William Seil - The Furt The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Titanic Tragedy

Fortunately, none of the passengers was partial to bitter cold weather either. They were all below enjoying the comforts of the ship. The captain had posted men inside to be on the lookout for Brandon’s men, and at the same time to redirect any passenger who might want to wander out on deck.

Holmes and Miss Norton were at my side. It was our job to stand watch on the port side of the boat deck, along the second-class promenade. The captain, Futrelle and Boxhall were guarding the starboard side. Other members of the crew were posted by the boats at the forward end of the ship.

I remembered Brandon’s words well. A ship would be waiting for him and his four companions at midnight, a mile off the starboard side of the ship. It was now approaching 11.30. If they were to make their rendezvous, they would have to arrive soon to take one of the lifeboats.

Miss Norton’s teeth were chattering. In the dim glow of the ship’s lights, I saw Holmes give her a disapproving look.

‘Miss Norton, silence is essential.’

‘I do not think they are coming,’ she whispered. ‘Not if they know that Doctor Watson and Mr Futrelle have escaped.’

‘We cannot be sure of that.’

Boxhall had issued each of us with a heavy coat. He said he had worked on deck many a time without getting cold. After a while, however, I noted that they were not designed to keep a man warm while sitting still.

Miss Norton moved close to me. Why had such a young girl chosen such a dangerous career? Being a courier was difficult enough, but this...? If Brandon and his friends did come on deck, I resolved that my chief responsibility would be to protect her. Why had she insisted on joining in this vigil?

There was a glow on the deck of the ship. Ice was forming! An odd chase this would be if we all ended up sliding into each other...

‘I say, Holmes,’ I said, quietly. ‘Do you remember the Roylott case, when we stood watch outside the house at night, and the cheetah and baboon were roaming the grounds?’

‘Yes, Watson, I remember. That was a long time ago. As I recall, it was much warmer...’

‘Quiet,’ urged Miss Norton.

I was about to make a brief reply, when she put her fingers over my lips and whispered, ‘No, please, listen!’

There was a clattering sound coming from the raised area, just forward of the aft funnel. In the dim light, I saw several figures moving about. Quietly, they moved towards the ladder and then disappeared. Moments later, one man, dressed in dark clothing, made his way across the deck. I did not need to see his face. The height and breadth of the man immediately told me that it was Swede.

The huge figure disappeared behind a lifeboat, while the others remained hidden around the corner. From time to time, we heard rustling and clanking sounds. While the temptation to leave our hiding place was overwhelming, we remained in the shadows, listening and watching.

Several minutes passed, during which we heard nothing but the sound of the wind whistling across the deck. Then there was a faint clanking of metal, followed by a cranking sound. The lifeboat forward of Swede began to rise, up, up and over the rail, until it was positioned above the water. Then Swede emerged, cautiously walking to the centre of the deck. He looked all around, fore, aft and up to the raised roof. Deciding that all was clear, he motioned to his friends to come out of hiding.

Swede returned to the lifeboat and lifted the edge of the canvas cover, as his companions hurried across the deck and stood anxiously by the rail.

At that moment I felt a tap on my shoulder. Holmes moved casually out on to the deck. His revolver was pointed directly at the men.

‘Stay where you are, Hugo Brandon.’ His voice cut through the wind, and the five men searched quickly through the darkness to trace its source. Within moments, all eyes were fixed on Holmes. ‘You will not be going anywhere tonight,’ Holmes said.

Brandon stepped forwards, peering into the darkness. ‘Commodore, is that you? Why yes, I believe it is.’

A man in the shadows reached slowly into his coat. Charlie, Kurt, Willy? I could not tell.

My revolver in hand, I quickly took aim. I did not have time to fire. There was an explosion and flash from Holmes’s gun. The man twisted and fell to the deck, holding his right shoulder.

Unfortunately, the revolver’s recoil caused Holmes to lose his footing momentarily on the icy deck. Brandon and his men used the opportunity to jump for cover behind a lifeboat. It was directly in front of the boat that had been positioned over the water.

Holmes, regaining his balance, ran back to Miss Norton and me, pushing us to the deck as he skidded to a stop.

‘That should bring the captain and his men,’ Holmes shouted. ‘Would you prefer to put down your weapons now, or wait for them? It makes no difference to me.’

‘We will wait for a while, if you do not mind,’ Brandon replied. ‘If I were you, I would forget about us and conduct a search of this ship. As Doctor Watson may have told you, we planted two bombs. And you do not have very much time.’

‘Oh, the one in the post room. It is already defused, but thank you.’

A gun fired, chipping a splinter of wood from our lifeboat. A flurry of shots followed. But they were not aimed at us. The attention of Brandon and his gang was now drawn to the captain and his men, who emerged from both forward and aft positions. As the ship’s crew began to shoot, our adversaries were caught in a crossfire. Clearly, they could not hold their position behind the lifeboat.

Suddenly, there was a chugging, mechanical sound. The lifeboat over the water was being lowered. Swede and the wounded man jumped over the rail, but both were hit by gunfire and fell limply over the side. Moments later, the three remaining men came out of hiding, their guns blazing. Two of the men held their ground until they fell to the deck. But Brandon, after firing two shots, jumped over the rail. By this time, the lifeboat must have been half-way to the water. The gambler was taking the biggest gamble of his life.

The captain and his men came out from their positions of cover and rushed across the deck.

‘Raise that lifeboat!’ the captain shouted.

Boxhall ran to the motor and reversed its direction.

We all gathered by the rail as the lifeboat rose from the darkness. It was empty.

Ten minutes later, Holmes, the captain and I approached Miss Norton and Futrelle, who were standing on the starboard deck.

‘Do you see anything?’ I asked.

‘We think we see a ship’s lights about a mile out, but we are not sure,’ said Miss Norton.

Then the five of us went to stand by the side of the rail, waiting quietly, looking out across the water. It was not long before we saw a blinker signal sending a short message.

The captain chuckled. ‘They are signalling “WWU” — Workers of the World, Unite.’

‘Captain, may I use that signal lamp over there?’ Holmes asked.

The captain nodded and, smiling curiously, switched on the device.

‘Holmes, I didn’t realize that you knew Morse code,’ I said.

‘I have learnt a few new skills over the years, Watson.’

Holmes took the device in his hand and switched the light on and off. There was no reply from the mysterious ship.

The captain was laughing heartily but the rest of us remained in the dark.

‘Holmes, whatever did you say?’

‘What any good Englishman would say, of course. “Rule, Britannia.”’

Chapter Twenty-Two

THE MORNING OF SUNDAY 14 APRIL 1912

Sherlock Holmes shook his head as he closed the cover of his watch.