The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas; Or, The Last Shot of Submarine D-16Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
History
The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas; Or, The Last Shot of Submarine D-16
Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
Jack said nothing, but followed his commander. Lord Hastings drew back a
few yards and glanced up carefully.
"I'll get this in my mind," he whispered, "and draw my map later."
Jack nodded.
Lord Hastings scrutinized the fort carefully, and then with a nod,
passed on. Jack followed.
For perhaps an hour they continued along the shore, Lord Hastings
stopping now and then to take in some detail of the ground.
"We have reached the point where the _Queen Elizabeth's_ shells have
been dropping," he finally said. "There is no use going farther. Let us
go back."
They turned and retraced their steps.
Arrived opposite the point where the submarine waited, they plunged into
the water and swam back.
"We'll try the other side now," said Lord Hastings.
The submarine was guided close to the opposite bank, and once more the
two plunged into the water and were soon ashore.
Again they proceeded for perhaps an hour, and again Lord Hastings
discovered the effects of the _Queen Elizabeth's_ shells. As he deemed
it unnecessary to go further, they turned and once more retraced their
steps.
They had almost reached the point off which the submarine waited when
several figures loomed suddenly up in the darkness ahead of them. They
were so close at this moment that it was impossible to avoid a
collision. Jack, realizing this, and also knowing that the figures ahead
must be enemies, did not wait for the latter to strike the first blow.
As he bumped into the man nearest him, he struck out heavily with his
right. There was a fierce muttered Oriental imprecation and the man went
to the ground.
Lord Hastings performed a similar operation upon the man nearest him,
and he also toppled over. The rest drew back, and sent up a cry of rage.
Realizing that their opponents would receive reinforcements in a minute,
Lord Hastings and Jack sprang into the midst of them.
Striking out right and left, Jack disposed of two more of the enemy, and
Lord Hastings a third; but at that moment Lord Hastings felt a sharp
pain in his side and fell to the ground.
Warding off the blows of the one remaining assailant, Jack stooped over
his commander.
"Hurt badly, sir?" he asked anxiously.
"Pretty badly, I fear," was the reply. "Caught me in the shoulder. Wait,
I'll try to get up."
He made a valiant effort, but fell back with a moan of pain.
At the same instant the sound of running footsteps could be heard
approaching.
Jack stooped over his commander and threw an arm about him.
With his feeble strength, the latter threw him off.
"Hurry!" he cried. "Save yourself! You can't get me away."
"You do as I say now," commanded Jack sternly.
He bent over.
"Put your arm around my neck."
Lord Hastings protested, but in vain. Jack raised his body and slipped
an arm beneath it.
"Put your arm around my neck," he commanded again.
This time Lord Hastings obeyed. Jack lifted him up as though he had been
a child, and turning, dashed for the spot off which he knew the
submarine lay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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