Alan Evans - Thunder at Dawn

Thackeray was not done with him. He said with satisfaction, “No doubt. The attitude of the Chileans has hardened even further. I understand the Master of the Gerda is screaming to high heaven that she was neutral and there is no evidence to the contrary. They’re really angry.” He did not say they were howling for Smith’s head but that could be read between the lines. “They were very suspicious about the seaplane and why the pinnace went to her. I told them I knew nothing about it.” He was washing his hands of that. “They’re very hostile. My protest about the German breach of neutrality was accepted and that’s all.”

“What breach of neutrality?”

“The Leopard , the gunboat interned here. There was no sentry aboard her, only one on the quay and last night, after you sailed, it seems he abandoned his post. She got up steam and slipped away.”

“ What ?”

“There’s quite a strong German faction here. So when she was interned her crew were left to live aboard. She wasn’t disabled but all her ammunition was taken off and put in bond in the Naval Arsenal. That was partly because she is, or was, tied up close to the town and they didn’t want a lot of explosives lying around there indefinitely, but it also satisfied the neutrality laws, in that she could not fight.”

“So she went to sea toothless.” Smith scowled but it was a comforting thought in one way. “With what object?”

“Object?”

“She can’t sail to Germany and in her present state she can’t fight. What reason could she have for going to sea?” He supplied the answer himself. “She’s gone to meet the cruisers.”

It was one more piece of evidence, circumstantial no doubt, but it fitted. Garrick looked thoughtful.

Smith said, “The cruisers can supply her with ammunition, and what’s more she will be one more pair of eyes for them.” Thackeray would not appreciate that. He had not stood on the bridge of Thunder that morning, cursing the lack of an extra pair of eyes.

He prompted Thackeray bitterly because Thackeray was piling it on. “Anything else ?”

Thackeray hesitated, seemed reluctant, then said, “I had a cable. Kunashiri is in these waters. She’s a long way north but she’s steaming south. She’s due at Guaya in thirty-six hours or less …”

Smith stared at him, slowly taking it in. Japan was an ally and Kunashiri was one of the big, new Japanese battlecruisers, fast enough to catch a German armoured cruiser, her twelve-inch guns big enough for her to stand off and destroy the victims when caught. Smith had wished for a consort and now he had one with a vengeance.

He found he was on his feet, and laughing. Then he remembered: the battle-cruiser was his salvation but first he had to reach her. He said brusquely, “I must ask you to excuse me now. Ariadne and Elizabeth Bell should be ready to sail soon and I want to leave for Guaya as soon as possible.”

And he wanted to be quit of Thackeray with his narrow mouth and narrow cunning, his stupidity.

Thackeray did not move. He was looking down at his hands that were clasped as if in prayer and Smith could not see his eyes though he saw the twist of the lips as Thackeray spoke. “I received a second cable. This one said that Wolf and Kondor have been sighted in the Indian Ocean and the hunt has started there.” He looked up at Smith and the eyes glittered. He had held it back to the end though it made the rest irrelevant.

Smith could not speak.

Garrick said, “Could easily be a mistake, sir. Some of these merchant chaps …” His voice trailed away and Smith knew Garrick did not believe what he had said because Garrick had always doubted. Only Sarah Benson … Garrick did not look at him. Smith thought, ‘Never kick a man when he’s down.’

Thackeray said, “They’re searching.”

Garrick said, “I think it’s time you went ashore Mister Thackeray.” Now his voice held distaste. Thackeray pulled his oilskin about him. “I’m not going ashore. I’ve booked a passage in the Elizabeth Bell as far as Guaya. I think it’s time I compared notes with Mr. Cherry, particularly as he may be called home over this — this unfortunate affair.”

Smith asked quietly, “Have you told Graham and Ballard?”

Thackeray knew what he meant — the cruisers being sighted in the Indian Ocean. He smiled. “No. I thought I’d leave that to you.”

Garrick shouldered out of the cabin after Thackeray and Smith was left alone. He sat there for some time. Once he thought that Sarah Benson had believed and he wondered how she felt. Thackeray would tell her and Graham as soon as he set foot aboard the Elizabeth Bell .

He climbed up to the bridge. Aitkyne turned his back to the wind that hurled the rain in driving sheets, wiped at his streaming face and shouted, “They’re both of them on the move, sir! Must have had steam up!”

Smith nodded. They would certainly have had steam up. By now they would have abandoned hope of Thunder’s return within the time-limit he had set and been preparing to take him at his word and sail on their own initiative. They did not know of the cruiser’s sighting, that cable had been for Thackeray and Smith only.

He was aware that Garrick had muttered to Aitkyne and now both were watching him. They looked — sorry.

He said flatly, “ Elizabeth Bell to lead at five knots, then Ariadne and we’ll bring up the rear.” The tramp was the slowest vessel. These were the dispositions he had decided before he reached Malaguay. He would play the game out to the end. “Make to Elizabeth Bell : ‘Act on instructions from Ariadne’ . And to Ariadne : ‘Pass all my orders to Elizabeth Bell’ .”

Thunder weighed and left her brief shelter and went to sea again but moving dead slow as she waited for the other two ships as they came beating out of the anchorage and plunging into the big seas outside. Ariadne led but as she came up to Thunder and the signal lamp flashed from the wing near Smith her speed fell away. Smith thought that Ballard would be annoyed at the slow speed. It was a comfortable speed for Elizabeth Bell in this weather but a funeral march for Ariadne . He saw in the lights on her deck the white faces of a few hardy souls who had braved the storm to demonstrate their loyalty. They stood in a huddled group on the deck below the superstructure and he saw them waving.

Elizabeth Bell followed close on Ariadne and narrowing the gap. Seas were bursting over her fo’c’sle. The signal lamp flickered again on Thunder and was acknowledged. No one waved on Elizabeth Bell but he saw Graham in the lighted wheelhouse lift his bowler, and abaft the bridge a figure clung to a stanchion, skirt whipping out like a flag. Sarah Benson. Smith wondered why she was on deck in this weather?

Thunder was increasing speed and Smith ordered, “Make to Ariadne : ‘Darken ship’.” And then he shifted restlessly as he came back to partial life and the thoughts stirred. He leaned over the rail, staring not at Ariadne but at the darkness astern, black, white-whipped sea and beyond the lights of Malaguay. No one on shore would see them now. “Mr. Wakely.”

“Sir?”

“I think I see a boat astern of us.”

Wakely was silent a moment, leaning beside Smith, then he said quickly, “Yes, sir. Looks like a big motor-launch — can’t make out a funnel — but I can’t make out much of her at all. She’s carrying no lights.”

Smith faced forward. “Watch her.” Ariadne and Elizabeth Bell had obeyed the order and their ports were covered and only navigation lights showed. “Make to Ariadne : ‘Turn in succession, four points to port’.” He waited as the signal was made and acknowledged and waited again as Ariadne passed it on. The minutes stretched out and then Garrick said, “ Elizabeth Bell is turning.”