It must not be supposed that the Germans thereupon ceased fire. By no means. An unarmed and unmanageable British steamer wallowing helplessly in the swell presented a fine opportunity for a display of "frightfulness"; therefore, on general principles, they let drive a couple of shots at close range. These shells hulled the _Glenholme_ forward on the waterline, and she commenced to sink slowly by the head.
Having accomplished her work, the submarine came close alongside and stopped, with her gun trained point-blank on the stricken vessel. The German commander, a stout-built man with bristly hair, emerged from his conning-tower. He was evidently very angry.
"Vy didn't you stop before?" he yelled. "I haf used plenty of petrol to catch you."
"I'm sorry about your petrol," suavely replied Groome.
"Vell now, hurry up and get your boats lowered!" shouted the Teuton. "I gif you ten minutes to leave--no more."
The crew of the submarine, armed with rifles, stood on their foredeck and watched the _Glenholme's_ men abandon ship. Some ten minutes later three boats containing all hands--thirty-four all told--had shoved clear of the sinking craft.
"Now," said the submarine commander to Mr. Bolt, who was in charge of Number Three lifeboat, "I vant to make use of your boat for a little time. So crowd your men into the other two boats, and shove Number Three alongside my craft. Hurry up, now, or I gif the order to fire."
There being no help for it, Mr. Bolt and his men had perforce to do as they were told. When the empty boat was pushed alongside the submarine half-a-dozen Germans sprang into her and boarded the _Glenholme_, which vessel was now deep down by the head, but still sinking slowly.
The Germans looted from their prize whatever took their fancy, while that vessel's crew sat in the other two lifeboats and watched the piratical proceedings with considerable displeasure. One man in particular, a stoker who hailed from Limehouse, became extremely indignant. Like the rest of the _Glenholme's_ men, he had hurried to the boats with little beside the clothes he stood in. His other belongings had been left in the forecastle, and he had to some extent resigned himself to their loss; but when he saw some of his property in the hands of the Huns he could not restrain his anger.