09 - Blake of the "Rattlesnake" - How We Escaped

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter nine of Blake of the Rattlesnake. This is LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. This
recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Blake

(00:21):
of the Rattlesnake by Frederick T. Jane, Chapter nine, How
we escaped. Whether we should find our colliers at all
was a good deal open to question, since by destroying
them the enemy could make pretty sure of getting possession
of any British warships left in the Baltic Without the

(00:43):
precious black diamonds, ships were only so many useless hulks.
As it turned out, we never met the colliers. The
sea was deserted of everything save a few German men
of war which had been gaining cheap naval knowledge by
watching the fighting. I I think, sir, said my fellow
sob to Blake. I think it wouldn't be a bad

(01:04):
idea to run alongside one of these German packets and
take his coal from him by force, on the grounds
that the end justifies the means. Athorn. No, that won't
do at all, for we should either have to stand
the broad of Lord knows what for doing it, or
else sink the German with all hands, so that no

(01:26):
one should lay a complaint against us. And I suppose
you'd hardly advocate that, replied the skipper with a grim laugh.
Perhaps they give us some on the quiet in a
friendly sort of way, I suggested you do, do you, said, Blake, Well,
it's a pity you haven't read the newspapers. A bit more.

(01:49):
I think that's a North German Lloyd over there in
the fog. We'll overhaul her and test your idea of
doing things in a friendly sort of way. In a
short while we were within hailing distance of the steamer German. Ahoy,
called the skipper, then turning to us, what the deuce
is the German for coal? Neither of us knew, though

(02:12):
Thorn volunteered quite a dictionary of German swear words. Probably
he knows English, Sir, try him in that said I Oho,
came the answering hail from the German. Have you any
coal to spare? We want coal, we yelled in unison. Yaw, yaw,

(02:32):
he replied, but kept on his way just the same.
We hailed him again and again, and after a bit.
A stout red bearded teutan got on the edge of
the bridge and made a speech in our direction, but
the purport of his words we could not catch. At
the risk of collision, we got close alongside, so close

(02:53):
that her sides towered high above us, and we could
hear the sneering personalities of the passengers who had crowded
to this to gaze at us. Some lumpy German girls
on the promenade deck leveled heavy witticisms at our battle
worn uniforms, but there was no reply to our request.
Can you spare us any coal? Hailed our skipper again.

(03:16):
Nine nine is the concherpatavar. No matter, we must have it.
Charge what money you will for it, We must have it.
Nine mine frent You English are no longer z c bully,
you are extinguished, and your von Leadel ship will soon

(03:37):
join the Ozers. You will not have set time for
to burn it. And then he laughed and said something
in German that seemed to mightily amuse the rest of them.
The plight we were in was bad enough, but to
be taunted with it by a German merchant. Skipper Blake
kept his temper outwardly, however, as he replied, and suppose

(03:59):
we take it from you by force. For answer, the
red bearded one pointed to a German ironclad looming up
through the mist, a four funneled monster that no one
could mistake, and then he laughed, long and heartily. Damn me,
I've a good mind to blow the fellow out of
the water, growled Blake. The ironclad and steamer had been

(04:21):
busy exchanging signals. The former now drew nearer, dipping her
flag to us, ironically enough, no doubt as she did so,
and we punctiliously returned the salute, while our late acquaintance
went on her way, the laughter of passengers and crew
still ringing over the water. The iron Clad seemed disposed

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to be nasty, and after all it was small wonder.
I owned to a sensation something like what I experienced
when caught by the farmer in an orchard in my
Britanna days, and I think we all felt that way.
More or less, both vessels were lying alongside, blowing off steam.
It was no use our trying to run away from

(05:05):
right under her guns. The only thing to do was
to brazen it out as best we might. The long
in the short of it was that she sent a
boat to us, and a very dapper officer, in striking
contrast to our shabby, war worn uniforms and filthy decks,
came on board us. I understand, sir, said he to

(05:26):
Blake in excellent English, that you had been trying to
take coal from our merchant ship Yonder. I sympathize with
the downfall of your nation's sea empire, but I do
not think that it justifies piracy on the high seas, which,
to put it plainly, is what your attempt would have
amounted to had you been able to carry it out.

(05:48):
Look here, sir, said the skipper, facing him squarely. I
acknowledge that but for your arrival, we should have taken
what we required, though we should have paid for it.
I regret the incident, but it was unavoidable. The issues
depending on our return are so momentous that any course
is justifiable. Put yourself in our place. The German made

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no answer for a while, seemingly turning the matter over
in his own mind. Then, rather to our surprise, he said,
in your place, mister Englishman, I think I should have
tried to do the same thing. I regret our inability
to help you, for that matter, I regret that our
ships are not fighting side by side with yours. But

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regrets only are vain. Should you by chance find a
couple of our boats loose with coal in them, well,
you know your English proverb about finding being keeping. Should
you do so, please return the boats. And then he
took his leave, following in his wake. An hour or

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so later we sure enough came across a couple of
large boats crammed with sacks of coal. These last we
got into our bunkers, and having neatly folded the sacks,
returned them and the boats to the Ironclad with many thanks.
The Germans. Good offices did not end even here, for
he held on the same course as ourselves till we

(07:17):
were clear of the Baltic and keeping close on his
off side, we managed to pass unobserved a Russian ship
or two, that, had they seen us, would doubtless have
managed to cut us off in the straits. The Baltic
Sea Canal had of course been closed to all belligerent warships.
We had precious little coal, however, and were pottering along

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in the North Sea very slowly, when by great good
fortune we came across the Elizabeth E. Greenwood, a big
American collier flying a French flag, and of her we
made a bogus capture, as she was fitted with the
Temperley transporter. We colled from her then and there, and
for a consideration that must have cost Blake no end

(08:03):
of money, her skipper, a character name is Sinbad n Rock,
consented to accompany us on our fateful mission. Our coal
difficulty being thus over, we went on at fifteen knots,
which was the utmost the Elizabeth E. Greenwood could manage,
and in due course, without meeting either friend or foe,

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we arrived at Aberdeen, whence Blake dispatched various letters and
telegrams that had to do with the Great Scheme. Here too,
we filled up with coal so as to keep our
supplies in the Yankee for another day. And this done,
we made south until night, when we doubled around, and
thence at easy speed, keeping well out to sea, round

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the north of Scotland, and then southward again till we
came by night off the west coat of Erin. Blake's
first care on arriving there was to land with half
a dozen Blue Jackets and march across country to Lamblash
which he reached in the early morning before anyone was
astir This little expedition cut the telegraph wires and destroyed

(09:10):
the instruments to prevent the possibility of any news of
our presence being sent to the mainland by that means.
And Thorn and I then brought the Rattlesnake round to
lamblash Harbor with the collier in tow. The steamers from
Androssen and Glasgow had ceased to run since the early
days of the coal strike, and we found the harbor

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deserted save for a few fishing boats and a trading sloop.
These we scuttled lest their crews putting to sea should
reveal our presence, and after that we felt safer. There
was some excitement and consternation when the good folk of
lamblash awoke to find us lying in the harbor close inshore.

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We flew no colors and were at first taken for foes,
rumors of disaster. Perturbed, even this secluded sp until we
had steamed round the island again and destroyed or captured
every boat we could find in creeks or inlets. We
let them think what they pleased of us, and by
the time we returned found some preparations for defense going on.

(10:16):
If the gathering together of a small body of men
armed with sporting guns can be so styled. They were
glad enough to learn our nationality and readily supplied us
with provisions, of which fortunately they had no lack. Though
the prices charged were, as was perhaps natural enough, exorbitant,

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This business of catering fell mostly to me, and glad
I was of an opportunity to stretch my legs on
land again. Though I went ashore in plain clothes, I was,
as a stranger, quickly noticed, and innumerable were the questions
put to me, questions to which I returned as evasive
answers as possible. Even here it was best to be

(10:59):
as sequk as possible over our plans, and this Blake
had impressed upon me again and again before I departed
on my mission. It was as well that he had
warned me for the destruction of the telegraph, now universally known,
had raised curiosity as to our motives in the minds
of the most thoughtless. And do what I would, I

(11:21):
was simply besieged with questions, at last finding that I
was taciturn whenever my back was turned, they set to
work to cross question the blue Jacket I had brought
with me to carry my purchases, and gladly enough I
let them do so. The blue Jacket, knowing nothing of
Blake's scheme, could not accidentally reveal anything, nor was he

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likely to surmise aught that would not, with equal probability
occurred to his questioners. My purchases completed, I was returning
along the lengthy village street when a couple of men,
evidently tourists, came out from a hotel near the landing place.
Excuse me, sir, said one of them, addressing himself to

(12:03):
me with a smile doubtless intended to be ingratiating. But
I understand you are an officer of the warship in
the Harbor. I told him that I was. In that case,
he went on, you will perhaps forgive some pardonable curiosity
on my part, on the part of both of us.
In fact, these wild reports of a disaster to our

(12:25):
fleet in the Baltic have they any foundation? In fact,
the whole fleet is destroyed, I answered, somewhat curtly. I
am afraid, But somehow I did not like the man
or his way of asking do s it unfortunate. Sorry,
I'm sure might have been worse, though, he continued in

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a half aside to his companion, you are quite sure
that no vessels escaped enough to join with the ships
left and win a battle, He went on to me,
As I told you before, the whole fleet is destroyed,
so far as I know, and to the best of
my belief, ours is the only British ship that got
out of the Baltic I replied, And your ship is

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she likely to do anything? Questioned the other I cannot
really say. Time will show. Then, remembering Blake's horror of
newspaper men getting hold of any information whatever, I suddenly
asked them what papers they represented? Oh that's it, is it,
the first speaker remarked with a smile, and fumbling in

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his pocket, he produced a card, setting forth that he
was one green, having something or other to do with
the stock exchange. My friend here, he continued, is also
a stockbroker, mentioning his name, mister Fergus, very well known
and respected in the city. I assure you we're both
heavily interested in the war. Heavily interested. It was terribly

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unfortunate for us to get stranded here so long no steamer. Still,
we managed fairly well with a telegraph. Now, however, that
your captain has seen fit to destroy the wires which
were so important to us, I trust that I'll be
willing to run us over to Glasgow as a slight recompense,
will be prepared to pay handsomely for the passage. Of course,

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you'd better come on board and suggest it to him yourself,
said I, smiling inwardly, as I thought of the reception
such a speech would be likely to meet with from Blake. Thanks,
I'm sure, he drawled. Well, I fear we detain you.
I'm glad this Baltic news didn't come a few days sooner.

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Very glad, Good day to you, and thanks again, good afternoon,
I answered, more curtly than ever, and continued my way
to the landing stage, where the boat awaited me. It
took some little while to get all my purchases properly stored,
and while this was being seen to, I had leisure
to observe my late acquaintances. They were busy bargaining for

(15:03):
the use of one of this few small pleasure boats
that Blake had left in the harbor. All the larger
boats were hitched up to the groggy Lizar as are
blue jackets, termed the Yankee Collier, the one who had
done most of the talking to me, a red headed
person with small, beady eyes close together and an enormous mustache,

(15:25):
was endeavoring to overcome the objections of the boatmen to
venturing near the rattlesnake, so at least, I judge from
their gesticulations. His companion, a dark, ordinary enough looking man,
was taking no part in the conversation, but watching our
boat as though speculating whether it would be any use
to beg a trip off from me. Having no desire

(15:48):
to be bothered with them again, I expedited our departure
and was soon on board ship, once more, telling Blake
of our probable visitors, but concealing their intended request as
I didn't want to spoil sport. Blake, however, listened to
my tale very seriously. Indeed he made me repeat it

(16:08):
somewhat to my astonishment. As to me, the incident seemed
trivial enough. I thought them most splendid examples of your
theories as to the patriotism of the average modern Briton.
Sir self first and country afterwards, I said, Unfortunately, it

(16:29):
doesn't end there. In this case. I'm thinking we'll have
trouble with these fellows if we don't look sharp. Trouble
in what way, sir? Many ways? Still, it may be
mere fancy on my part, but all the same, I'm
glad they are coming on board. If they strike me
as at all suspicious, I'll keep them here. Though I

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can't say I feel anxious for the society of these
sorts of bounders. What possible harm these fellows could do,
or why they should wish to do any to us,
was beyond me. Still, I didn't argue the point with
the skipper. He's been getting devilish fidgety of late, I
confided to Thorn. He remarked in return that he'd noticed

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the same thing too. It's the disadvantage of not being
only a sub, said he, And we thought no more
about it. The enterprise upon which we were now embarked
was as serious as could well be, And looking back
at it now, after the lapse of years, I wonder
at the easy, devil may care sort of way in

(17:33):
which Thorn and I took things all through. We were
very young, both of us and to the young nothing
as serious, and that I suppose is the real reason
why we never troubled over the probable fact if indeed
it occurred to us that our friends and relations would
by this had given us up as dead. For Blake

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had refused to allow us to post any letters during
our call at Aberdeen, and the last they had heard
of us would be our trip on convoy duty to
the Baltic. As a matter of fact, the news of
the Rattlesnake's arrival at Aberdeen had been communicated to the papers.
We couldn't keep that visit secret, fortunately for Blake, unfortunately

(18:16):
for our friends. The papers a day or two later
contained a brief report of how, putting south from the
Scotch Port, the Rattlesnake had been attacked and sunk by
French cruisers, all on board being lost. This, however, I
did not hear of till long afterwards. I thought when
I heard it, and still think that Blake himself was

(18:38):
in some way responsible for this report getting afloat, though
in what fashion he managed it I cannot surmise. End
of chapter