The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-02
self in the bag in place Of the corpse 70
be thrown overheard and thus escape.


be thrown overheard and thus escape.
Escape where? Swimming on the
bosom of an ocean unless there is a
vessel near or land within reach is an
undesirable change even from captiv-
ity. No; there was noIhing in that
idea and 1t was baniShad.
That afternoon cloud of smoke
appeared on the horizon, and soon the
black hull of a war vessel doomed up.
There was coll:Iotion on board the
Ensden, for the vessel might be Brit
ish warship. The captain permitted
her to come close enough to see that
she few the union jack of Great Brit
ain and that she was a much larger
craft than the Emden. Then he be-
gan to show his heels.
That night the lights on the Emden
were darkened, and she changed her
course several times. Quite likely the
British ship also covered her lights. At
any rate, she was not to be seen. The
Emden's captain hoped that when day.
light came again he would be rid of
her. Unfortunately for the Emden the
night was bright by the light Of full
moon, SO that she could be seen by her
pursuers.
The next morning ut dawn Jack
Marston went on deck and at the first
break Of day deserted the British ship
somewhat nearer than the night before.
The Britisher must have discovered
the Emden at the same time, for a
dense cloud of smoke issuing from her
stacks indicated that she was putting
fuel on her fires. The Emden followed
suit and made every effort to escape.
For time it seemed that the English
man was gaining; then for an hour
she neither lost nor gained. Jack, who
was watching her closely, made up his
mind that she was slowly losing.
Now, the crew of the Sea Gull were
hoping that they would be rescued.
and when Jack told them that the
Britisher was slowly losing ground
they were much disappointed. Jack
determined to take an awful risk.
That was to get himself sewed up in
the burial bag and thrown overheard.
with the hope of being picked up by
the pursuing ship. He told his mates
of his plan and asked them to
help him. They looked upon his
scheme as foolhardy and tried to dis
suade him from it. But when they
found that this was impossible they
offered to do anything he suggested in
their power.
No In,
of the officers and crew Of the Emden
was confined to getting away from the
pursuing ship. The Sea Cults men
might steal the body Of their dead
comrade and hide 1t. They might then
! sew Jack up In the burial bag and
heave him overheard without permits
sion. They might omit the shot usual
ly tied to the ankles for sinking pur-
| poses, and Jack would not remain long
under water. On rising he would en-.
deavor to attract the attention Of the
Britisher.
The crew of the Sea Gull agreed to
do their part in the matter. II Jack
wished to commit suicide he might dc
80. That was his lookout, not theirs
So when every one of the Emdens
crew was intent on the pursuer they
took the body out Of the burial bag
and Jack got into it with pieces OF
cork tied under his shoulders, some
provisions in a rubber bag, a bottle
Of water, knife and piece of white
cotton cloth attached to a stick fol
signal purposes.
1t was decided to ask the captain OF
the Emden for permission to bury
their dead companion. He was toe
busy ut the time to give any though,
to their request and granted 1t with d
nod Of the head. Then the sailors car
ried Jack to the side of the ship and
standing about him uncovered, slid hin
overheard.
Jack did not mind being discovered
In the water by the Germans, for Ii,
knew they would not think Of stoppin!
to pick him up. He was not below tn,
surface more than twenty seconds, bu
when he reappeared the cruiser wa
going so fast that she was alread,
quite distance from him. The gaz
of most of them was in his direction
but was fixed on the pursuing ship
One man caught sight Of him, bu
Jack simply floated on the surface an,
was probably supposed to be the corps
that had been given burial. At any rate
no especial attention was paid to hin
and he was being rapidly left astern.
Jacks main fear was that the Brit
\ Usher, being in hurry, would fail t
pick him up even IL he succeeded Il
attracting her attention. He was dl
rectly In her line and with his whit
flag would likely succeed in maxim
himself seen. She was nearly half a
hour behind the Emden and losing
When a few hundred yards from hin
he waved his flag. He knew that h
was seen. for he saw several person
pointing at him and evidently discus,
ing him.
. But Jack was Mortified to see tn
ship proceed on her way without stol
. ping for him. She had gone nearly
, mile beyond him when gladdenin
. sight met his view. There was boa
: being lowered. There were men in 4
and when in the water and loOsene
t from the ship they pulled toward him.
, Jack was picked up and the shi
e waited for the return of her boat. He
commander was conscious of losing o
2 the Emden and had decided to save tn
4 man in the water. When Jack wa
' taken aboard he was piled with que
4 Al Al l..