The Washington herald., 1914-03-15

| Win
MY God, sir LOOK therep a quar-
termaster shouted.
His rush checked, he looked to where
the officer pointed, the boat deck of the
Ella; and there, the tarpaulins flung
aside, were two business Maxims, on
each saddle of which sat a man, his
thumbs on the firing levers. and the
deadly cartridge belts ready to spit fire
and death on their swift run. The
LaLrelias' captain became perfectly ST.
lent and looked around him. The square
of attackers had broken up and twenty
gray men were driving his crew and
officers like sheep into the forecastle,
there TO huddle and hold them. Five
more gray hends were vanishing be-
low to the saloon deck to provide for
the comfort of any stray stewards or
sailors whom they might find there Ten
more raced to the cabins. Two, prompt
as lightning. raked the foc'sle. Half
dozen might by this, could the captain
have seen then-he guessed it anyway
have been found in the engine room
Six or seven separately guarded Nchosen
points. The slim young man held in
check the extraordinarily silent cap
tain and quartermaster. and he said:
Captain, If you are 4 wise man, you
won't fight. / am sorry to have made
an example of your hand-for which
you should really improvise a tempo
rary bandage with your handkerchief
but hope it will be III only example
necessary to make everybody behave
quietly"
To which the captain answered in ex-
| tracrdinarily moderate language:
"You may do practically what you
like here, sir. My operator will have
signaled for help FIVE minutes ago."
No. sir" said Charles Captain with
his smile. THE wireless room was one
of our first cares. The instrument is
now Of no use to any one. and as for
your OPERATOR
He was being marched across to Join
the others behind the twenty pistol
points.
The captain raised his voice and
shouted: Men, charge theml Curse
you'll Charge them! Rushl R" his
voice was drowned in a grating roar
from the Ella for answer The slim
young man must have signaled. One
of the Maxims had given the Laurelias'
captain sauce for his order. For one
minute nothing could be heard but the
whistle and rattle and roar of the shot
as it screamed over the Laurelias' deck,
knocking off her top hamper, ripping
up the planking, and smashing the boats
on the davits.
When silence that seemed like death
after the tumult had fallen, Charles
Captain spoke again with admirable pa
tience.
You see that" said he 1--WE are
Iully armed. We have a certain pur-
pose on this ship, and we shall carry it
out. Will you join your crew. sir?"
AT pistol point the captain and the
quarternaster, swearing softly TO each
other in a bewildered way were walked
forward and joined the huddled crowd
behind the fence of gray men.
Charles Captain ran. laughing, be-
low. In and out of saloons. stewards
rooms, kitchens, he darted, here and
there he collected a couple of cooks, a
stewardess, and the restaurant manager
who had hitherto escaped vigilance and
now were Matching plots, and he drove
them up before hir to the crowd be-
hind the gray fence.
Down again he leaped Women's
shrieks, male curses, execrations from
passengers of both sexes met his ear
as he ran alongside the cabins, where
ten gray men worked like demons,
rifling purses and jewel boxes, finging
through the portfolios any firearms they
came across, and fastening each door
behind them-having smashed in the
locks-by the improvised means of a,
rope passed from eacn to each through
staples knocked in Ike lightning for
the purpose by the gray man told off
for this duty.
Calling for haste, Captain plunged
down TO the strong room.
The massive door was fast, but a |
gray friend awaited his coming.
Ready Captain cried. The friend
smiled
RUM" he said in answer a second |
later and they rushed away The ex-
plosion followed in a moment, and the !
door fell to the assault of dynamite |
glance around. He scented much spoil, !
but what his eye sought for and light
ed on first were five stout cases pad
locked and hooped with iron.
He ran out.
Into the engine room ne surgcd like
a tide, and saw his gray engineers at
"Olh WIFI lllCc SOiIlpdlllOlS nOiu1lS
back the ships hremen, stokers, and
two officers.
Hurry up" cried Mr.. Captain. 1T
is a simple job after ali. Disconnect
the shaft and chuck the bolts over
board. One OF you come with me-"
Back to the strong room they ran.
Bourbon now clattereG down to help.
What is there" he gasped.
Captain pointed first TO the FIVE
boxes, and his voice cracked with tri-
umph.
Stuff worth the whole shipp
Bourbon flung himself at the boxes.
"All together" said Charles Captain,
heaving at the first one till his sinews
felt like bursting. Zone by one get
them up, and overheard
So one by one the three tugged those
boxes on deck, and dragged them to
the side-> There, below, waited the
Elias boats. From the Elias bridge
Ragtar still directed matters and on
her top deck two sailors still smiled
behind two Maxims.
The boxes were lowered one by one,
and Captain raced back to the strong
room, Bourbon hare on his heels.
'There1l be other things" he painted.
Passengers Jewels and plate"
hey rihed the place
y hope to heaven we get off" prayed
~SSsES.