The Brighton Boys with the Submarine Fleet — John Shaqi
The Brighton Boys with the Submarine FleetDriscoll, James R.
General
The Brighton Boys with the Submarine Fleet
Driscoll, James R.
Submarines (Ships) -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Juvenile fiction
By degrees Jack succeeded in turning over the limp form until it
floated face upward. Locking his left arm securely around the neck
of the apparently lifeless officer so that the face was held above the
surface of the water, and using his strong right arm and legs, Jack
began swimming as best he could in the general direction of the
submarine that he knew to be not far away.
The weight of the lieutenant's body dragged heavily upon his left arm.
His strength was ebbing away fast. His arm became numb and his senses
chaotic.
Instinctively the lad closed his eyes. It seemed he must let loose
the burden tugging in his arms and himself slip away into the depths
and into that long sweet sleep that seemed just now so alluring, so
compelling.
"Catch the rope when I fling it"---the words were borne into his
stifled senses. It sounded like the voice of his good chum.
Was it Ted? Again came the call, seemingly closer at hand. It was
Ted, now faintly, now more clearly. The sound of that voice
galvanized the youth in the water.
Jack flung out his free limbs in a frenzy of muscular energy. Something
loomed up in the blue of the sky near him and he beheld for one instant
the periscopes of the _Dewey_.
She was drawing closer to the pair in the water!
On the deck stood a number of the crew disregarding the floating mines
that had been engaging their attention. Someone was whirling a rope,
aiming to throw it to the pair in the water. Every one seemed to be
yelling at the same time.
"Hold on---we are coming---don't let go---catch the rope!" Jack heard
the calls from his shipmates.
Out over the water spun a coil of rope---only to fall short of the
desired mark and trail off into the sea many yards from the floating
pair. Yes, it was Ted, winding frantically again, and yelling
encouragement to his chum.
"Hold 'em!" Ted shouted over and over again, just as the Brighton lads
had been wont to yell in unison at their football games when the
opposing eleven was smashing its way toward Brighton's goal. Once
again the coil was ready; once again it was flung outward from the
deck of the _Dewey_. This time it fairly lashed Jack's face. The
sting of the hemp seethed to whip new courage into him. Making one
last frantic effort he clutched and held the precious rope, just as
Ted sprang from the submarine and dived to the rescue.
Jack remembered no more. When he came to he was stretched in his bunk
in the hold of the _Dewey_. Ted was bending over him.
"Thank God you are alive, Jack, old chum!" Ted was murmuring, with
glad tears brimming from his eyes.
Jack strove to raise himself on one elbow but fell back limply, weak
from the terrible struggle through which he had passed.
"How about 'Little Mack'?" he managed finally to ask faintly.
"Alive but yet unconscious," replied Ted, "They have gotten most of
the water out of his lungs and are using the pulmotor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account