pa.s.sed the broad belt of coral and a clear sandy bottom was visible on all sides.

The quartermaster in the fore conning-tower knew his business thoroughly, and with hardly a b.u.mp the submarine settled on the bed of the Red Sea.

"All ready to let go?" asked the chief officer, and from the for'ard compartment came the alert reply that everything was in order.

"It is almost like abandoning one's ship," remarked Hythe.

"Hardly so bad as that," replied Devoran. "But all the same we are shedding a large portion of her. Would you mind standing by that lever, and when I give the word push it hard down. No, not just yet. We will wait and watch the fore part shake itself clear."

It was indeed a strange sight. At one moment Hythe saw the slightly buckling deck and the fore conning-tower, the upper platform, except for the fracture caused by the collision, being all in one piece. The next instant the whole of the bow compartment, including the conning-tower, gave a sudden bound and darted upwards towards the surface. Hythe could see the bulkhead with its watertight doors securely fastened, and the bright copper electrical contacts with their surrounding belt of insulated material. It reminded him of a salmon cut clean in halves.

Already the ballast tanks of the freed section were being filled, till, the upward motion checked, the structure slowly sank and settled once more in the bottom of the sea a few yards to the left of the remaining portion of the submarine. There, cut off from all communication with the still intact after part, the compartment had to remain, till, worm-like, the third section was detached from the damaged portion and united to form a smaller yet still efficient submarine.

Kenwyn had meanwhile opened the scuttle in the bottom plates of the vessel in order to guide her on her descent. Since the after portion alone possessed propelling machinery it was necessary that the fore part should be disconnected first.

"Down with it!" exclaimed Devoran, at the same time operating a switch.

Hythe instantly depressed the lever as he had been instructed. The motion following the action was similar to that experienced in the sudden rising of a lift.

The damaged midship section had been abandoned to its ocean grave.

Directly the sub liberated the after portion of the vessel the hiss of the inrushing water could be heard, and, as in the case of the fore part, the surface was still several fathoms off when the upward tendency was checked.

At a few feet from the bottom Kenwyn announced that the required depth was reached, and the chief officer gave the order for "Half speed ahead."

The best engine-driver in the kingdom could not have brought his locomotive up to a train of waiting carriages easier than Devoran manoeuvred the after part of the "Aphrodite" up to the fore compartment.

There was no perceptible shock, in fact nothing to indicate the fact that the union had been accomplished except that telephonic communication was automatically reestablished in all parts of the reduced "Aphrodite."

Into the air locks next to each exterior bulkhead divers were quickly sent. As soon as the water was admitted into these s.p.a.ces new locking bolts were pa.s.sed through and secured, and within twenty minutes of being placed in position the two parts of the submarine were made one.

But instead of her two hundred feet from stem to stern the new "Aphrodite" was reduced by about one third. Nearly seventy feet of valuable length had been sacrificed; but, as Devoran remarked, "It might have been worse."

"That is true," agreed Hythe. "But what will Captain Restronguet say?"

CHAPTER XXI.

CAPTAIN RESTRONGUET LEARNS THE NEWS.

For three whole days the "Aphrodite" lay on the floor of the Red Sea.

Captain Restronguet was making steady progress towards recovery, but the news of the disaster had been studiously kept from him. All on board knew that sooner or later their leader must learn of the catastrophe; but every one was in favour of deferring the evil day, fearing what the consequences would be in the case of a highly strung man who was still suffering from a severe physical and mental shock.

But until Captain Restronguet did know Devoran stoutly refused to take any action in the navigation of the vessel. Nor would he open up wireless communication. It was desirable, nay imperative, that Karl von Harburg should think that his coup had been entirely successful, and on that account the danger of unauthorized news leaking out had to be strongly guarded against.

In her present state the "Aphrodite" was no better than her rival. Her state of partial invisibility was no more, her electrical detector, whereby the position of the "Vorwartz" could be determined was no longer in working order. It was mainly responsible for the dramatic appearance of the craft under Karl von Harburg's command. Her chief means of offence--the discharge of an electrical current that would detonate any explosives within a three-mile limit--had mysteriously failed; and only upon her powerful six-inch torpedoes could she implicitly rely.

Nevertheless, all on board, from the chief officer downwards, had no doubts as to the issue of the struggle, even though so far things had gone in favour of the "Vorwartz." Herr Karl von Harburg's submarine must be destroyed; her power must be completely shattered; but until Captain Restronguet was in a position to once more take charge of affairs, Devoran advocated a campaign of non-activity.

Curiously enough no reason could be given for Lancarrow's sudden illness in the conning-tower. He had completely recovered before the rejoining operations of the fore and aft sections were completed, but could give no account of what had happened. He did not remember falling: for he stated that he glanced at the clock less than half a minute before the "sentry" began to ring, and up to the last moment his recollections were perfectly clear; he did not notice any particularly brilliant flashes of lightning about that time. He knew nothing till he returned to consciousness and found himself in a bunk in the fore part of the submarine, whither his companions had carried him when the men's quarters were flooded after the collision.

On the other hand Captain Restronguet was aware that he had been struck by lightning, although he had no recollection of falling into the sea.

The story of how he had been rescued at the risk of the sub's life had been told him, and his grat.i.tude was expressed by grasping his rescuer's hand. Not a word was exchanged between them on the subject, but the action was worth volumes of words.

"How are we progressing, Devoran?" asked the captain, on the morning of the fourth day of the submarine's sojourn on the bottom of the Red Sea.

"Any indication of the presence of the 'Vorwartz,' eh?"

Devoran hesitated. It would be a nasty shock to have to confess that the progress was nil and that the presence of the rival submarine had been very p.r.o.nounced.

Captain Restronguet looked up sharply. He saw the chief officer and the sub exchange significant looks.

"You have a pleasant surprise for me, then?" he continued. "I'll get up and find out for myself."

"But, sir----" began Devoran. The captain stopped him by an emphatic gesture.

Hythe never felt more uncomfortable. He would right willingly have given a month's pay to be out of the business.

Drawing a great-coat over his sleeping-suit Captain Restronguet walked out of the cabin. Hythe and Devoran looked at each other and by a common impulse followed.

At the end of the alley-way terminating at the watertight transverse bulkhead Captain Restronguet stopped as if he were about to ascend to the after conning-tower; but changing his mind he opened the watertight door. One glance was sufficient. Instead of the midship compartment he was looking down the pa.s.sage of the fore part of the ship.

"Well, Devoran, we've had a mishap, I see," he remarked in a casual tone.

"Yes, sir; a very unfortunate----"

"But at the same time unavoidable accident, Devoran. Of that I feel sure. No, no, there is no need to apologize. If ever a man would do his best to save the situation, that man is my chief officer. But how did it occur?"

In a few words Devoran told the story--a plain unvarnished statement of actual facts, while Hythe stood mutely by, marvelling at the captain's calmness at the news.

"I am not surprised, Devoran," continued Captain Restronguet. "Not in the least. I had a presentiment that Karl von Harburg would score at one time. Besides, have I not prepared for such a contingency by providing three distinct compartments to the 'Aphrodite'? But after von Harburg's success my counter-stroke will hit the harder. I know it, Devoran. I feel certain that we shall score in the long run. Were any men lost or injured in the collision?"

"No, sir."

"Thank G.o.d for that!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Captain Restronguet fervently. "And are all the electric circuits working properly?"

"No, sir. The detector is entirely out of gear, and so is the offensive apparatus."

"H'm, unfortunate, but we will set that right. And the wireless?"

"I have not used or tried it, sir. Until you were fit to command I preferred to remain here and make no communication whatsoever."

"An excellent policy, Devoran. Unfortunately we must resume our wireless communications otherwise we are in the dark as to the movements of the 'Vorwartz.' But our Highgate operator is to be implicitly trusted, and if all messages are sent in code it matters little whether they are picked up by other ships or stations. Get Kenwyn to send a message asking whether any news of von Harburg has been received, and let me know directly you have a reply. I am going to my cabin now. I want to be alone. But do not feel anxious on my account. I shall be perfectly fit for duty in a very short s.p.a.ce of time."

"Didn't he take the news calmly?" remarked Hythe after Captain Restronguet had gone back to his cabin. "It was enough to drive a fellow off his head."

"It's his way," said Devoran slowly. "It is his way. Reverses that are seemingly overwhelming and would be so to almost every one else, only spur him to renewed activities. Believe me the fun is now about to commence."

Within an hour and twenty minutes of the despatch of the wireless message to London a reply was received that threw considerable light upon the movements of the modern buccaneer.

Karl von Harburg had caused a report to be sent to the news agencies to the effect that he had destroyed the only submarine that stood between him and his definite aim, and now he was at liberty to do what damage he wished to the naval and mercantile fleets of the world, irrespective of nationality or any other consideration. With this object in view he had sunk a French liner off Cape Guadafui, after ransacking her strong rooms. He had even been compelled to subst.i.tute gold ingots for the common metal ballast of his craft. Silver he would hardly look at.