The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-03-19
Copyright, The Frank A. Munsey Col

~~NN~o
and his ensign, Rolf, marshaled tn,
utmost of their nautical skill agains
the onslaught of the elements, Will,
they strove at the wheel with unitet
Drawn to keep the rolling, pitching
boat head-on to the seas.
Ali that day, from the great heart O.
the desert, the sirocco had pulsed
feverishly across the Mediterranean.
No word had passed between the
stocky, swart-visaged commander anc
his lithe-bodied, blond-haired aid since
the periscope-staff had snapped by the
board in the first crunch of the raven,
ing wind Then Rolf had reared above
the pounding of the combers against
the thick-glassed ports.
She'll never stand the kick of this
sea We'd better sink her now or well
have to swim"
Orders" Barton had snapped in re-
ply To the Dardanelles! Report to
the captain of the Victory by the 18th.
Noon!' That's tomorrow; and we're
. going through if the Gnomes don't
crack"
So they had struggled on grimly-
muscles writing under the strain and
knuckles outstanding from knotted
fists hard as the spokes which they
gripped.
At the same time, behind them,
Frank Marsh, an aged boatswain,
swung the lever that played the
searchlight, increasingly to and fro
and while he toiled, he sweated-and
prayed. Down below, behind a
stepped, steel door, the engineer, Jack
Corrigan, Strengthened up from the
sinking cylinders, and as he mopped
his fat, red face-he swore.
These four men made up the roster
of this latest acquisition to the British
Mediterranean fleet. B-23 was a new
type of submarine, built for a special
purpose.
Should the need arise, her duty was
to fathom out the location of planted
explosives in the deep murk of harbor-
bottoms and then to render their con-
trolling wires useless through the &C.
ton of the sulphuric acid which she
carried and which could be discharged
hot from the huge platinum syringe
built into her bow.
Seemingly opportunity had come
with the departure of the Balkan
agents from the futile London con-
ference Fol it was at the very mo-
ment when the allied armies began to
tear down the web of diplomacy spun
across the Turks musty corner of Eu-
rope that B-23 had been detached from
the rest of the fiotilla at Gibraltar and
hurried away on her secret mission.
No one aboard yet, knew the pur-
pose of the trip.
Barton's Observation-Disclosures from
the acknowledgements merely to reach I
the superdreadnaught Victory, at the |
Mediterranean end of the Dardanelles,
not later than the hour mentioned and |
to have his arrival wirelessed at once
to London. He had further to deliver
a packet-then locked in his strong
box below-the official red seal of
which still remained unbroken.
Though Barton was bent upon car
rying out these instructions, the ele-
ments were not.
1t was after BIB had passed Cape,
Mataplan and, blowing desperately
against the overwhelming forces, had
worked we'll into the tangIements of
the archipelago, that her hood-gate
suddenly gave way. Il
With series of laundering CLUBS,
like the filling of some giant bottle,
the water surged into the jacket.
a head-seam opened,
swamping the forward trimming-tank,
and before either helmsman could
reach the planning lever Of the hori-
zontal rudder or throw the control of
che balance-weight, the submarine dug
her snout into the waves and went
plunging beneath the surface like a
frightened narwhal.
Frantically, Rolf jerked at the
dangling bell-cord, while Barton leaped .
toward the ladder from the hatch to
the room below. The drive of the en-
gines ceased when the boats propel- I
ers sliced into the air, but her own {
thrust her onward. And
when gravity clutched at the logging "
I'D, she dove In a short, swift arc, O
coming. an instant later, to grinding b
Icraping stop which shook Barton
rom the rungs of the ladder and sent '
aolf Keeling against the lookout-port- /,
Barton leaped to his feet, and be- q
ore rushing to inspect the damaged G
ank wrenched open the door Of the n
Il
For Gods sake!" he shouted to Cor
igan, quick! Get that gate shut and K
he pumps going! And the weight as t.
ar aft as 1t will go! Flood that rear d
too! Tilt her up, some
OWL q,
Loosened by the hammering seas, OF
he automatic bolts had allowed the h,
ate to slip. W
Corrigan switched on the engines ta
nd closed it again in moment
here he held it by wedging the gears. ly
tut single glance told Barton that b.
ae rent forward could not be repaired tr
nder water. AZ he hurried back. he IA
xught sight Of the balance-wsight in