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Mystery Ships
Mystery Ships (Trapping The "U" Boat) By Alfred Noyes. Published in London in 1916. (194 pages)
CONTENTS:
Chapter I. The Traps — Chapter II. The Under-Sea Pirates — Chapter III. Kilmeny — Chapter IV. The Scalp — Chapter V. A Christmas Dinner — Chapter VI. Periscopes and Roses — Chapter VII. The "Lusitania" Waits — Chapter VIII. The Skeleton Forest — Chapter IX. Heroics and Laughter
The Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books, due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests, we have made it digitally available and have brought it back into print for the preservation of printed works of the past.
EXCERPTS:
...It was on a fine summer morning that the fishing-trawler Victoria left a certain port beloved of Nelson, to fish on the Labadie Bank. She carried a crew of nine men, together with a little boy named Jones—a friend of the skipper. There is a well-thumbed copy of Treasure Island, beloved of all the youngsters of that district, in the local library. Perhaps it was this book that had inspired him to the adventure, for, though nobody quite believed, at that time, in the existence of the Twentieth Century pirate, there was adventure in the air, and it was only after much pleading that he was allowed to go. This vessel, of course, was unarmed and used only for fishing. For a week all went well. There was a good catch of fish, splashing the rusty-red craft with shining scales from bow to stern, and piling up below like mounded silver. The crew were beginning to think of their women at home and their accustomed nooks in the Lord Nelson and Blue Dolphin taverns.
...They were about a hundred and thirty miles from land when the sound of a gun was heard by all hands. The boy Jones ran up to the bridge, where he stood by the skipper. In the distance, against the sunset, they saw the silhouette of a strange-looking ship. At first it looked like a drifter, painted grey with mizzen set. But the flash of another gun revealed it as a submarine. The skipper hesitated. Should he stop the ship, trusting to the laws of war and the good faith of the enemy? The lives of the crew and the little boy, who had been left in his charge, were his first thought. Yes, he would do so, and the order was given. The engines ceased to throb. Then, as the ship rolled idly, he was disillusioned. The gun flashed again, and he knew that he was facing an implacable determination to sink and destroy.
...It was only a forlorn hope, but he would risk it, and not a man demurred at his decision. The engines rang "full speed ahead," and the Victoria began to tear through the green water, for home.
...The next morning, in the direction indicated by that report, several patrol boats heard the sound of gunfire and overhauled a steamer, which had been attacked by a submarine. They gave chase by "starring" to all the points of the compass, but could not locate the enemy. A little later, however, another trawler observed the wash of a submarine crossing her stern about two hundred yards away. The trawler starboarded, got into the wake of the submarine, and tried to ram her at full speed. She failed to do this, as the "U" boat was at too great a depth. The enemy disappeared; and again the trawlers gathered and "starred." In the meantime, certain nets had been shot, and, though the enclosed waters were very wide, it was quite certain that the submarine was contained within them. Some hours later, another trawler heard firing, and rushed towards the sound.
CONTENTS:
Chapter I. The Traps — Chapter II. The Under-Sea Pirates — Chapter III. Kilmeny — Chapter IV. The Scalp — Chapter V. A Christmas Dinner — Chapter VI. Periscopes and Roses — Chapter VII. The "Lusitania" Waits — Chapter VIII. The Skeleton Forest — Chapter IX. Heroics and Laughter
The Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books, due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests, we have made it digitally available and have brought it back into print for the preservation of printed works of the past.
EXCERPTS:
...It was on a fine summer morning that the fishing-trawler Victoria left a certain port beloved of Nelson, to fish on the Labadie Bank. She carried a crew of nine men, together with a little boy named Jones—a friend of the skipper. There is a well-thumbed copy of Treasure Island, beloved of all the youngsters of that district, in the local library. Perhaps it was this book that had inspired him to the adventure, for, though nobody quite believed, at that time, in the existence of the Twentieth Century pirate, there was adventure in the air, and it was only after much pleading that he was allowed to go. This vessel, of course, was unarmed and used only for fishing. For a week all went well. There was a good catch of fish, splashing the rusty-red craft with shining scales from bow to stern, and piling up below like mounded silver. The crew were beginning to think of their women at home and their accustomed nooks in the Lord Nelson and Blue Dolphin taverns.
...They were about a hundred and thirty miles from land when the sound of a gun was heard by all hands. The boy Jones ran up to the bridge, where he stood by the skipper. In the distance, against the sunset, they saw the silhouette of a strange-looking ship. At first it looked like a drifter, painted grey with mizzen set. But the flash of another gun revealed it as a submarine. The skipper hesitated. Should he stop the ship, trusting to the laws of war and the good faith of the enemy? The lives of the crew and the little boy, who had been left in his charge, were his first thought. Yes, he would do so, and the order was given. The engines ceased to throb. Then, as the ship rolled idly, he was disillusioned. The gun flashed again, and he knew that he was facing an implacable determination to sink and destroy.
...It was only a forlorn hope, but he would risk it, and not a man demurred at his decision. The engines rang "full speed ahead," and the Victoria began to tear through the green water, for home.
...The next morning, in the direction indicated by that report, several patrol boats heard the sound of gunfire and overhauled a steamer, which had been attacked by a submarine. They gave chase by "starring" to all the points of the compass, but could not locate the enemy. A little later, however, another trawler observed the wash of a submarine crossing her stern about two hundred yards away. The trawler starboarded, got into the wake of the submarine, and tried to ram her at full speed. She failed to do this, as the "U" boat was at too great a depth. The enemy disappeared; and again the trawlers gathered and "starred." In the meantime, certain nets had been shot, and, though the enclosed waters were very wide, it was quite certain that the submarine was contained within them. Some hours later, another trawler heard firing, and rushed towards the sound.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Alfred Noyes
526 books59 followersAlfred Noyes was the son of Alfred and Amelia Adams Noyes. His father was a teacher and taught Latin and Greek and in Aberystwyth, Wales. In 1898, Alfred attended Exeter College in Oxford. Though he failed to earn a degree, the young poet published his first collection of poetry, The Loom of Years, in 1902.
Between 1903 and 1908, Noyes published five volumes of poetry including The Forest of Wild Thyme (1905) and The Flower of Old Japan and Other Poems (1907). His books were widely reviewed and were published both in Britain and the United States. Among his best-known poems from this time are The Highwayman and Drake. Drake, which appeared serially in Blackwood's Magazine, was a two-hundred page epic about life at sea.
Noyes married Garnett Daniels in 1907, and they had three children. His increasing popularity allowed the family to live off royalty cheques. In 1914, Noyes accepted a teaching position at Princeton University, where he taught English Literature until 1923. He was a noted critic of modernist writers, particularly James Joyce. Likewise, his work at this time was criticized by some for its refusal to embrace the modernist movement.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/alfred-n...
Between 1903 and 1908, Noyes published five volumes of poetry including The Forest of Wild Thyme (1905) and The Flower of Old Japan and Other Poems (1907). His books were widely reviewed and were published both in Britain and the United States. Among his best-known poems from this time are The Highwayman and Drake. Drake, which appeared serially in Blackwood's Magazine, was a two-hundred page epic about life at sea.
Noyes married Garnett Daniels in 1907, and they had three children. His increasing popularity allowed the family to live off royalty cheques. In 1914, Noyes accepted a teaching position at Princeton University, where he taught English Literature until 1923. He was a noted critic of modernist writers, particularly James Joyce. Likewise, his work at this time was criticized by some for its refusal to embrace the modernist movement.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/alfred-n...
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