Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

A Burned Steak _ J&sie did not reply, but went to her room . looking wilted. Sherry took a step toward the door, hesitated, turned and went out. When he reported on board the two-and- a-half-striper commander, captain by cour- tesy, mustered the crew and explained in careful language. “Somebody’s darling from Washington wants to see just how we did it over yonder. The Qo is the hare and three destroyers are the hounds with Long Island Sound as the field. We start at once.” “Cold as Hindenburg’s heart and ice-floes running. It’ll be one sweet picnic, I don’t think,” muttered the chief machinist. “What is that, Burrell?” demanded the captain sharply. “T said the ice is running thick, sir,’”’ came the prompt reply. “Oh! Yes, you are right. Back out and turn. Half-speed, Mr. Stevens. We sub- merge off Long Neck Point. They will en- deavor to prevent our passing The Race and Fisher’s Island undiscovered.” The destroyers were drawing black streaks across the sky when the Qo filled her fore, aft and midships ballast tanks, the trimming, adjusting and auxiliary tanks. She sank out of sight, periscope and all. The water was full of ice, and the grind- ing rasp of huge blocks on the thin steel shell was deafening. Not until they straightened out on the five-fathom level did the noise cease. Even then the sound of ~ ice on ice came to them loudly. Sheridan had the stethoscope tubes in his ears and was trying to judge the move- ments of the destroyers by sound. Stevens, first luff, was in consultation with Captain - Griffin. “Keep this level with a starboard helm. ( it, I should have said right.) In fifteen minutes port your helm and hold for fifteen.” Captain Griffin grinned, as he met the amused glance from the first luff over his break about the wording of an order. Zigzagging up the sound for a few miles, the sub dropped to the bottom and lay quiet in seven fathoms. A destroyer passed over her and roared off into the distance. Twin beats came from the north and south, telling of the other hounds and their posi- tions. The sub lifted gently from her mud bed, turned her nose back toward Port Chester and speeded up. Within five minutes _ mometer beside the captain’s station regis- - —a hundred—two hundred feet, and only | ee ge Sherry reported all three of the destroyers i in. hot pursuit. Then the Qo turned again. “Six fathoms and sneak,” came the order. The motors hummed low, and the sub-— mersible moved gently forward on an east- _ erly course while the three destroyers raced = crashingly through broken ice and rough- ened water westward. Just before they reached the Qo the sub sank and lay quiet Ses z once more. The destroyers lost the scent and stopped their engines, listening for the | —. beat of propeller-blades. 3 Then they started once more and ramped _ through the spume and ice toward Port = E Ss | Chester. The sub began to creep cautiously _ <a toward the passage past Fisher’s Island — and Big and Little Gull. The instant Sherry — reported the destroyers as turning, the - motors stopped and she settled a third time among the oysters. Not a man moved from his station. Not a hammer or wrench clinked on engine, — = motor or hull. Absolute silence reigned, — just as it had in channel waters when Hun ears were harkeni a At the end of two hours Sheridan reported Se no sound save the grind and-crash of ice. The sweating shell had formed a frosty coat of ice on its inner surface. The ther- i tered eight below and was still falling. = “Start the pumps on the main ballast — rd tank,” came the order. “Time to emerge. Second dog watch just gone. Easy on the pumps. We may bump.” a Slowly the sub lifted from its bed. Slowly — it rose, while the men waited and the cap- tain watched the depth-gage. Camea light bump and the Qo stopped. The indicator ene needle wavered at ten feet. : > “Under a floe. Take in ballast,” said the captain. “Take her out farther and try again. It can’t be the whole sound ISS covered.”’ “a They failed again, and the captain sent ng her out through The Race and turned toward the open sea. Once more he tried, and for the third time the conning-tower $ struck ice. Turning the hydroplanes, he _ sent her off in a long, slanting dive. Fifty — a drop of two fathoms. Then she struck with a shock and a tearing, ripping sound, ~33 as if some giant were disemboweling her. —_ “Full speed astern,” yelled Captain = 3 Griffin, and the chief electrician reversed _ swiftly. = oe (E@)