Adventure, December 1914 — page 94: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Q2 captured five, he knew too that the Rus- sians would be towing heavily loaded trans- ports, and that at first threat of bad weath- er they would run for shelter. So he steamed with the wind behind him, ordering his men to study the bow machine- guns and bring ammunition for them up on deck. To his amazement, a Russian gun- ner left on board as night-watchman, volun- teered to show them how to use the seven- pounders, and Dick accepted his offer with- out comment; the knout with its stained lash hanging in the wheel-house was suffi- cient comment on anything a Russian sailor did by way of treason. Something of the same kind happened on the following ships, for when Dick led them in a long sweep round toward the lee ofa big island his search-light showed their guns unhoused, and scratch crews busy trying them. In a few minutes he ordered the ‘search-light discontinued, for his heart leap ed within him at sight of Russian riding- lights. There were dozens of them! There was a regular fleet at anchor, ducking and tossing in a rising sea. There were enough ships there to be carrying ten thousand men—and he had five ships with four hun- dred! A mixture of Drake’s tactics and those of Nelson of the Nile were all that were practicable. Cunning maneuvering was utterly beyond the question, for he could not even signal to the men behind! He could only lead and trust them to hold pistols at the heads of Russian steersmen, and follow if they could. He recalled that Nelson had won the battle of the Nile by sailing in between the shore and the French ships—that Nelson’s battle-signal on that day had been “Engage the enemy more closely” —that his own motto, inter- preted by an Anthony, was close kin to Nelson’s. ‘“‘Come up on deck!”’ he ordered down the speaking tube, and Andry came. “Now, Andry, choose your gun—take that seven-pounder if you care to. You can see the Russian ships? They think we're part of their fleet running to shelter behind them. The storm’s rising every second. By the time we’re abreast of them it ought to be a hurricane, and six shots ought to turn the trick for us!” Andry looked behind him at the four little ships that followed, rolling their scup- pers under. Adventure “Ah’m thinkin’—wull they be shootin’ us?” “Who? The Russians?” ‘“‘Na-na! Oor men!” “Dunno,” said Dick, giving the wheel a spoke or two. ‘The point is, get the Rus- sians running. Doesn’t much matter what else happens!” ‘“‘Um-m-m!” said Andry, striding forward clinging to whatever gave him purchase, and stripping the cover from a seven- pounder. He decided to open with that at long range, and to serve the machine-gun later, should the circumstances seem propi- tious. He had twenty of his sixty on board with him, and twelve of them had not suc- cumbed to seasickness, so he set all twelve to carrying ammunition from the maga- zine. But the storm burst with Caspian fury suddenly, and made shooting with the seven-pounder utterly outside the stretch of possibility. Andry crept to the machine-gun and lashed himself to it just as Dick put the helm hard over, took the storm on his broadside, and headed for shelter. There was a little excitement at once on the Russian craft; they turned their search- lights on him, for his place as last-comer should have been astern of them. Some of them whistled; but the sound of their sirens was carried away in the raving wind, and Dick carried straight on for where the fore- most ships tossed their noses a quarter of a mile from land. There was no deep water farther in-shore than they, and Dick guessed as much; the front ships hooted frantically; they flew strings of signals and waved wildly with a masthead semaphore; no doubt they were using wireless, too, but even had the instru- ment in the deckhouse been in working order Dick could not have understood a word of it. “Full speed ahead!’ commanded Dick. ‘‘Whenever you like, now, Andry!” A-wash, a-reel, plunging like a deep-sea monster, Dick’s ship headed straight for the Russian anchor-chains, followed dan- gerously closely by four others that moved their helms as he moved his. Suddenly a spurt of flame leaped out from a machine gun, and a stream of lead went whistling— not at the front ships but at those behind. Instantly the ships that were following Dick’s opened up with all the guns they P) Gomiicovook C©