CAPTURED.
"Man overboard!"
Such was the cry which came from the lips of Marney.
He was at the foot of the ladder at the moment Hang Chang grappled
Oscar and disappeared with the young captain.
"Who's over?" came from Andy, as he rushed up.
"The cap'n!" went on Marney. "The Chink dragged him over! He had the
cap'n by the throat!"
Andy waited to hear no more, but bound up the ladder two steps at a
time.
All he could see was a slight disturbance in the water, where a few
bubbles were coming to the surface.
With Andy to think was to act, for he felt that Oscar was in a
dangerous situation.
With one leap he was down at the foot of the ladder again and calling
to George Dross.
"Watch for us! I am after Oscar!" he shouted, and then caught a knife
which was in Marney's belt.
Then he went to the deck again and taking a long breath, plunged into
the ocean, blade in hand.
In the meantime Oscar was having a bitter struggle with the madman, for
such Hang Chang had become.
The grip of the Celestial was like that of steel and could not be
broken.
Oscar kicked at him and turned and twisted, but all in vain.
Then there came a darkness over the eyes of the young captain and a
strange rumble in his ears.
He felt himself going down and down, the water each instant getting
colder and more lonely.
"It must be the end of all!" he thought. "Heaven alone can help me!"
He thought of the Holland XI., of his friends, of the many victories he
had gained--and of what he had hoped to do for the President's daughter.
Was this to be the end of all--this, a grave at the bottom of the
mighty Pacific?
Again he struggled, and this time he thought the grip on his throat was
somewhat relaxed.
But only for a moment, then it became even tighter than before.
The darkness increased and he believed himself dead and dreaming.
Of a sudden something brushed against his shoulder.
It was Andy's body, and opening his eyes he saw dimly a hand clutching
a knife.
Once, twice, three, the blade was plunged into the back of the
Chinaman. Then it came upward a fourth time and slashed across the
crazy man's wrist.
The sea was died with the blood of the Celestial and slowly but surely
that steel-like grip relaxed, until Oscar found himself free.
But he was almost too weak to help himself and Andy had to assist him
to the surface.
Here willing hands helped both to the deck of the new Holland and down
into the interior, where both sank on the floor exhausted.
Oscar looked white and faint, and not without reason, for never before
had he been so close to death.
"We are well rid of him," he said, after he and Andy had told their
stories. Then he caught his chum's hand. "Andy, that is another debt I
owe you."
For several days after this nothing unusual happened on board of the
new Holland.
Oscar had now determined to go in search of the Chinese cruiser, which
was said to have Martha Adams on board as a prisoner.
He felt that he must rescue the girl, no matter what the cost, for to
him Martha Adams was the loveliest young woman on the face of the
globe.
Day after day went by and at last they approached the coast of
California once more.
Here a stop was made for provisions and for some extra ammunition, and
Oscar reported to the authorities what had been done at Cape Nome.
But the news had already come in from Alaska by telegraph.
The Navy Department at San Francisco also had news for Oscar which
caused him much pleasure.
Congress had awarded him and his men a special medal for bravery and it
was broadly hinted that Oscar would soon be made a commodore.
"We'll get to the top of the naval ladder--if this war lasts long
enough," said Oscar.
"That's what we want," answered Andy. He was equally delighted, for he
scented a captaincy ahead.
From San Francisco the run was straight to Central America, and then to
the entrance of the great canal.
At the east end of the canal it was learned that several foreign
warships had been sighted in the Caribbean Sea off the south coast of
Cuba.
One of the warships was supposed to be the Chinese cruiser Green Dragon.
"We'll soon find out if it is the Green Dragon," said Oscar, grimly.
But, alas! just as they wished to crowd on all power, something got
the matter with the machinery and they had to lay-to two days for
repairs.
It was very hot, for they were not far from the equator, and so they
lay on the top of the ocean, with the trap-door open day and night.
By the second night the repairs were almost completed and George Dross
announced that they would be ready to continue their voyage by ten
o'clock the next day.
All had worked hard over the machinery, especially Oscar and Andy, and
were much exhausted in consequence.
The young captain and his lieutenant retired and were soon in the
land of dreams, and George Dross, Marney and several others followed,
leaving only Walton on guard.
It was a dark night and so close that it made Walton sleepy. He sat on
the companionway ladder smoking, but soon his head began to nod, and
though he didn't fall asleep he was not as alert as he might have been.
In the meantime from shore there had put off a long Spanish cutter
containing ten of the most daring Spanish and Italian naval men and
sailors to be found anywhere.
Slowly and silently the cutter crept up to the Holland XI. and the
leader of the party, Captain Roquez, stepped on the tiny deck of the
submarine craft.
He motioned his followers to be silent and then took from his pocket a
plaster of pitch.
Down the ladder he went like a ghost until he stood directly over
Walton.
The ammunition-man started in alarm, but ere he could say a word the
pitch plaster was clapped over his mouth and he was made a close
prisoner.
"Now for the others," whispered Captain Roquez. "We will show the
Americanos what we can do and wipe out the insult of the War of 1898!"
Slowly and cautiously the party moved forward until they came to where
Oscar and Andy slept.
They had brought leather straps along, and these were clapped on the
pair before they could sit up.
"What does this mean?" demanded Oscar, as soon as he could speak.
"It means that we have captured your ship and that you are our
prisoners!" chuckled the Spanish captain.
CHAPTER XXVI.
PRISONERS ON THE HOLLAND XI.
"Prisoners!"
Such was the single word which burst from Oscar's lips as he tried to
sit up on his couch.
He almost thought he was dreaming, but when he tried to raise his arm
and found it tied fast to his resting place, he fully realized the
direful situation.
"And who are you?" he went on slowly.
"Captain Roquez, but not at your service," returned the Spaniard, with
a baneful glance. "The Americanos defeated my country in Cuba, years
ago, but they shall never defeat me again. On the contrary, I shall
have a splendid revenge upon all the Yankee navy--now I am master of
the new Holland.
"Oscar, this is an outrage," put in Andy, after finding himself also
bound. He turned to Roquez. "What have you done with the engineer and
the others?"
"All prisoners, excepting one man, who slept at the door of the
ammunition room."
"That was Marney, the air man. What of him?"
"He tried to resist, and he is now at the bottom of the sea."
"You killed him?"
Captain Roquez nodded, coldly.
"And I will kill every one of you if you try to resist me," he added
grimly.
"How do you expect to run this boat?" questioned Oscar, curiously. "Do
you not know that it takes a well-drilled expert to do the trick?"
"Humph! We are prepared!" said the Spaniard. "Rest assured that I knew
what I was doing when I planned to capture the new Holland."
"Well, I'll wager a dollar you can't run the boat," said Oscar,
decidedly.
"Then if we cannot we will force you and your men to run it for us."
"I'll see you hanged first!"
"And so will I!" added Andy, promptly.
"Ho! Do not speak so, or I will run you through with this!" cried the
Spaniard, and flourished a long dagger in their faces.
A moment later Captain Roquez went away, leaving Oscar and Andy in
charge of one of the Spanish sailors, Canelli, by name.
Canelli could not speak English, so to converse with him was out of the
question.
"Oscar, this looks as if we were in a pickle," came from the
lieutenant, with something of a groan.
"That's true, Andy. How are your bonds."
"As tight as a drum. And yours?"
"Ready to cut the wrists and ankles off me."
"They know how to tie knots, don't they?"
"They do."
"I wonder how they intend to run the Holland? I don't see how they can
manage our intricate machinery," went on Andy, musingly.
"They can't run her unless they have an expert machinist aboard, and
even then he'll have to know something of submarine boats. If any
ordinary fellow tackles George Dross' job, he'll run us to the bottom
or blow us up."
Canelli now came forward and clapped his hand on each of their mouths,
at the same time showing them his knife, upon the blade of which was a
quantity of dried blood.
This was a warning to keep silent, and as the Spaniard looked like
a wicked wretch, capable of doing almost anything, they stopped
conversing.
Half an hour went by and all remained silent on board.
The trap-door was still open, but now of a sudden they heard the
well-known click-click as the trap closed.
"Found out how to shut her up, anyway," murmured Andy.
Both strained their ears to learn what the next movement of the captors
of the Holland would be.
They heard earnest talking in the power room, where George Dross lay,
bound to an iron bench.
"Won't tell ye a thing, hang ye!" came presently from the old engineer.
"I run this ship for Cap'n Pelham, not for the likes o' you!"
"Good for Dross!" whispered Oscar. "I knew he would stick by us."
"If you won't help us we will kill you!" came in Captain Roquez's voice.
To this George Dross was silent.
Then followed pleading and curses, but all to no effect. Finally
Captain Roquez and another man came out into the passageway in front of
the apartment in which Oscar and Andy were prisoners.
"Gabretti, you must do your best without their help," said the Spanish
captain, earnestly.
"I will, captain," was the answer, in a strong foreign accent. "But it
will be taking something of a risk."
"It ought to be all right. You once ran the engines on the old Holland."
"Zat ees true, captain, but ze new Holland is von great improvement on
ze old. Ze machinery ees much more--vat you call heem?--complications,
eh?"
"I suppose so--these accursed Yankees are forever improving things.
But their engineer won't do a thing and so you must do your best. Only
don't blow us up as you blew up the old Holland."
"Ha, ha! You make von joke on me, eh? I blow up ze old Holland because
ve vant him blow up. I hate ze Americanos. But I not blow up ze new
Holland, no, no! I make heem blow up two-seex-ten-a-hundred Yankee
ships before I am done."
"Now you are talking," answered Captain Roquez. "But be careful, and if
you can't manage her we will force that Yankee engineer to help us out,
even if I have to cut off his ears to make him come to terms."
The two passed out of hearing, and presently Canelli was called away,
leaving Oscar and his first lieutenant alone.
"Andy, that fellow is Gabretti, the rascal who blew up one of the old
Hollands!"
"Right you are, Oscar. He ought to be hung!"
"Rather say, captured. Don't you remember that there is a reward of
fifty thousand dollars out for his apprehension?"
"By Jove, that's so! I'd like to obtain that reward."
"He ought to be captured, the sneak! I don't believe he can run our
boat."
"He may run her after a fashion. But sooner or later he is bound to get
into a tight hole and then he won't know what to do."
Half an hour more dragged by, and the Holland began to sink by jerks,
showing that the man who was running the power was new at the business.
She descended a distance of fifty feet and came to a stop.
Then the new engineer began to experiment with the power, and moved the
boat backward with a number of other jerks, and then forward slowly and
unevenly.
"He's trying hard to get there," muttered Andy.
"He can't run her smoothly enough to do service with," returned Oscar.
"Wait, I have an idea!" he added, suddenly.
"What's up now?"
"Perhaps I can get free. The edge of this couch is of iron and rough
in one spot, as I well remember. Perhaps I can saw this leather strap
apart on the rough edge. Do you think that Spaniard will stay away?"
"Never mind; do what you can."
With caution, and making as little noise as possible, the young captain
set at the task of liberating himself.
It was a slow and painful job, and he rubbed the skin on his wrists
almost as much as he did his leather bonds.
But the movement was a success, and at last he found his hands free.
He quickly liberated his feet and then set his lieutenant at liberty.
"Now if only we had pistols," said Andy.
"We will take the electric rifles--they make little or no noise,"
answered Oscar. "And don't forget those swords in the pantry."
Soon both were well armed and ready to fight to the death for liberty.
Hardly had they prepared themselves when they heard footsteps
approaching the apartment.
On the instant Oscar reached up and turned off the electric light
hanging from the ceiling.
"Get in a corner, Andy, and watch your chance," he whispered. "And
mind, they are our deadly enemies and would kill us were they certain
they could run this boat without our aid."
There was no time to say more, for a second later the door was opened
and Captain Roquez and the sailor, Canelli, entered.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY.
"Ha! It is dark here!" cried the Spanish captain, as he paused on the
threshold of the door.
"The light has lost its power," answered Canelli. "Perhaps it got
turned off by accident."
"Try to find it."
"Aye, aye, captain."
The sailor came into the room and Captain Roquez followed.
The instant they entered Oscar kicked the door shut and caught the
Spanish captain from behind.
Andy caught Canelli, and a fierce hand-to-hand struggle ensued.
Down went both pairs on the floor and rolled over and over.
They tried to rise, but this was impossible, for the Holland had begun
to jerk around in a semi-circle, the new engineer having tried some
experiment with the power.
The Spanish captain drew his dagger, but before he could use it, Oscar
brought his sword into use and the Spaniard received a nasty cut in
the side. At the same time Andy was trying to draw his own blade, but
Canelli caught hold of it, and now it was a wrangle for the blade, hot
and bitter.
"Do you surrender?" asked Oscar, as he placed the sword at the Spanish
captain's throat.
"Yes! Do not kill me!" howled Roquez.
"Then lie where you are. A single move and I will put a bullet into
you."
Oscar backed to the center of the apartment and turned on the electric
light once more.
Captain Roquez lay helpless on the floor. He knew that if he moved,
the young captain of the Holland would run him through with that
ugly-looking blade.
Oscar turned to look at Andy. The sight that met his gaze thrilled him
with horror.
Canelli had obtained possession of the sword, and was on the point of
running it through the young lieutenant's body.
"Stop!" cried Oscar. "Stop, or I will fire!"
[Illustration: "STOP OR I WILL FIRE!"]
"Never! He shall die!" shrieked the Spanish sailor.
And he made a fierce lunge at Andy, intending to lay open his very
heart.
The blade had already cut through the young lieutenant's shirt and
scratched his skin, when Oscar raised the electric rifle with the
rapidity of lightning.
Zip! There was a faint, hissing sound, and Canelli fell over backward,
mortally wounded.
"Ha! You have killed him----" began Captain Roquez, when Oscar clapped
his hand over the Spaniard's mouth.
"Say another word, or make the least outcry, and I will serve you in
the same way!"
"Gosh! but that was a close shave!" gasped Andy, as he staggered
forward. "I was afraid I was a goner!"
"Hand me that leather strap and I will make this fellow a prisoner,"
said Oscar.
The strap was quickly adjusted, and then Oscar brought forth a large
neckerchief, which he speedily transformed into a gag and inserted in
Captain Roquez's mouth.
"What shall we do with him?" questioned Andy.
"We'll put him in the pantry for the present. The dead body we can stow
away under my couch." For Canelli had breathed his last.
Back of the apartment was a pantry containing flour, potatoes and other
ship's stores.
In this narrow space they placed Captain Roquez, perching the Spaniard
on a flour barrel.
"Now keep quiet if you value your life!" said Oscar.
Then the door was closed and bolted on the rascal.
Oscar's next movement was to look out into the passageway.
"The coast is clear," he said to his lieutenant. "Come."
Andy followed, and they passed to the entrance to the ammunition room.
Here they found Walton and two other men, close prisoners, each with a
pitch plaster over his mouth.
There was a Spanish guard here, but he was readily overpowered, and one
of the pitch plasters was placed over his mouth and he was tied to a
big torpedo.
"Where is George Dross?" asked Oscar.
Nobody knew.
"So far we are but four against seven," said Andy. "We want to be
careful, or our cake will be dough."
"I hope Dross is safe," said Oscar. The old engineer was very dear to
him.
He told the men to remain on guard, and each armed himself with a
dagger, sword or pistol.
Then Oscar tiptoed his way to the engine room.
Peering in he saw Gabretti at the engine, studying a power register
with much perplexity.
"I can make nodding of heem!" he muttered. "Do zat make ze boat go zis
vay or zat vay, eh?"
He turned to George Dross, who still lay bound to the iron bench.
"Don't ask me any questions," growled the old engineer.
"You shall answer me!" stormed the Italian. "Answer--vot ees zat funny
clock for?"
"It shows the time to pump the electricity in the
go-bang-it-on-the-head," answered Dross.
"Ze electricity in ze go-bang-him--vot you call eet? Who ses eet?"
"It shows when you will be hung," grumbled George Dross.
"Ha! You make von fun of me, eh? You are a--a--I know not vot. How you
like dat, eh?"
Raising his heavy boot, Gabretti kicked the old engineer violently in
the side.
He was about to repeat the act when Oscar rushed at him from behind and
pushed him headlong.
Then the young captain of the Holland jumped on the Italian rascal,
knocking every particle of wind out of him.
"Let--mego!" panted Gabretti.
"Ha! It ees the captain!"
"You scoundrel, to blow up one of the old Hollands!" cried Oscar
angrily. "You, a naturalized citizen of the United States. You deserve
what you will surely get--a traitor's death."
Gabretti struggled wildly and tried to draw a knife from his bosom.
But Oscar kicked the blade aside and hit the rascal a blow with his
electric rifle, and then the traitor sank back, insensible.
"Heaven be praised!" murmured George Dross, when set free. "I was
afraid we had reached the end of our string."
"I reckon that fellow has reached the end of his string--or he will
when he hangs," answered Oscar. "Bind him with the ropes that bound
you." And Dross quickly complied.
With the leaders of the expedition against the new Holland out of the
way, and with five men to fight but six, Oscar rightfully felt that
success was now but a short distance off.
George Dross was soon armed, and then Oscar and the old engineer moved
silently toward the lookout.
Here two men were stationed, a Spaniard and an Italian. They were both
gazing intently at what was before them in the ocean, and neither heard
the approach of the Americans until it was too late for them to do
anything.
Both were thrown down and in the struggle one was knocked senseless.
Then the pair were bound, back to back, and pitched into one of the
lower compartments of the Holland XI.
While this was going on two other men had appeared in front of Andy and
those with the young lieutenant.
A fierce fight ensued, in which one of the foreigners was shot and the
second cut in the head with a sword. One of the Americans was also
wounded, but the wound was of small consequence.
Half an hour later the Holland XI. was once again in complete control
of her regular crew.
Walton explained how he had been overcome, and Oscar read him a
lecture on being more careful in the future.
"And I will be careful," said the ammunition-man. "After this the first
man to try any game on me gets shot."
Oscar did not care to go after the Green Dragon while he had so many
prisoners on board, and consequently he ran in at Santiago de Cuba,
and placed Captain Roquez, Gabretti and the others in charge of the
American garrison there.
"A big haul, Captain Pelham," said the commander of the garrison. "The
capture of Gabretti means fifty thousand dollars in your pocket."
"A fair share of it shall go to my men," answered Oscar.
Soon the new Holland left Cuba, and then the search for the Green
Dragon and pretty Martha Adams was renewed with more vigilance than
ever.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AN UNDERWATER EARTHQUAKE.
From Santiago the Holland XI. ran southward and then eastward.
A rainy season was now on, and it was cloudy nearly all the time, while
showers were frequent.
A sharp lookout was kept constantly, but for several days nothing was
sighted but a few peaceable fishing smacks.
At Santiago the young commander had received news that many of the
foreign nations were growing tired of the war.
Out of sixteen naval battles they had won but four and out of
twenty-two contests on land only three stood to their credit.
In the meantime Uncle Sam had not been idle.
An army of invasion, numbering forty thousand soldiers, had been landed
on the coast of England and had taken possession of two forts and one
city located there.
Another army was on its way to Japan and a third had just left the
Philippines bound for China.
More than this, the Boers of South Africa had thrown in their fortunes
with the United States and Cape Colony had followed. Four small South
American republics had likewise declared for our country and were
willing to do whatever Congress and President Adams wanted of them.
"Things are coming our way fast," declared Andy, when talking the
matter over with the young naval captain. "I reckon those foreigners
who have combined against us are heartily sick of their job. I can't
understand why they went in at all."
"It's the capitalists who forced the war, Andy. The United States is
taking the trade of the world fast, and they had to do something."
"Then why didn't they stop buying our goods?"
"Because the common people won't stand that--not if they can buy
our goods cheaper than they can their own. When you touch a man's
pocketbook you touch his heart."
"But after this war is ended, what then?"
"We'll have to adjust commercial matters with them, that's all.
Congress will come to some sort of a friendly agreement. After all,
you must remember that our enemies are really our fellow human beings.
While we have the power to do so, it's not right for us to drive them
too far into a corner."
"I agree with you, Oscar. 'Live and let live' is my motto. But I must
say I've got no use for the Chinese."
"Nor I--especially for the fellows who abducted Miss Adams."
"I see you can't get her out of your head. Well, I don't blame you.
She's a fine girl, no two ways about it."
The Holland XI. was now out of sight of land, and no shore came to view
until some hours later.
In the meantime the air grew strangely hot in spite of the heavy rain
which was falling.
"Gosh, but the Holland XI. is getting to be a reg'lar sweatbox!" panted
George Dross, as he came out of the engine room and to the trap-door to
get a whiff of fresh air.
Oscar examined the thermometer.
"Great Scott!" he ejaculated.
"How high?"
"A hundred and eighteen in the shade!"
Dross could not believe it and examined the glass for himself.
"Right you are, captain. No wonder I was getting ready to keel over
down there from the heat."
"We will sink to the bottom of the sea," answered Oscar. "It must be
cooler there than up here."
A fresh supply of air was taken on board and soon the submarine craft
was slowly descending.
At this point the bed of the Caribbean Sea lay a quarter of a mile
below the surface and was broken up by a series of ridges and several
hilltops, which looked as if in years gone by they might have been
islands.
"It is cooler here," said Andy, while they were resting on the bottom.
And then, glancing out of the window, he continued: "What beautiful
seaweeds and trees! Oscar, do you suppose this part of the ocean was
ever an island?"
"More than likely, Andy."
"What caused it to sink--an earthquake?"
"Either that or else a volcanic eruption, such as they had on
Martinique years ago."
"That was a terrible thing. I was told it wiped out 30,000 lives at the
city of St. Pierre."
"Yes, and it was followed by the sinking of four small islands in that
vicinity and the appearance of the island now known as Gromley, after
Professor Gromley, the geologist, who discovered it."
"Those must have been trying times down here."
"They were--so my father told me. And a few years later, when they had
that little earthquake in New York city, and the whole mass slipped two
inches toward the Battery and the bay, folks got scared out of their
wits. My father told me that downtown people left New York with a rush,
and some of them didn't go back until several months later."
"I don't blame them. Imagine the whole city, with its enormously high
buildings, coming down with a crash and sliding into the bay. It's
enough to make a fellow shiver from head to foot."
"Something is bound to happen there some day--if they keep on putting
up those skyscrapers. Just before we left I heard of a party who was
going to erect a building one hundred stories high and three blocks
long, the streets between the blocks to be bridged over."
"Gosh! That fellow must have money!"
"It was a stock company building, and the shares were to be held by the
tenants. But I wouldn't want to live or do business on the hundredth
floor, I can tell you that."
At this moment word came in from the lookout that he desired to see
Captain Oscar at once.
The young captain lost no time in hurrying forward.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Look there, captain. What do you make of that?" questioned the
lookout, in return.
Captain Oscar looked in the direction indicated, which was the top of a
small hill.
From this hilltop sand was pouring, accompanied by a peculiar something
which resembled smoke.
For several minutes both gazed at the extraordinary phenomena in
silence.
"That is something new," said Oscar. "I would not mind going a bit
closer to investigate."
The words had hardly left his lips when the sand began to shoot up into
the air. Then followed something that looked like smoke and steam, and
soon the plate glass of the lookout window became hot.
"It's a volcano!" cried Oscar. "I reckon we had better leave this
vicinity."
Through the speaking tube he gave orders to George Dross to back the
Holland XI.
The screw was just beginning to turn when a dull explosion came to the
ears of all on board.
A rush of sand, mud, steam and fire followed and stones beat a steady
tattoo on the steel plates of the Holland XI.
Some of the mud and stones became entangled in the screw of the
submarine craft and in their hurry to get away from the vicinity the
boat was run into a forest of seaweed and marine brushwood.
The whole bottom of the sea was moving and they realized that an
earthquake was at hand.
They were caught in the very midst of the awful disturbance and it was
a question whether or not they would get out of it alive.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE RESCUE OF JEAN FEVRE.
It was a moment of extreme peril and nobody realized it more than did
Captain Oscar Pelham.
Should the Holland XI. become fast between the rocks and mud now
pouring forth on all sides the submarine craft would be doomed.
"Turn her and run at full speed!" he shouted. "To port, quick!"
His order to turn to port was obeyed as speedily as possible.
He had seen the bed of the sea rising in the opposite direction and the
movement came none too soon. A moment later the ground shot high up
into the air, carrying huge rocks with it.
Had the Holland XI. been caught in that upheaval she would have been
thrown two hundred feet above the surface of the Caribbean Sea, to fall
back a broken and battered mass, with all on board lifeless.
The commotion under water was now growing rapidly, so that little could
be seen, and they had to trust largely to luck as they moved on in an
endeavor to get away from the ill-fated spot.
Once the Holland XI. struck a huge mass of mud which had just been
raised by the earthquake.
It sent the mass flying in all directions and the lookout window was
completely covered with the stuff, so that next to nothing could be
seen.
"If we get out of this we can be thankful!" gasped Andy. "Hark to the
roaring! And feel, the very sides of the boat are getting hot!"
The young lieutenant was right; the plates were so warm that they were
positively painful to the touch.
And now came a greater explosion than before, and in a twinkle the new
Holland was caught and turned around and around like a top in a strange
current created by this new volcanic eruption. And, worst of all, the
boat was sinking.
"We're going down into a hole!" shouted one of the ammunition men.
"Nothing can save us now! We'll drop to the bowels of the earth and
right into that volcano fire!"
His words were truly startling, and for the moment it looked as if all
on board the submarine craft were losing their presence of mind. Oscar
ran to the engine room.
"Up! up!" he yelled. "And give her all the power possible! It is our
one chance!"
The electric engine began to work as never before, and presently their
downward course was stayed. Then they arose and Oscar directed they run
ahead as before.
The mud was still on every side and the water ran hither and thither in
all directions, carrying seaweed, wood and dead fish with it. The heat
continued, but presently it grew cooler.
"I guess we are going to get out of it, after all," said Andy, mopping
the perspiration from his forehead. "But, oh! what an experience! I
never want another like it!"
"Don't crow until you are out of the woods," said Oscar.
"That was a real volcanic eruption and an earthquake combined, wasn't
it?"
"Certainly--and not a little one, either."
"By no means."
Yet in an hour the danger was over and the sea once more resumed its
normal condition.
When they came to the surface it was much cooler than it had been and
it was raining in torrents.
On every side seaweed was floating about and on the water rested an
oily substance exceedingly disagreeable to the smell.
"What will you do?" asked Andy.
"Put in to shore and find out how bad the earthquake has been,"
answered the young captain.
It was no easy matter to locate themselves in the darkness, but after a
consultation the course was set and they ran back in the direction of
Santiago.
When they arrived at the entrance to Santiago Harbor they found great
excitement. The earthquake had done considerable harm to the shipping
and several small coast vessels had been completely destroyed.
In the town a number of large buildings had suffered, but no serious
damage was done and no lives were lost.
But a few hours later came in word that the shock had been very heavy
on the north coast of Venezuela and that several seaport towns were
completely wiped out.
"I want no more earthquakes," said Oscar. "One is enough."
And Andy agreed with him.
Two days later they left Santiago once more and the search for the
Green Dragon was resumed.
But day after day went by and nothing was seen of the Chinese warship.
"It looks to me as if we were on the wrong track," said Oscar.
"Do you intend to give up the search?" asked Andy.
"No, no! We must find that ship, and Miss Adams."
On the following day the lookout announced a ship far away to the
southeast.
"Looks something like a warship and then not exactly like one, either,"
he said.
"Perhaps it is a private ship fixed over into a fighting machine,"
returned the young captain.
In less than an hour they came up to within a hundred yards of the
strange craft.
Not a soul was in sight and they soon discovered that the ship was a
complete wreck from stem to stern.
There was a large hole on her starboard side, just above the water line
and many of her upper guns were missing.
"This is queer," said Andy, as they gazed at the wreck. "What do you
make her out to be?"
"A French ship-of-the-line. See, there is the name, Bordeaux, on her
bow. Do you know what I think?"
"That she has been through a battle?"
"Yes, but not with other ships."
"I don't understand, Oscar."
"I think she has been through a battle with that earthquake and got the
worst of it."
"By Jove! Perhaps you are right!"
"I'm going to see if anybody is on board."
Oscar set up a yell through a trumpet, and then, to increase the sound
of his voice, added an electric attachment which magnified the voice
fiftyfold.
Presently a cry came faintly from the wreck and a single Frenchman
appeared at the rail.
"Safe me! Safe me!" he called piteously.
[Illustration: "SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" HE CALLED PITEOUSLY.]
"Are you alone?" questioned Oscar, cautiously.
"Yes! yes! All alone!"
"Where is the crew?"
"All drowned by ze great earthquake! Oh, it was terrible, terrible.
Safe me!"
"This may be a trick to get us on board," came warningly from Andy.
"I don't intend to go on board yet, Andy."
The Holland XI. was run in close to the wreck and the Frenchman was
told to drop into the water.
"I vill drown!" he wailed. "Poor Jean Fevre has never learned how to
swim!"
"We will pick you up, never fear," said Oscar, and then the Frenchman
did as bidden. In a moment more he was on board. Tears of joy streamed
down his face.
"It is so goot to be safed!" he said, brokenly.
It was now discovered that the French warship was in danger of going
down at any moment, and they got out of the vicinity without delay.
Soon the big ship began to sink and a quarter of an hour later she
passed out of sight forever.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE LAST BATTLE.--CONCLUSION.
Jean Fevre proved to be a queer character. He was something of a French
dude, and before the war had shone in social circles both in Paris and
in Washington.
Oscar soon learned that the Frenchman knew Martha Adams fairly well,
and the Frenchman raved over her beauty. When told that she was a
prisoner on the Green Dragon, he was thunderstruck.
"Zat ees not right!" he cried with a shudder. "Poor la belle a prisoner
of ze bad yellow men! Too bad! It must not be! She ees no soldier! It
ees--ees, yes, it ees devilish!" And he stamped his boot on the deck.
Then he told Oscar that the Green Dragon was hiding in a bay on the
Cuban coast not ten miles distant. He hated the Chinese, and was
perfectly willing to see them defeated, so long as Martha Adams was
rescued, and so long as it did not give final victory to the Americans.
The new Holland ran at once for the bay Fevre mentioned and reached it
at noon of that day.
Sure enough the Green Dragon was there, at anchor, and the people on
her deck could be seen plainly.
Bringing the Holland XI. to the surface behind a point of land out of
sight of the Chinese warship, Oscar scrutinized those on the deck with
his spy-glass.
"By thunder!" he cried, and dropped the spy-glass.
He had seen Martha Adams on the deck.
The girl was trying to escape from the clutches of a Chinese officer,
who acted as if he had been trying to embrace her.
Suddenly the girl broke loose and ran to the bow of the ship, which was
pointed out to the ocean.
The warship had a long bowsprit, and the President's daughter made her
way to the extreme limit of this.
"Come back!" roared the Chinese officer, and ran after her.
"Let me be, or I will leap overboard!" screamed the unhappy maiden,
and then, as the officer came closer, she made a dive and disappeared
beneath the bosom of the ocean.
By this time Oscar had caught up one of his pistols.
His aim was true and the Chinese officer pitched headlong into the
water, mortally wounded.
The officer was an admiral in the Chinese navy, and a howl went
up when the fatal shot was fired, and all eyes were turned in the
direction of the Holland XI.
"Quick, we must rescue Martha Adams, no matter what the cost!" cried
Oscar. "Will you stand by me, men?"
"We will!" came from Andy and the others.
"Then forward at full speed to where she went down. But take care that
the Holland XI. does not strike the young lady."
Word was passed along, and the submarine craft darted over the ocean
like a thing of life, keeping her deck above water and the trap-door
wide open.
Oscar stood on the deck, pistol in hand, and beside him was Andy, also
armed.
Soon the boat was almost under the bowsprit of the Chinese warship.
In the meantime, Martha Adams had come to the surface and was battling
bravely to save herself from drowning.
She could swim, but the weight of her clothes was dragging her down.
"Keep up! We will save you!" cried Oscar.
"Help!" panted the girl. "Oh, save me from those horrible Chinamen!"
She struck out feebly, then disappeared from view.
"Take my pistols, Andy!" exclaimed Oscar, and threw down the weapons.
The next instant he was over the side of the new Holland and swimming
after Martha Adams. A dive and he had the beautiful maiden by the
shoulder.
In the meantime the Chinese were bewildered and knew not what to do.
But then several officers ran forward with guns and pistols.
"Shoot the foreign dogs!" they shouted, and one fired a gun at Oscar,
but the bullet sped wide of its mark.
"Come with me, and I will take care of you," said the young captain of
the Holland XI., encouragingly.
"Mr. Pelham!" burst from the girl's lips, and a smile lit up her
anxious face. "Oh, how thankful I am!"
"There is no time to spare! Come, quick!" And he helped her through the
water to the new Holland's side.
As they came up out of the ocean, several shots were fired, one of
which took effect in Oscar's shoulder.
Andy returned the fire, and two other Chinese officers went to their
death, while a third was badly disabled.
"Catch hold of her, Andy!" panted Oscar. And Martha Adams was placed on
deck. Then Oscar tried to come up, but was too faint from loss of blood
to do so.
"Give me your hand!" cried Andy, and hauled him on board. Then all
three went below and the trap-door was closed as quickly as possible.
The movement came none too soon, for the Chinese gunners were already
training their heavy guns in the direction of the Holland.
"Blow her up!" shrieked an officer, in Chinese. "Make dog's meat of
her!"
"Back her, full speed!" yelled Oscar. "Quick, Dross, for our very lives
depend on it!"
And back went the Holland XI. at full speed, churning up the ocean into
a milky foam.
"Bang! bang! boom! boom!" went the Chinese guns.
All of the shots but one flew wide of their mark.
One shot hit the bow of the Holland and glanced off, leaving a badly
cracked plate behind.
"Down we go!" sang out Oscar, and down they did go, and in another
minute were safe for the time being.
Then the young captain fainted.
When Oscar came to his senses he found Martha Adams bending over him
and binding up his wound for him.
"You are so brave!" she murmured. "I shall never forget you, never!"
And she blushed deeply.
She, too, was weak, but insisted upon making him comfortable before
caring for herself.
Oscar found that the submarine craft had run half a mile away from the
bay in which the Green Dragon was located.
He ordered the boat back at once, and told Andy to torpedo the Chinese
warship.
This Andy was very willing to do, and inside of an hour the new Holland
had added another to her long list of victories.
"And now back to the States to tell the President that his daughter is
saved," said the young commander.
On the trip that followed, nothing of special interest occurred.
The time passed all too quick for Oscar, who found Martha Adams'
society dearer to him than ever.
When Chesapeake Bay was gained, important news awaited all on board of
the Holland XI.
The foreign nations had given up the struggle against the United States.
"Hurrah! The war is over!" cried Andy. "And I must say that on the
whole I am not sorry."
"There is only one cloud which rests upon the nation," said the officer
who brought the Holland XI. the news. "President Adams' daughter is
still missing."
"She is not missing--she is found," answered Oscar, and introduced the
officer to Martha Adams.
The news spread like wildfire, and when the new Holland reached the
Potomac it found a regular flotilla of warships there, ready to do her
honor.
Cannon boomed, whistles blew, rockets flared, bells rang, and flags and
bunting were everywhere in evidence. The President and his wife came
down to the wharf, in their carriage, and received the girl and Oscar,
in person, and at the happy meeting the crowd fairly shouted itself
hoarse. It was a fitting end to a most glorious campaign on land and
sea.
"You have fairly earned your reward," said the President to Oscar. "The
money is yours and you shall be commodore of the new submarine fleet
which is building."
Two years went by and the great war of all nations became a thing of
the past.
Yet the United States were bound to profit by past experience, and lost
no time in completing all the warships which had been building.
Instead of three, the government built twelve new submarine boats of
the Holland pattern.
This fleet was divided into two squadrons, and Andy Greggs became the
commodore of one, and faithful old George Dross the commodore of the
other.
And Captain Oscar, do you ask?
It was no longer Captain Oscar, then, but Rear Admiral Pelham,
commander of all the United States submarine craft afloat, a worthy
officer and one to be trusted with any mission, no matter how sacred or
how dangerous. He was known far and wide as a brilliant inventor and
daring navy official. And his pretty wife, Martha, was equally known
for her great beauty and her sweetness of heart. They were happy, and
here we will leave them.
THE END.
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