The Boy Allies Under the Sea Part 14

It was the third word of the forward gun of _The Hawk_.

Cries of terror and confusion came from the direction of the foe, followed by hoa.r.s.e German cries of command.

"Bully for Lord Hastings!" exclaimed Jack. "He has scored a hit."

"Hurrah!" cried Frank, and raised his voice in a series of cheers.

The big gun aboard _The Hawk_ did not speak again, and following _The Hawk's_ searchlight with their eyes, the two lads saw a ma.s.s of wreckage floating a short distance away.

"That," said Frank quietly, "is the end of her."

"Right you are," agreed Jack. "Now we'll go back to _The Hawk_."

Both lads bent to their oars with a will.

CHAPTER VIII.

FRANK IN TROUBLE.

Now perfectly happy, the two boys rowed back to _The Hawk_ as rapidly as possible. They were happy for two reasons--first because they were once more in active service, and second, because they had just emerged successfully from a desperate venture.

A light glowed brightly aboard the little motorboat, now that the enemy had been disposed of; so the two lads had no trouble making their way back. Lord Hastings greeted them with outstretched hands as they went over the side.

"A pretty good job you made of it," he declared.

"Well, we did pick off a couple before you got busy, sir," agreed Frank.

"But if you hadn't fired the moment you did they would have potted us sure. They had a couple of shots at us, but fortunately, they didn't have time to get the accurate range."

"I had no idea you were so hard pressed," replied Lord Hastings. "I fired the moment I caught sight of the foe. Even when the searchlight was turned from _The Hawk_, it was a moment or so before I could make out the enemy. The light had all but blinded me."

"There is no harm done, anyhow," Jack put in. "The enemy is at the bottom of the sea and we are safe again."

"Then we may as well continue a bit," declared Lord Hastings. He turned to give an order, when Frank interrupted him.

"Are you sure we are safe, sir?" he questioned.

"What do you mean?" demanded his commander.

"Why, I was just wondering if by any chance there might be more of the enemy in these waters?"

"To tell the truth, I hadn't thought of that," replied Lord Hastings.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and made his way to the searchlight, which still threw its brilliant rays across the silent waters. Quickly he snapped it off; then returned to the lads.

"We won't be spotted so easily now," he remarked.

"Unless we have been spotted already," said Jack dryly.

And Jack proved to be a better prophet than he really meant to be.

At a signal from Lord Hastings, _The Hawk_ now moved slowly forward again.

"Can you tell us just where we are bound, sir?" asked Jack.

"Well, not exactly," was his commander's reply. "I have information that leads me to believe an enemy, or several enemies, may be prowling about around----"

An interruption came suddenly and from an altogether unexpected source, and with the interruption all aboard became suddenly silent, except Lord Hastings, who sprang quickly to the wheel, and before the astonished helmsman knew what was going on, threw the wheel over hard.

For the interruption which had come so suddenly was the voice of a big gun.

Lord Hastings threw the wheel over with such violence that the motorboat careened desperately and all but capsized. Frank and Jack saved themselves from being thrown overboard by a quick grasp at the rail, to which they clung with all their might.

And then, before Lord Hastings could flash the searchlight across the water, had such been his intention, a blinding glare lighted up _The Hawk_. The enemy had been too quick for those aboard.

Now another shot rang out and the boys heard a terrible whistling overhead.

"Pretty close," said Jack quietly. "They are liable to get us next time."

An idea suddenly struck Frank, and he dashed aft. There he picked up his rifle and hurried forward again.

"Hold her steady a minute, sir," he called to Lord Hastings.

And the latter, realizing that the lad had some plan, did as requested without asking a question.

Quickly Frank raised his rifle to his shoulder, and pausing just long enough to take careful aim, fired.

Frank's keen mind had detected the one hope of salvation for those aboard _The Hawk_. The enemy was very close and the lad realized that the next shot must find its mark. There was but one thing to do. The light aboard the enemy must be destroyed; without it _The Hawk_ could escape, for minus the light, which was its eye, the foe could not hope to detect them.

As Frank's finger pressed the trigger he knew that he had not missed; and at the same moment he cried to Lord Hastings:

"Hard-a-port!"

Again _The Hawk_ careened desperately in response to the quick turn of the helm; but it was well that Lord Hastings had acted upon the instant; for even as Frank had fired there was another heavy "boom" and a heavy sh.e.l.l pa.s.sed the spot where _The Hawk_ had been a moment before.

But with the sound of the shot, the glare of the enemy's searchlight vanished. Frank's aim had been true.

"I shot her eye out, sir," he cried to Lord Hastings.

"I see you did," chuckled his commander. "Now it's time for us to get busy. Mr. Templeton, see if you can pick up the enemy with our light."

Jack sprang to the searchlight eagerly, and under his guiding hand, it threw its brilliant rays over the dark waters. He swept it in a wide half-circle to the right without result; and then swung the glare around to the left; and there, presenting her stern, a little motorboat was moving swiftly away.

"She's running, sir!" exclaimed Frank, who stood forward, still holding his rifle. "Shall I give her a shot?"