Hancock Harrie Irving - Dave Darrin and the German Submarines. Or, Making a Clean-up of the Hun Sea Monsters

H. Irving Hancock Dave Darrin and the German Submarines / Or, Making a Clean-up of the Hun Sea Monsters

CHAPTER I ON THE SEA PATROL

Nothing, sir, all afternoon, responded Lieutenant Dan Dalzell from the bridge.

Dave ran lightly up the steps, returning, as he reached the bridge, the salutes of Dalzell, executive officer, and of Ensign Phelps, officer of the deck.

Its been a dull afternoon, then? queried Darrin, his eyes viewing the sea, whose waters rose and fell in gentle swells.

No land was in sight from the bridge of the United States torpedo boat destroyer, John J. Logan, which was moving at cruising speed westerly from the coast of Ireland. The course lay through the Danger Zone created by the presence of unknown numbers of hidden German submarines.

For a winter day the weather had been warm. Forward the two men of the bow watch and the crews of the rapid-fire guns had removed their coats and had left them below.

Though there was neither enemy nor friendly craft in sight, Darrin noted with swift if silent approval that there was no evidence of lax watch. At port and starboard, amidships, there were men on watch, as also at the stern. Members of gun-crews lounged close to their stations, to which additional men could be summoned in a flash. Aft, also, two men stood by the device from which it might be necessary, at any instant, to drop a depth bomb.

Trained down to the last point of condition by constant work, these officers and men of the torpedo boat destroyer made one think of hard, lean hunting dogs, which, in human guise, they really were. Not only had toil brought this about but sleep was something of a luxury aboard the Logan. On a cruise these men of Admiral Speares fleet of destroyers slept with their clothes on, the same rule applying to the officers.

Dave Darrin had slept in the chart-room for three hours this afternoon, following eighteen hours of duty on deck.

Any wireless messages worth reading? was Darrins next question.

None intended for us, sir, and none others of startling nature, sir, replied Ensign Phelps, handing his superior a loose-leaf note-book. I think you saw the last one, sir, and since that came in there were none important enough to be filed.

Dave read the uppermost message, nodded, then handed back the book.

For the next ten minutes Darrin scanned through his glasses, the surface of the sea in all directions.

Id like to bag an enemy before supper, he sighed.

And Id like to see you do it, came heartily from Dan Dalzell.

Why dont you turn in for a nap, Dan? asked Dave, turning to his chum and second in command, whose eyes looked heavy.

I believe I could, admitted Dalzell, almost reluctantly. Mr. Phelps, will you leave word with your relief to have me called just after eight bells?

Down the steps Dalzell went, to the chart-room, closing the door curtains behind him. It is one of the unwritten rules that, at sea, the commander of a vessel and his executive officer shall not both sleep at the same time.

As for Dave Darrin, he felt that he might be on deck up to midnight, at least. After that he might snatch forty winks, leaving orders to be called just before dawn.

Short of sleep always, weighted down with responsibility, young Darrin was happy none the less. First of all, after his wide professional preparation in many quarters of the globe, he was at last actually in the great world war. He was in the very place where big things were being done at sea, and the war had brought him promotion and independent command. What more could so young a naval officer ask, except sufficient contact with the enemy to make life interesting?

An hour passed. Dave and Phelps talked but little, and nothing out of the usual happened, the Logan keeping on her course still at cruising speed. But now the sun was well down on the western horizon; the northwesterly wind blew a little harder, though not enough to roughen the surface of the sea noticeably.

Orderly, there! called Phelps, quietly from the bridge. Go to my quarters for my sheepskin coat and bring it here. Do you wish yours, sir? turning to Darrin.

Ill step below and get it, decided Dave. Ill probably be back here with you shortly.

Going stealthily into the chart-room, Dave took a glance at his chum, now sound asleep in a chair, with a blanket drawn

over him. Dave reached for his coat, donned it and buttoned it up, then stepped outside. First of all he moved forward to make a brief but keen inspection of the gun-crews and their pieces; then, to starboard, after which he strolled amidships. For a few minutes he was below to receive the report of the chief engineer, then went aft to inspect the gunners and the watch, returning on the port side to the bridge.

Soon after that the sun sank into the sea, and darkness came rapidly on.

Its going to be a fine night, sir, said Ensign Phelps, as Dave came up on the bridge.

A fine night for something besides steaming, I hope, Mr. Phelps, Dave replied, with a smile in which there was something more than mere wistfulness.