Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-02-21

tons, but took me by the arm, and, pass
ing from the house by a back door, he
went some way down a narrow street
There a cab waited for us, and we drove
away, but not before one, who stood on
the pavement, had made a slight signal
to me, and called another cab. In him
recognized Detective Inspector King, and
| knew that we were followed.
CHAPTER XXI.
We drove rapidly and took a train for
Tilbury. The journey was accomplished
in something under an hour: and when
we alighted and got upon the bank of
the river. | saw steam launch with the
man John in the bows Of her. | entered
the launch and we started immediately
going at great pace towards Sheerness; !;
and reached the More after some buffet
with the seas in the open. At this point
we sighted the tender. and went aboard
her, when we made full speed towards the
North Foreland
Black had made colossal mistake,
from his point of view, in setting foot in
England; but the crowning blunder Of his
life was that fatal act of folly by which
Now the object of letting Black reach his
vessel again was as clear as daylight; it
was not so much the man as his ship
which they wished to take.
But were we followed? I had seen
nothing to lead me to that conclusion as
| came down the Thames; and now, ia
vored by an intensely dark night, we
promised, If nothing should intervene, to
gain the Atlantic in two days, and to be
aboard that strange citadel which was our
stronghold against the nations. There
was no sign Of any warship pursuing; no
indication whatever that the tender. then
steaming at thirteen knots towards Dover,
was watched or observed by any living
being.
l was dead worn out and slept twelve
hours at the least, for it was afternoon
when l awoke. Black was not in the
cabin, and l went above to him on the
bridge. There was no land then to be
seen; but the clear play of sparkling
waves shone away to the horizon over a
tumbling sea, upon which were few
ships. Upon one of these he constantly
turned his glass.
By and by all the crew began to OBJ
serve Blacks anxiety and to crowd to the
starboard side but he told them moth
ng, although he never left the bridge. 1t
was somewhat perplexing to me to OBJ
serve that, while the great ship was un-
doubtedy following US, she did not gain
a yard upon us.
This strange pursuit lasted three days
and into the third night when I was
awakened from snatch Of sleep by the
firing of a gun above my head. l got on
deck, where my eyes were almost blinded
by a great volume of light which spread
over the sea from point some two miles
away on our starboard bow. We had been
in the Atlantic then for twentyfour
hours. and l did not doubt for a moment
that we had reached the nameless ship.
Had there been any uncertainty, the wild
joy of the men would have banished it,
l heard the voice of Black singing,
Hands, stand by to lower boatsw At
that moment the cruiser showed her teeth.
Suddenly there was rush of fame from
her bows, and a shell hissed above us
the first sign of her attempt to stop us
joining our own ship.
We were no more than a quarter Of a
mile from safety. but the run was full of
peril, and, as the launch stood out, the
nameless ship of a sudden shut off her
light, if possible to shield US in the dark.
But the pursuer instantly flooded us with
her own arc. and. following 1t with quick
shots, she hit the jolly-boat at the third
Of the eight men there. only two rose
when the hull had disappeared
Fire away" cried Black, shaking his
fist, and mad with passion "and get your
hands in; you'll want all the bark you've
got just now"
But we had hauled the men aboard as
he spoke, and. though two shells foamed
in the sea and wetted us to the skin in
the passage, we were at the ladder of the
nameless ship without other harm. and
with fierce shouts the men gained the
decks.
For them it was a glorious moment.
They had weathered the peris Of city,
crisis of the pursuit. 1t was a spectacle
to move the most stolid apathy; the sight
of a couple Of hundred demoniacal figures
lighted by the great white wave of light
from the enemy's ship, their faces up
turned as they waited Blacks orders,
their hands fourishing knives and cut
lasses, their hunger for the contest be-
trayed in every gesture.
Boys" cried Black. 'yonder's a gov
ernment ship. You know me, that don't
run after war scum every day, for that's
not my business. But we're short of oil,
and the cylinders are heating. Boys, it's
swing or take that ship and the oil aboard
her"
Look out sft-the torpedo"
A tiny line of foam was just visible
for a second in the way of the light; but,
the moment the cruiser had shot 1t from
her tube, she extinguished her arc, leav-
ing us to light the waters with our own.
There was no difficulty whatever in fol-
lowing the line of the deadly message.
Full speed astern :" roared Black, and
the nameless ship moved backwards, fast
er and yet faster. But the black death
bearer followed her, as a shark follows a
death ship; we seemed even to have back
ed into its course-it came on as though
to strike us full amidships, but the great
ship swung round with a majestic sweep,
and as we waited breathlessly. the torpedo