The Washington herald., 1914-03-15

I'VE shall do exactly anything VIEW
a mind to do, my friend" replied Cap
| tam.
He pluckerka whistle from his pocket
and its shrill note could be heard all
over the ship. He walked forward with
! the leisurefincss of man who enjoys
absolute certainty as to his enterprise,
and addressed the Laurelais' captain
and officers.
Gentlemen, we shall withdraw quiet
ly and quickly, witt our guns trained
on you, so that any attempt to hinder
or injure> us will meet with quick re-
prisal. We leave you with your wire
less apparatus disabled, and your en-
gines STOPPED. You will see, then, that
your best course is resignation and to
nerd your damage"
He whistled again, and the gray men
turned and ran together to the side ;
they left the engine room, the cabins,
every post, and rusheG for their boats.
She went politely; :he-e was no jecr-
ing, no shouting or triumph As she
drew off the gray men on deck bowed
a farewell. That was all. Ragtar de-
scended from the bridge and reckoned
the spoil Then he turned TO Captain.
Il think" he said. with his mad
CLEAN, that you must be a miracle
What we have just done is impossible"
1T could happen again and again."
said the young man with some abstrac-
ton. He had taken off the mask and
stood with it in his hand, enjoying
the summer breezes. The Laurelias
was now just great stationary figure
on the horizon
Ragtar darted a glance al him.
They'll have every boat on the At
lantic looking for US IN an hour, and
every port will be closed"
we shall not put H." replied Cap
tain. Where are we?"
Ragtar gave him the reckoning and
asked, Where shall we be picked up"
THE yachts directions" said Cap
tain, ARE to lie off Cape Verde Is
lands till we come in sight. Then TO put
out to meet u.s.
Three hours later. off Cape Verde
Islands, they came in hail of dirty
craft of hybrid nature. She purported
to be tramp going from Sagos to
Mexico, and her name, hardly legible,
was Charlotte.
She drew alongside and lowered her
boats. Captains engineers had discon-
necied the Elias propeller shaft, and
thrown over the bolts. A gray man
had disabled the wireless. These things,
after all, were now routine.
Some of you stay behind few mo-
ments," said Captain, TO set our hosts
at liberty"
They raised the matches, raced across
the deck, turned and waited to menace
with their revoiyers the first foaming
victim who stumbled up from below,
then leaped into the last boat. So,
leaving the good Ella checked in her
great race, all these gray men came
aboard the Charlotte and she drew
away with surprising speed for a craft
of such disreputable appearance.
as everything ready?" Captain, asked
her skipper.
Everything is ready
Let 'em get to work." said Mr..
CAPTAIN, the instant We are far enough
away"
The work, when i came, was stren-
uous. 1t included the sinking of a
dummy funnel, the breaking and sink
ing OF dummy mast, the cleaning of
paint and dirt-reveGling this old boat
to be the not unnoteworthy Yacht Fair
Bird-and the clapping of skipper and
crew into the accustomed uniforms. All
hands to work made excellent work. II
was a dainty and beautiful yacht which
might have been seen cruising pleas
antly around the West Indian Islands
a month later She had dropped many
OF her human freight at different ports
of call, but of the original number there
remained slim young man in beau
tiful clothes, and a middle-aged man
with a mad eye, who had recently shaved
his beard and grown his hair. and from
his discourse might have been judged
a professor of music. Both were
charming and innocuous people on pleas
ure bent
But the things which the Yacht car
ried in her hold for the port of her
sailing would have amazed inquirers.
The scene was the east room of the
Criterion restaurant. and across a table
in the window Charles Captain faced
a young, imperious woman in white.
When dinner was oversize had al
lowed dinner to be made the occasion
Of revelation-she invited him to begin
his story.
Dropping his voice to dissection,
Charles Captain began.
The story engaged a wonderfully
short time, but so breathless was it, so
lot and hard, reeking so bewitchingly
of battle that during it he hardly saw
ler face. But as he ceased speaking,
he haze lifted and he saw her, white
save for two carmine spots on her
heck bones, her mouth and nostrils
swaying over the table to-
ward him, drunk with war.
What was in the boxes from the
hip" she whispered.
He said: Specie in transit from Eng
and to Canada. There were half a
million pounds ." The assault on the
Bank Of England has been carried, as
'ou wished"
Where is it alp"
He replied; ''The bulk was dropped
i. various stages directed by your COM
nander Ragtar. to be sent to head
quarters in New York at expedient
lines. Some we brought with US. Thai
5 all in order, Think"
"All in order"
Again he could see the triunphs
Mounting in her face. She counted:
My three ships will be built this
ear. My whole organization can be
e-enforced. My whole future comes
learer = nearerl Drink, my good
,harles," said she, lifting her liqueur
lass, TO the futurep
Il drink said Charles Captain, TO
he present.