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The booming of the gunboat's forward battery sounded aft of them, dulled by the fog growing fainter. "Lund's luck! We've dodged 'em!" "They'll be waiting for us at the passes," said Rainey. "They've got the speed on us." "Let 'em wait. To blazes with the Aleutians! Ready again there for a tack! Sou'-east now. We'll work through this till we git to the wind ag'in.
Captain Jack slipped the folded paper in his pocket, then hastened back to the line. Hal ran the submarine far enough back to leave the double line all but taut. Seizing the rope with both hands, Jack made his way swiftly up to the gunboat's stern rail. In another twinkling he was over.
With the help of some of the naval machinists aboard the "Hudson," both submarine craft were also manned and hawsers made fast. Two cables were passed ashore to winches to which power was supplied by the shipyard's engines. When all was ready a mighty pull was, given, the gunboat's own propellers taking part in the struggle. For two or three minutes the efforts continued.
When the ship came out of the fight, she counted up fifty scars. The long-range firing that was carried on at first did not satisfy the "Mound City." One particular gunner on the Confederate works seemed to cherish a spite against her; and every time the flame leaped from the muzzle of his gun, a solid shot banged against the gunboat's side.
For, if you put out to-day, it is my intention to take the cadets through drills below the surface." Jack's eyes sparkled at the thought. This meant that he and Hal were to be taken back fully into the confidence of the Navy! "We're ready, sir ready at the word of command." "Very good, then," replied the gunboat's commander. "You will receive sixteen of our young men on board within an hour.
These two individuals at once stepped into the boat, which thereupon was shoved off and pulled alongside the gunboat. "A lieutenant and one of the engineers from the cruiser gone aboard to investigate," commented Milsom. "Now, keep your eye on the gunboat's semaphore, Jack; we shall probably get a little further interesting information presently."
In half an hour, as planned, the "Oakland," after firing a warning gun, steamed away from her moorings. Gradually the gunboat's speed increased, until the full sixteen miles were being made miles, instead of knots, since gasoline boats, like these submarines, are usually rated by miles instead of by the longer "knot."
Time he certainly did take, and plenty of it. We were, however, well treated, chiefly through the kindness of the French-speaking officer, Lieutenant Hishidi, with whom I struck up an acquaintance, he being in fact the only one of the gunboat's crew with whom I could converse. He caused a small separate cabin to be extemporized for myself and Lin Wong, and looked to our comfort in other ways.
"Send a boat," the man shouted back. "I must come aboard. Quick!" The captain muttered an exclamation of astonishment under his breath; but his curiosity alone would have been sufficient to move him. The gunboat's wherry boat was quickly gotten away. As for Clif, he was simply wild with delight. For he could see that it was Lieutenant Hernandez after all.
This sort of thing, I have said, went on for more than a month. The gunboat's cruising-ground was chiefly about the mouth of the Pechili Gulf, now under the frowning forts of Wei-hai-wei, and now opposite Port Arthur on the other side. There did not seem to be any regular blockade of the Gulf, though Japanese warships were constantly hovering about.
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