The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-08

there's Only one thing to Be done.
Your shirts older than nire-give ne
q piece
NO, while I can Are another shot.
Adams" replied Talbot saikily. Sur
render What for
Because our positions hopeless. /
r~tor,ed We can't get away. and
we could they'd catch u again Tai
bot. they'll release you It's me they
want Make q taS out Of your shirt
You be damned retorted Talbot
sulkily. Say that again and III bash
yer blarsted tyce in
silence" I shouted I'm COM
handing ofacer here. my man or
der you as your ofncer to hoist that
flag
%. orl right" said Talbot sullenly.
I heard the z-z-E OF linen In the tear
ing. And then. slowly. Talbot hoisted
the white flag on his rife barrel
4 moment later a little sQuint-eyed
japanese tripped out OF the wood and
beckoned 10 US.
This way. gentlemen" be shouted.
pointing to a line OF coarse tusscck
grass that grew near and. as ! now
perceived. formed an excellent path
way through the morass. Fling down
your rifles" he added. Now your pis-
tolls, So,"
At a signal from him three Indians
stepped forward from among the
trees and bound US. after which we
were led along a narrow trail that
seemed to disappear right over the
face of the cliffs. In places the path
was so narrow that we literally chung
10 the side OF the precipice. Presently
II widened out: we were descending
wooded chine that led to the little
cove. on which already we could hear
the booming OF the sea-rollers. A turn
disclosed 1t to US. 4 neat little mill
tary house. the encampment OF the In
dams. and a large shed. surmounted
by high pole for wireless transmits
sion, stood just at the boundary OF the
high tide, fringed with coarse sea-
weed and almost washed by the spray.
At the encampment we were halted.
What are you going to do with us?"
asked Kitachi
The little man turned round and
looked at me QuiZZically.
do you know why I spared your
lives?" he asked.
And murdered our companions" I
retorted bitterly
Kitachi shrugged his shoulders. 81
obey my emperor" he said. saluting
(! at the word. Their lives are moth
ing, my life Is nothing. and yours are
nothing, to be weighed in the balance
with his command. / spared yours
because, gentlemen-you are to be the
torpedoes."
What" I cried.
"Since you will never leave this
spot alive, I will explain the matter
gladly. The principle Of the new d.
rigible torpedo is different entirely
from that Of any other. 1t is not only
directed, but is set in action from the
shore; in other words, instead of be-
ing discharged at high rate Of We
locity, it proceeds at constant and
leisurely speed through the waves, un-
til within aiming distance of it's tar
get. Then, and then only. does the
operator on shore detonate the charge
and hurl the missile into the vitals of
the ship. Now you will readily see
that, proceeding at such a low rate
OF speed, a torpedo OF metal would
simply sink below the surface Of the
waves. We must make use, there
fore, OF something Of the same rela-
tive gravity as water-in other words,
the human body. Now, when you are
IN hn1 han @f
and discharged at constant speed of
some ten miles per hour, you will
| make your course half submerged,
and. when the charge Is detonated,
you will hit the flagship betwixt wind
and water-exactly on the water line"
What. make a torpedo out Of met"
cried Talbot, advancing upon the
Japanese with whirling fists / pulled
him back with difficulty from the
Japanese's revolver
while there's life there's hope. Tai
bot" I whispered Kitachi heard.
You have until tomorrow morning
at ten, gentlemen" he answered
briefly. "At that hour the flagship
will be passing abreast of our sta
ton. They are now nearing the en-.
trance; you see. am picking up their
position by means Of wireless"
He smiled dispassionately. He
seemed inhuman, discarnate, a living
intelligence not subordinate to the
human emotions Of man. but dedicated
wholly to his duty.
VIII you be paroied until tomor-
row, or will you be tted?" he asked.
we gave our parole. Apparently XII
tachi had entire confidence in It, for
ne merely indicated q tent In which
we were TO sleep and went into his
! house
shall never forget the horrors of
that night At ten In the morning We
+ were to die. to fulfil the forged COM
munication to K.tachf. And tbis he