Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-12-29

arm he tossed the envelope into the
sea. $50 much for your accusations"
he continued. But now that / have
done with you, will pay my respects
and leave YOU"
well, murderer, what are you go
ing to do with me?' I asked. Fling
me overheard to join the captain?"
Stapfhaus unused, while / waited.
did not dare to hope; thought that 1t
was merely a ruse whereby he might
enkindle my hopes again, only to
crush them.
Adams" he said at last, when I
was sent to prison in Berlin for for
gerry you were one of the witnesses
against me. I had forged check of
yours to the amount of q thousand
marks. You had the power of adding
another count to my Indictment.
When you were called upon to testify
you refused, pleading your diplomatic
privilege. Why did you do so? Be-
cause you pitied me?''
to court I responded.
Stapfhaus jumped forward impul-
sively.
That's well said,' he cried. IF you
had pitied me I should have flung you
into the ocean. But now-well, why
should r? You are a prisoner of war,
and, so long as / remain in Germany,
my government will never deliver me
up to pay the penalty for this tech
nical piracy. So you shall be left to
the arbitration of fate. Get up!"
I rose unsteadily, with aching head.
I could draw my breath only with
the greatest difficulty; there was a
bruise on my side the size of plate
the result of spent fragment of
shell, as I discovered afterward. 1t
had exploded, knocked over the deck
house, and killed the sailor Petersen,
before knocking me over.
cite him to the WHEEL" Stapfhaus
commanded, and I was speedily dashed
up. Then, bidding me a mock fare
well, he was gone to his own vessel.
Their sails were unfurled and they
began to draw away from us, but not
more than a hundred feet Straining
my eyes through the murk and gloom
of the gathering night, | perceived
that we were still linked by a cable,
and that the Lena was towing me, for
some reason of her own, toward an
unknown destination.
Night FELL nothing was any longer
visible. I did not even know that the
Lena was within sight, except that the
steady soughing of the waves against
the vessel ON which I stood told me
that I was still being towed along.
The night wore on; l was shivering in
the cold. 1t was growing rougher, too,
and flying spray drenched me. Pain
from my wound and weakness at
length produced semi-comatose con-
dition, from which I was awakened
suddenly to find that the Yankee Girl
was no longer being towed through
the waters, but drifted helplessly at
the mercy of the waves. The Lena had
gone.
Suddenly a long beam of light fell
upon the waters on the port side,
played there, and disappeared across
lowing it to it's source, I perceived a
single eye of light at a great distance;
and behind it another; then another.
Instantly I knew the solution of this
mystery. 1t was the Russian squad
ron, feeling it's way cautiously to-
ward the coast of England
Then from the depths beneath me I
heard cry.
"Ship ahoy!' it came.
And suddenly rocket flew into the
air, not so yards away, and descend
ed in a shower of sparks.
1t was a rocket fired by the fishing
fleet, in warning of danger, or to keep
the vessels together. Undoubtedly the
Lena had towed me into the middle
of the fishing squadron and left me
there, with no lights showing, to their
imminent danger.
Suddenly the finger of light from
the Russian vessel pointed full at me,
illumining every inch of the ship. In
it saw the little fishing boats tossing
like cockleshells, here and there, on
every side of me. And suddenly
heard roar as of an express train
in the air above. My ears had been
schooled to that cry the previous aft
ernoon. But whereas the Lena's were
toy shells, these were from the heavy
guns of battleships.
It was the Russians, Smelling the
fishing fleet
I pass over the scene that followed.
In the dark, save where those fiery
fingers picked them up, the fishermen
were helpless. Again and again the
giant shells hurtled through the air.
plunging all round me, bringing death
and destruction in their wake. Cries
and curses came to me as the fisher
men frantically endeavored to escape
from the destruction, only to be
tracked down. / expected my own de-
struction imminently.
Suddenly I saw figure scramble
over the sides of the Yankee Girl. He
rushed toward me, knife in his
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