A prodigious frown accompanied Dodds’s mild, ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ as he went to the compass platform.
Barratt kept the casuarina trees under close observation, first with the naked eye and then, as the distance increased, with binoculars. Though the trees were tall and on high ground, their image was blurred by distance and early morning mist. When five miles from them Barratt decided to go no further. ‘Get a fix now, Pilot,’ he ordered, ‘and plot the patrol line.’ He turned to the First Lieutenant. ‘I want a masthead lookout, Number One — plus doubling up the bridge lookouts, and two officers on the bridge until further notice. Object of the exercise? — to keep the casuarina trees under observation. What to look for? — smoke near the trees by day, fire at night. Reason why? — there is a Japanese submarine in the creek and Katu has a pal on the island who will light a fire near the casuarinas if the Jap begins to move. When you’ve got those lookouts posted I want you to take over again so that I can clean myself and get something to eat.’
The First Lieutenant’s astonishment was manifested by an unbelieving frown and a delighted grin. ‘D’you mean to say it really is there, sir?’
‘It is, Number One, and I trust it doesn’t leave before we’re ready to deal with it.’
Much happened during the next few hours while Restless steamed up and down her patrol line on a glass-smooth sea, the heat growing more intense as the sun climbed into a cloudless sky. On Barratt’s orders the shore party had been told to rest until further orders. He himself, changed and breakfasted, had gone back to the bridge at eight o’clock. In the chartroom he briefed the First Lieutenant on the shore party’s expedition, sketching in the details of what they had seen, and what Katu had heard from Aba Said’s father. ‘What’s the plan, sir? Are we reporting this to Kilindini?’ Barratt shook his head. ‘No. Not yet. That Jap won’t be tempted out if he knows we’re here. W/T silence is imperative. As to a plan…’He shrugged. ‘There isn’t one yet. I think I’ve got the beginnings of an idea. Prefer not to talk about it until it’s taken some sort of shape.’
‘Neutrality’s the problem isn’t it?’ The First Lieutenant eyed him keenly. ‘Pity the islands are Portuguese. If they were ours the RAF could bash the Jap.’
Barratt was looking at the casuarinas through binoculars. ‘Could they?’ he asked in a disinterested way. He put down the binoculars. ‘Those trees are showing up better. Mist must be lifting.’ His manner became suddenly businesslike. ‘Now, Number One. Next item on the agenda. Get Morrow to see that the loot due to Katu is placed in his catamaran by 0800. Have the catamaran and motorboat ready for lowering at that time. The motorboat is to tow Katu back to his fishing grounds.’
‘Do you want Morrow to take it away, sir?’
‘No. He’s to rest with the others when he’s dealt with Katu. Put a petty officer in the boat.’
With the catamaran in tow and a waving, smiling Katu and his possessions in it, the motorboat shoved off and made for the fishing grounds north of Tambuzi Island. The petty officer in charge had orders to return to Restless as soon as possible.
It was clear to those on the bridge that the Captain was in an uncommunicative mood. For most of the time he sat hunched in the chair on the compass platform, the white tennis hat tipped forward to protect his eyes from the sun. Occasionally he used binoculars to check on the casuarina trees, but for the most part he sat silent, deep in thought, gazing into space.
‘I wish the Old Man would go and get his head down. He looks clapped out,’ the First Lieutenant said to Lawson, the of ficer-of-the-watch.
‘Not surprising. He’s been on the go for most of the last twenty-four hours.’ Through binoculars Lawson was examining a coaster coming in from seaward, PORTUGAL in large white letters painted along its side. It was on a course likely to take it several miles clear of Restless. ‘I imagine that little chap is heading for Mocimboa da Praia.’ He put down the binoculars.
‘He must wonder what we’re doing here,’ said the First Lieutenant. ‘He’s by no means the first coaster or dhow to have seen us in this neck of the woods in the last few days.’
‘Does it matter? Remember the Old Man’s story? If asked, we’re looking for Fort Nebraska survivors. Men last heard of on a raft which may have drifted ashore on an uninhabited island.’ Lawson went on, his voice lowered. ‘Fantastic, isn’t it? That submarine being there, I mean. I never really thought it would be. Did you, Number One?’
‘No. To be honest I didn’t. Have to give the Old Man full marks for following his hunch.’ The First Lieutenant looked across to where the Captain sat. ‘Can’t imagine what he’s going to do next. He still refuses to break W/T silence. There’ll be one hell of a row when we get back.’
Lawson raised his binoculars again. ‘I suppose we’ll hang about until the Jap decides to leg it, whenever that may be. Then we’ll pounce.’
‘I wouldn’t put my money on that, Geoff. If the Jap does move it’ll be under cover of darkness. The Old Man says the distance from the huts to the submarine is about four hundred yards. They’re apparently on opposite sides of the creek. Could be difficult to see what’s going on in the dark at that distance. But even if the Africans do see, it’ll take time to get somebody up to the casuarinas to light a fire before the boat shoves off. And more time before we’ve steamed round to the other side of the island.’
‘Have you told the Old Man what you feel?’
‘No. Hadn’t thought it through until about five minutes ago. But I will tell him. Once we…’
The First Lieutenant’s sentence was interrupted by a loud, ‘Hear that,’ from Barratt who was pointing to starboard.
Almost immediately afterwards the starboard lookout reported, ‘Aircraft — green one three zero — flying low — distant. ’ ‘Catalina.’ Barratt spat the word as he glared at the flying boat through binoculars. ‘I wish he’d bugger off.’
The Catalina came closer, its fuselage glinting in the sunlight, the roundel and squadron letters clearly visible, engines muffling all other sounds. It passed over Restless, wobbled its wings in salute, and climbed steeply before flying on to the north.
Twenty-three
The unwelcome visit of the Catalina provided the opportunity for Hamilton to tell the Captain of his misgivings. ‘We’re patrolling a line to the south of the island, sir. We can see the casuarinas but we can’t see the entrance to the creek because it’s in the north shielded from us by high land. If there’s any hitch, if the Africans are late in spotting what’s happening and getting the fire going at the casuarinas, the Jap may get clear and dive before we’ve had time to cover the distance to the entrance. Isn’t that a bit of a snag?’
Barratt blinked weary eyes at the younger man. ‘It certainly, is, Number One. It’s been worrying me. But there’s no easy answer. To really bottle up the sod we should take station outside the entrance to the creek. But if we do that we’ll be seen and he won’t come out. Said’s dad says there’s a skimmer on guard duty at the mouth of the creek and we know there are sentry posts along the narrows. So what do we do? By keeping a low profile here we’ve a chance of catching Mister Bloody Nippon with his pants down. Show ourselves at the entrance and he won’t lower them. I haven’t gone to all these lengths, W/T silence, shut down radar, ignoring signals, in order to blow it all by strutting about where we can be seen.’
It was an unusually long dissertation for the Captain, but the First Lieutenant sensed that he’d been glad of the opportunity to discuss the problem.