Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-03-03
| and her nationality"
The old admiral stared at him fro

zenly.
1T is l who will ask the questions" /"
he rasped out. land you will be good
enough to answer them. Let me say
directly that evasions will be useless
and vat We want is the truth" He ut
tered the last words with sort Of
snarl. which was taken up by the
others in an angry murmur.
II am an American citizen" said
Matt, with spirit. "I've committed no
crime, and I warn you that the conse.
quences will be serious II you inter-
fere with me-"
I'VE are not discussing international
law" sneered the admiral. might is
right, as You say in English. Our pa
tience with you is exhausted. You
will tell US ware is certain individual,
or else we make you"
John Mort! So it was he they were
after? This ship. these officers, the
rendezvous In midocean-all were part
and parcel Of the same extraordinary
business. In spite Of his bold front
Matt quailed inwardly. Beads OF
sweat started on his forehead. He
felt like q man on the eve of execution.
II don't know what you mean," he
said at last "An Individual? What
Individual"
"We're not here to waste time with
such breparication." returned the ad-
miral, accentuating every word with
rap Of his knuckles on the table
large, misshapen knuckles, swollen
with gout. "You know very we'll who
It Is we want, though what you do
not apprehend is our determination to
extort the truth. We are not milksops
like those others, who failed so wretch
edly, in America. We will have the
truth II we have to take your skin with
It. Vat is your answer to that, Mistaire
Broughton?"
"That I am an American citizen"
retosted Matt in an unfincaing voice.
"You are proclaiming yourself a pirate
and outside the law Of nations. You
cannot frighten me, sir. You are
naval officer, and know as well as l
do the enormity of such threats, and
that 1t will break you, admiral or not,
IL you should dare to lay a finger on
me-"
'That is beside the point" exploded
the admiral. reddening furiously. "Gome
here, and show us that island ware
It is."
Matt stood immovable.
II can't" he declared. ~ don't know
what you mean. Island? What is-
landT
Bis affectation Of ignorance e1asper.
ated the five officers, and a file OF sea.
men marched in and saluted with the
excessive humility peculiar to Ger.
man shIps-of-war At cultural COM
mand they closed about Matt, and one,
q strapping fellow with scar across
his cheek, suddenly caught him. round
the waist.
To resist was the act Of madman,
but Mats brain was whirling, and
his pentup rage burst all bounds. With
q wrestler's trick he bent down, carry
Ing his antagonist over his head, and
crashing him to the deck like a sack
Of oats. In an instant he was hitting
out with his fists. indiscrimlnately,
crafty, a jaw here, surly eye there,
smash, smash. smash, with blood
streaming, blows and yells in return,
and q rush that sent him under, bury
Ing him in a human avalanche. Had
it not been for the officers his life would
have been crushed out Of him. but they
darted into the thick Of the melee, re-
storing order like SO many policemen
at street fight.
Suddenly in the midst of the hubbub
hush fell; officers and men might
have been struck by lightning, so In
stantaneous was. the change, the 81.
lence, the awe expressed on every face.
Matt, getting up and following their
gaze, perceived an old man, gaunt and
very pale, standing in the doorway,
regarding the scene with a peculiar
f1ity. He was In blue dressing
gown and looked Ill and broken, as
though Just risen from a sick bed; but
his eyes belied his bodily weakness,
cleaning like Goals beneath his strag-
Cling white brows. Matt had a curl
GUS shock of recognition. Where had