Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Prelude to the Attack on the Terror

It appears that the hidden inventor has reappeared on American soil!He was never seen on European roads or oceans.He hadn't crossed the Atlantic, apparently, that would have taken three days.Does he really intend to use the United States as a place to show his power?Should we conclude from this that he is American! I have to stick with that.It is quite clear that submarines must easily cross the vast seas of the eastern and western hemispheres.Not only is the extraordinary speed capable of shortening the range considerably in comparison with the fastest motorboats that exist, but it is capable of dodging all the seas and seas that would make the voyage dangerous.Storms pose no threat to it, and it is perfectly safe to stay a few dozen feet below the crests of the troughs and waves.

However, the inventor did not cross the Atlantic, and if he had been captured at this moment, he would probably be in Ohio, since Toledo is a city in that state. This time, the appearance of this monster has been kept secret, only the police station has notified his appearance, and the secret agent I am about to meet knows.No press—many of which paid top dollar to try to get information—covered the story.We have decided not to make this news public until the task is completed.Neither I nor my assistant will tolerate any indiscretion. It was Arthur Wells who met me by Mr. Ward's order.He is already waiting for us in Toledo.Toledo is located at the western end of Lake Erie.The train we were on passed through West Virginia and Ohio at night.There was no stop along the way.The next morning, the train arrived in Toledo.

John Hart, Nab Walker snatched off the train with his luggage bag in his hand and his hand in his coat pocket.Perhaps, we need weapons for self-defense.Just as I stepped out of the car, I saw the person waiting for us to meet. This person hurriedly looked at the passengers who had disembarked, obviously as eager as me. I approach him. "Mr. Wells," I said. "Mr. Strack?" he asked. "it's me." "I have been ordered to come," said Mr. Wells. "Can we stop in Toledo?" I asked. "No, Mr. Strack, everything is according to your instructions. A carriage with two horses is waiting for you outside the station. We must leave immediately so as to reach our destination as soon as possible."

"We can go right away," I replied, motioning for the two assistants to follow. "Not far away?" "Twenty miles." "Where?" "Black Stone Bay." Leaving our travel bags at the hotel, we started our journey.To my surprise, I found that there were enough supplies for several days hidden under the carriage seat.Mr. Wells told me that the area around Blackstone Bay was the wildest country in the state of Ohio, not attractive to either farmers or fishermen.It would be impossible for us to find a small inn where we could eat, or a room where we could rest.Fortunately, in July, the temperature wasn't too bad, even though we had to spend a day or two camping out in the open under the stars.

Most likely, if our trip goes well, it won't take us many hours. The Terror's handler must have been amazed before he had an opportunity to escape, or else he would have to take flight through the air and force us to abandon the pursuit. I found Arthur Wells to be about forty, tall and well built.I knew him as a special agent of the local police department, he was very good, he had a good reputation, he was not afraid of danger, he was always aggressive, and he showed courage more than once when his life was at stake.At Toledo, when opportunity placed him in the pursuit of the Terror, he had been alone in various missions.

The wagon drove us southwest along the shore of Lake Erie.This island-side lake is located on the northern border of the United States, bordering Canada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania on one side; and New York on the other.The reason why I specifically mention the geographical location of this lake at this moment is that this kind of knowledge is necessary for the upcoming events. Lake Erie covers an area of ​​about 10,000 square miles and has an altitude of about 600 meters.Due to the inflow of the Detroit River, it joins in the northwest with larger lakes flowing westward, taking their waters into it.It also forms certain rivers, though not very well known, such as the Rocky, Cuyahoga, and Black Rivers.Lake Erie empties into Lake Ontario at its northeast end through the Niagara River and the world-famous Great Falls.

The deepest known depth of Lake Erie is more than one hundred and thirty feet, so it is known to hold water extremely richly.In short, this is an area made up of many lakes with stunning views.Although the land here is far from the north, it is completely exposed to the wanton sweep of the arctic wind.In the lower part of the north, the harsh winter winds sweep with unstoppable severity.Therefore, the freezing phenomenon on both sides of Lake Erie can be seen at any time. The main cities in the Lake Erie area are Buffalo in the east under the jurisdiction of New York State, Toledo in Ohio in the west, and Cleveland and Sandusky in Ohio in the south.There are countless small towns and villages along the lakeshore.The transportation network is naturally well developed, and the average annual income is estimated to exceed two million US dollars.

As we drove along the rugged and little-used road by the lake, Arthur Wells told me what he knew. Less than two days ago, on the afternoon of July 26, Wells rode his horse towards the town of Herry. When he was five miles away from the town of Herry, he turned into a small woods. , on the lake in front of him, he saw a submarine actually passing through the waves.He stopped, tied his horse, and walked quietly to the lake.From behind a tree he saw—saw it with his own eyes—the submarine coming towards him, anchored at the exit of Blackstone Bay, and the thought of whether this was the well-known strange ship that the whole world was trying to track made him He stands up immediately!

When the submarine was approaching the shore, two men appeared one after another from the deck and went ashore.Is one of them the master of the world?He hasn't been seen since the reported incident about Lake Superior?Could this be the mysterious "Horror" that rose from the bottom of Lake Erie? "I'm alone," said Wells, "and take shelter on the shore of the lake, and if you and your assistant are there, Mr. Strack, we four against two, and we'll be able to kill them before they board the boat and escape." its catch." "Maybe so," I replied. "But isn't there anyone else on board? Of course, if we capture two, we'll at least know who they are?"

"Above all," Wells went on, "if one of them happens to be the captain of the Terror." "Wells, my concern is that this submarine, whether it is the one we are after or some other submarine, may have left the bay by the time you returned." "We'll find out in a few hours. God forbid, if they're still there! When night comes—" "But," I asked, "you can continue to observe until the evening?" "No, I left in an hour and galloped to the Toledo telegraph office. Arrived late at night and reported to Washington immediately."

"That was the night before yesterday. Did you return to Blackstone Bay yesterday?" "yes," "The submarine is still there?" "In the same place." "What about those two?" "It's still those two, I think, who came to this secluded place for repairs when the submarine had an accident." "Perhaps," I said, "some damage must have made it impossible for them to reach their hiding place. If they were still there." "I have good reason to think that they must go. For many supplies have been taken from the boat and laid on the shore of the lake, and besides, I can see from a distance that they seem to be busy at work on the deck." "Only those two?" "Only two people." "However," I asked rhetorically, "is it possible that only two people are sufficient to operate such a high-speed, extremely complicated mechanism, and at one moment it is an automobile, at another moment it is a boat, and at another moment it is a submarine?" "I don't think it is possible, Mr. Strack, but I did see only these two men, who came several times to the grove where I was hiding, and gathered sticks to make a fire on the shore of the lake. The area was not inhabited at all, and the lake The bay is also in the most hidden part of the lake. They don't have to worry about being found. They seem to know it well." "Can you recognize both of them again?" "Sure, one of medium size, energetic and quick, with a bushy beard. The other was smaller, but strong and strong. Yesterday, as before, I left the woods and hurried back to Toledo at about five o'clock. I found A telegram from Mr. Ward informing me of your coming, which has been waiting for you at the station." In a nutshell, the news on the matter is that for the past forty-eight hours a submarine believed to be the one we were looking for has been hiding in Blackstone Bay, anchored for repairs.Perhaps, the news is infallible, and we shall find that the submarine is still there.As for how the Terror came to Lake Erie, Arthur Wells and I discussed that Lake Erie was the most ideal place for the Terror to hide.The last time it was spotted on Lake Superior, from Lake Superior to Lake Erie, the submarine can pass the Michigan road, but because no one has reported its route, and the police and the public are not concerned about this matter. Great concern, especially in this part of the United States.More likely, the Terror came to Lake Erie by water.The entire Great Lakes area and its tributaries are extremely convenient to navigate, and it can be said to be unimpeded. With the characteristics of a submarine, it can easily pass through the waterways without being discovered. The question now was whether the Terror had left the bay, or had escaped by the time we attempted to intercept her.Where is it heading?At any rate, it was not easy to follow it, for there were two torpedo destroyers anchored at Buffalo and at the other end of Lake Erie; Mr. Ward had told me of this before I left Washington; The telegram clearly stated that if necessary, the destroyer could start to track the "Terror".However, despite the destroyer's speed, how can it match the "HMS Terror"?Moreover, if the submarine sinks underwater, the destroyer is helpless.Furthermore, Arthur Wells asserted that, even in a war, destroyers had no advantage at all, despite having a large number of sailors and guns.Therefore, if we do not succeed tonight, the attack on the Terror will fail. Arthur Wells has explored Blackstone Bay more than once, and he is extremely familiar with its geographical topography.Most of the waters of Heishi Bay are edged by steep stone walls pounded heavily by the lake.The bay was about thirty feet deep at its deepest point, so that the "Dreadful," could take refuge on or under the lake.Two or three cliffs join the beach, forming small canyons, some two or three hundred feet long, leading upwards into the woods. It was seven o'clock in the evening when our carriage reached the woods.Even under the cover of trees, the daylight still makes it easy for us to see everything around us.If we had come to the edge of the bay through the woods in daylight, we would have been exposed to the sight of the two men on board the Terror; which would have alarmed them if the Terror were still there, Let them get away with it. "Better stop here?" I asked Wells, as our gear rolled to the edge of the woods. "No, Mr. Strack," said he, "we'd better leave the carriage somewhere deep in the woods, where it won't be easily seen." "Can the carriage go into the woods?" "Okay," Wells replied, firmly. "I've been scouting out the woods. About five or six hundred feet from here, there's a clearing in the woods where we can hide safely, and where the horses can graze, and when it gets dark we have to drive On the beach at the edge of the cliff, which just guards the exit of Blackstone Bay. Therefore, if the Terror is still there, we can intercept her and prevent her from escaping." We were eagerly waiting to get started, and obviously, as Wells said, it's best to do it at night.Also as he said, we just make full use of the period before the operation begins.At this time, the carriage was empty due to unloading supplies.Let the horses pull the empty carriages.We held the bridle and led the horse towards the dense woods.Tall pines, solid oaks, and cypresses were scattered here and there, making the night above us distinctly dark.Under our feet was a woodland covered with stray pastures, pine leaves, and dead leaves.The upper parts of the trees were so densely covered with leaves that the last rays of the setting sun could not pass through them.We had to grope forward without any driving, and ten minutes later the carriage reached an open place in the forest. This open land is surrounded by tall trees, forming an oval flat land, where weeds are very luxuriant.It was still clear here, and night, perhaps, would be an hour away.So we still have time to get ready for the night and rest here a little after a rough ride.Of course we were eager to get to the bay and wondered if the Terror was still there.However, we have to warn ourselves to be cautious, and to be patient for a while, when night falls, we will be able to reach the hidden location with control advantages.Wells placed particular emphasis on the necessity of night action, which, despite my urgency, I believed to be infallible. The horses were not unloaded, and the driver who drove the carriage for us was responsible for tending and grazing.After opening the ration pack, John Hart and Neb Walker laid out the food on the grass at the bottom of the tall cypress tree.This brings me back to the fragrance of the woods in Morganton and the Pleasant Idyllic Village.We were hungry and thirsty, and there was no shortage of food and drink.We lighted our pipes, that the rest of the impatient time might pass in peace of mind. The forest was silent.The last chirping of the birds has died down.As night approaches, with occasional breezes, the leaves seldom sway even on the tallest branches, and the sky is soon enveloped in darkness as the setting sun and sunset clouds fade into obscurity. I looked at my watch, it was half past eight, "It's time, Wells." "Strack, you mean to go?" "Yes, let's go now." We reminded the coachmen not to let the horses leave the open field.We were on the road, led by Wells, and I following him, with John Hart and Neb Walker close behind me.In the darkness, the three of us would have lost our way had it not been for Wells to lead the way.We soon reached the furthest border of the woods.In front of us, both sides of Heishi Bay are clearly visible. There is silence and desolation all around, and we can move forward without fear.If the Terror was still there, she must be moored behind the cliffs, but was she still there?I suddenly thought of this question!The truth of this exciting event is about to close before us, and my heart can't stop beating. Wells motioned for us to move on.The sand on the shore creaked under our feet.In this way we crossed two hundred feet, came to the exit of Blackstone Bay, and in a few minutes reached the hanging rock by the lake. Saw nothing, nothing on the lake! The place where the Terror had been anchored when Wells had left twenty-four hours earlier was now empty. The "World Ruler" has disappeared without a trace in Heishi Bay.