| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 1 | 20 | 41 | 61 | 81 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
the conning-tower, praying in my heart of hearts that the U-33 had not swung
her bow away from the prey. No, thank God!
Never could aim have been truer. I signaled back to Olson: "Let 'er go!" The U-33
trembled from stem to stern as the torpedo shot from its tube. I saw the white
wake leap from her bow straight toward the enemy cruiser. A chorus of hoarse
yells arose from the deck of our own craft: I saw the officers stand suddenly erect
in the boat that was approaching us, and I heard loud cries and curses from the
raider. Then I turned my attention to my own business. Most of the men on the
submarine's deck were standing in paralyzed fascination, staring at the torpedo.
Bradley happened to be looking toward the conning-tower and saw me. I sprang
on deck and ran toward him. "Quick!" I whispered. "While they are stunned, we
must overcome them."
A German was standing near Bradley--just in front of him. The Englishman
struck the fellow a frantic blow upon the neck and at the same time snatched his
pistol from its holster. Von Schoenvorts had recovered from his first surprise
quickly and had turned toward the main hatch to investigate. I covered him with
my revolver, and at the same instant the torpedo struck the raider, the terrific
explosion drowning the German's command to his men.
Bradley was now running from one to another of our men, and though some of
the Germans saw and heard him, they seemed too stunned for action.
Olson was below, so that there were only nine of us against eight Germans, for
the man Bradley had struck still lay upon the deck. Only two of us were armed;
but the heart seemed to have gone out of the boches, and they put up but half-
hearted resistance. Von Schoenvorts was the worst--he was fairly frenzied with
rage and chagrin, and he came charging for me like a mad bull, and as he came
he discharged his pistol. If he'd stopped long enough to take aim, he might have
gotten me; but his pace made him wild, so that not a shot touched me, and then
we clinched and went to the deck. This left two pistols, which two of my own men
were quick to appropriate. The Baron was no match for me in a hand-to-hand
encounter, and I soon had him pinned to the deck and the life almost choked out
of him.
A half-hour later things had quieted down, and all was much the same as before
the prisoners had revolted--only we kept a much closer watch on von
Schoenvorts. The Geier had sunk while we were still battling upon our deck, and
afterward we had drawn away toward the north, leaving the survivors to the
attention of the single boat which had been making its way toward us when
Olson launched the torpedo. I suppose the poor devils never reached land, and if
they did, they most probably perished on that cold and unhospitable shore; but I
2
6
Page
Quick Jump
|