DURING THE next few days, the Aysgarth Falls met adverse winds; all hands were kept busy on deck and on the footropes, and progress through the water was slow. By now McRafferty, in obedience to Jesson’s wishes, was bringing his ship up northerly to make the new landfall between the Barrier Reef and the mouth of the Brisbane River. The windjammer’s slowed progress was allowing Halfhyde aboard the Tacoma to steam well ahead, and by the time fifteen days had passed since the renewed sighting of von Merkatz, the steamer had raised the Queensland coast ahead, with the Brisbane River and its busy shipping routes well to the south.
When the report was sung out by the masthead lookout Graves and Halfhyde were on the bridge. Both looked ahead through telescopes; it was a while before the coast came into view from their lower level; and shortly after it had done so, Graves said, “That’s it.” He waved a hand towards the starboard bow as he lowered his telescope. “Do you see it, Halfhyde?”
“See what in particular, sir?”
“Breakup Island.”
Halfhyde took a long look; the forebodingly named Breakup Island had been the place reported by Float as Jesson’s disembarkation point. The landfall had been a splendid one. Graves had once again brought up his telescope. “No sign of the windjammer, Halfhyde. She must be astern of us, as I expected.”
“Yes. The auguries seem a shade better!”
Graves nodded. “So long as our presence doesn’t drive McRafferty away when he gets here.”
“We shall give chase, sir. And no one aboard the Aysgarth Falls will be expecting me to be aboard, with full knowledge of Jesson—nor will they suspect the presence aboard us of the good Float.”
“True enough, but what about von Merkatz?”
Halfhyde swore. The German was still in attendance, still keeping his station as the Tacoma made in towards the distant coastline. “As ever, the Hun fly in the British ointment—but one that has to be accepted.”
“What do you propose to do about him?” Graves asked again.
Halfhyde gave a short, hard laugh. “At this moment, I have no idea. I suggest a masterly inactivity in regard to von Merkatz until such time as I’m struck by a stratagem.”
Graves said, “Somehow I doubt if he’ll be prepared to be disregarded. I think we’d do well to enter Australian territorial waters, Halfhyde. The protection may be slight enough, but it’s all we can do.”
Halfhyde nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a desolate coast. No one to witness anything.”
“Which is why your passenger chose it.”
“Yes, indeed! It’s admirably suited to von Merkatz’ purposes of attempting to remove me—”
“You think he’ll really do that?”
“I’m certain he will, sir, and we shall need to take evasive action, with your permission. If he opens fire, I shall quit your ship—but I’m hopeful he won’t do that at any rate, once we enter Australian waters.” Halfhyde paused. “Suppose, then, we run for Breakup Island, so as to be on station when the Aysgarth Falls makes her landfall—and that we remain hidden from her around the inshore side, and chance what von Merkatz may do? A look at the chart—”
“Shallow water on that side—”
“Exactly, sir. Enough for us, not enough for von Merkatz and his heavy cruiser. Shall we proceed inwards, sir?”
Graves said, “I’m agreeable to that—but what about the man Jesson? When he sees a man-o’-war laying off—”
“I’ve given that some thought too. But I think we must regard first things first, and see to our own temporary security—Captain McRafferty may be days astern of us yet for all we know. In the meantime, something may occur to help us, though I’m far from hopeful of that.”
They watched out ahead as the Tacoma approached the coast. There was a strong on-shore wind from the east now; soon they could see the long rollers pounding the coastline, raising a heavy spray; and soon after that, they were able to hear, distantly, the booming roar of the rushing waves as they washed the lonely beaches. Behind them von Merkatz steamed on with his great turreted batteries. Halfhyde paced the Tacoma’s bridge, frowning, cudgelling his brains. Von Merkatz, thwarted by the lack of depth to take his ship close to Breakup Island, might well decide to put a landing party ashore to prevent Halfhyde’s escape to the mainland, or he might make another and easier attempt to board the Tacoma. In either event, the British seamen, unarmed but for the Master’s revolver in his cabin, would be unable to fight back against a naval guard armed with rifles and bayonets.
Halfhyde’s face was glum as the Tacoma moved on and Graves pointed her bows towards a narrow channel that led through dangerous shoals to Breakup Island, a grim-looking place in its own right, desolate, barren, uninhabited, with some rising ground in rear that had a look as though in time it was going to be washed clean away by the action of the waves.
AS NIGHT came down the steamer was hove-to, hidden away behind the lee of Breakup Island and Halfhyde reckoned she would be invisible from the Aysgarth Falls when the windjammer made her arrival. But the worries had by no means lessened. At any moment German attack might come if von Merkatz decided to risk entry. Even if it did not, the point made earlier by Captain Graves was a very valid one: when Jesson saw the warship, he would insist that McRafferty turned away seawards again. If the windjammer was sighted in time from the Tacoma’s lookout now stationed at a vantage point on the island’s high ground, Halfhyde could follow out to sea and make contact. But to leave Breakup Island, the Tacoma would have to steam slap into von Merkatz. It was anyone’s guess as to what might then happen.
“Win, or lose it all,” Halfhyde murmured.
“What’s that?”
“Mere reflections of
