The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-02-14

were commanded Dy the same omCer
on each occasion. So much we learn
ed-or rather, Nikolai le~arned-dur-
ing these nightly visits Of ours Nj
kolai spoke German as his mother
tongue, and even naval officers grow
garrulous after the fourth bottle.
But as to the mechanism of the
Hertha, or its objects in the pc
riodical Journeys, nobody could say.
Our investigation must be made per-
sonally.
1t was on Thursday, June 20, that
we laid our final plans. The Hertha
had locked; judging by precedent, she
would set forth upon the following
evening. The approach to the slip
was guarded by a couple of marines,
who were relieved periodically; but
we had discovered where Lieut.. Won
Beeman lived, and believed it would
be easy to gain admittance. We
were to wait in the proximity of his
house until he left on the following
evening to take up his command. We
would follow close upon his heels and
pass in a short distance behind him;
under the circumstances it would be
improbable that the marines would
question us. But to ensure against
any unexpected circumstances, Nike
lai had a forged paper from the min.
istry of marine, detailing him, with his
orderly-myself-to accompany Won
Beeman upon his next journey.
l confess l was trembling when,
on the ensuing evening, we put this
scheme into execution. 1t must have
been in the evening, just when the
long twilight was yielding to night,
before we perceived the lieutenant
leave his quarters and stride sharply
down the street. We followed him,
gradually edging up closer. At a
short distance from the entrance to
the slip he swung round on his heel.
Halt" he cried sharply, seeing
our uniforms and thinking us sailors.
What the devil are you men
doing here? What ship are you
from?"
But that 1t was nearly dark l could
have sworn Nikolai grew purple in
the face from feigned wrath.
Attention, sir" be bawled. 81 am
Captain Won Obermeister of the min
istry of marine" l saw the lieutenant
bring his heels together with a click;
he stood stiff as a ramrod and his
hand went up to the salute mechan-
ically. Nikolai sputtered and storm
ed i~narticulately for a few mo-
ments.
Schmidt" he cried to me at
length, withdraw seventeen PAGES in
accordance with the regulations"
I understood only the motion of the
hand. But Nikolai explained to me
subsequently that this was the form
ula prescribed in the case of an officer
intending to admonish a subordinate.
According to the rules of the service,
no officer might rebuke another in
the presence of an enlisted man.
Hardly had I withdrawn when ]
saw Nikolai leap toward the lieuten'
ant and metaphorically rend him. His
| voice, a continuous low basso, was
hardly punctuated by the ~lieutenant'S
high-pitched apologies. Won Bee
man was limp and actually trembling
when Nikolai. having concluded hi
lecture, recalled me. MY orderly
Schmidt, accompanies me-" snarlec
Nicolai. You have read the order
Forward! march,"
And we passed into the slip wher'
a long, low, oval craft was mooreC
with ropes against a sloping dock. Al
we approached, a half dozen sailors
rose and stood at attention.
"WiIl you step aboard, sir?" ask
ed the lieutenant with Difference. nj
kolai accepted the invitation; l fol
lowed him; then came the lieutenant
the sailors %trooping in behind him
and soon we were all ensconced |
the hollow of the ship. A few me-
ments afterward the rope was cas-
off and we glided down the slopin
dock into the water. Soon we wer
skimming the surface of the cana
Presently the waves began to rise; tn
lights ashore receded; a keen win
nipped our faces. l knew that W
had passed into the North sea. TIL
deck was closed and we plunged int
the depths, our periscope alone Wis
BILE above the waters.
The lieutenant himself stood at tn
steering gear, Nikolai beside him
Their gaze was bent intently upon
sort of camera obscura, very much n
sembling the ground glass of a pho
~tographic box, upon which were rt
t1ected the starry heavens, changin
only as the ship altered her course
Three bathoms beneath the surfac
we could discern everything above U
by the medium Of this eye, which col
nected with a long, hollow tube, tn
top of which was fitted with a serie
Of lenses and ROT some feet abov
the water. Hence the presence Of an
vessel would be as discernible g
though we were in an open boat.
We three were gathered together
the end of the hold. Packed closel
around us was machinery of a compl
Gated and. to me, unknown typ
though I recognized a barometer,
huge compressed air tank. a gas
line tank with a series of pipes an
valves, and the inevitable motor. Upt
the side Of the ship, close by. hung
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