"Now there’s a chance of doing something," commented Fosterdyke, telegraphing for a touch ahead with Nos. 1 and 2 motors.
As the "Golden Hind" passed immediately over the life-buoy a grapnel, lowered from the after-part of the fuselage, engaged the rope, and in a remarkably short space of time a stout hawser connected the British airship with the still buoyant bows of the German.
Fosterdyke waited until the "Golden Hind" had swung round and was pointing "down wind," then he ordered easy ahead with the two for’ard motors. This gave sufficient tension to the hawser, which was now inclined at an angle of about thirty degrees.
A "snatch-block" with an endless line was then allowed to run down to the hawser.
"Now the rest is easy," declared Fosterdyke, but for once at least he was greatly mistaken.
The first of the Huns arrived in a bowline on board the "Golden Hind."
"Ve vos dwanty," replied the German, holding up the fingers of both hands twice in order to make his meaning clearer.
More Huns emerging from the for’ard gondola of Z64 confirmed the man’s statement. One was evidently an officer, but his features did not in the least resemble those of Count von Sinzig, whose photograph had appeared some time back in the illustrated papers.
Seventeen Huns were transhipped in about as many minutes. The eighteenth was half-way along the tautened hawser when Fosterdyke shouted, "Let go!"
Leading-Hand Jackson obeyed the order instantly. The ring of the Senhouse slip was knocked clear, and the hawser fell with a splash into the sea. The "Golden Hind," released from the drag of the partly water-logged Zeppelin, shot ahead.
She was only just in time. The baronet had noticed a tongue of flame issuing from the centre gondola of Z64. How the fire was caused was a mystery, since had the Huns wished to destroy the wreckage they would have waited until the last man was clear of the Zeppelin. Possibly the wiring of the electric stove had short-circuited when in contact with the salt water.
In less than fifteen seconds from the time the hawser had been slipped the hydrogen escaping from the leaky ballonets was ignited. The aluminium gasbag was surrounded by flames. The heat caused the gas in the still intact ballonets to expand, affording sufficient lifting power to heave the wreckage almost clear of the water. The remaining Huns, keenly alive to the terrible danger, promptly jumped into the sea.