Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-04-16

called upon my four northern boats,
but without reply. Their Marconi
range is very limited. About 3 in the
afternoon of the next day | had fee
BILE answer. It was q great relief to
me to find that my telegraphic instruc-
tons had reached them and that they
were on their station. Before evening
we ali assembled in the lee of Sanda
island, in the Null of Kintyre. / felt
an admiral indeed when | saw my five
whafebacks all in q row. PanZas re-
port was excellent. They had come
round by the Pentland firth and reach
ed their cruising ground on the fourth
day. Already they had destroyed TWEEN
ty vessels without any mishap. l or
dered the Beta to divide her oil and tor
pedoes among the other three. so that
they were in good condition to contin-
lie their cruise. Then the Beta and
headed for home, reaching our base
upon Sunday. April 25. Off Cape
Wrath | picked up paper from a
small schooner.
wheat "a; maize, 60; barley, g."
What were battles and commandments
compared to that!
The whole coast of Norland was
closely blockaded by" Gordon within
Gordon and every port, even the small
est, held by the British. But why
should they suspect my modest confeC-
toner's villa more than any other Of
the 10000 houses that face the sea? /
was glad when I picked up it's homely
white front in my periscope. That
night l landed and found my stores in
tact Before morning the Beta report
ed herself, for we had the windows lit
as a guide.
1t is not for me to recount the mes
sages which | found waiting for me at
my humble headquarters They shall
ever remain as the patents of nobility
of my family. Among others was that
never to be forgotten salutatiOn from
myZking He desired me to present
myself at Hauptville, but for once L
took it upon myself to disobey his
commands. 1t took me two days-or,
rather, two nights, for we sank our
selves during the daylight hOurs-t0
get all our stores on board, but my
presence was needful every minute of
the time. On the third morning at
O'clock the Beta and my own little
flagship were at sea once more, bound
for our original station off the mouth
of the Thames.
| had no time to read our papers
while | was reftting. but / gathered
the news after we got under way. The
British occupied all our ports, but 9th
erWise we had not suffered at all,
since we have excellent railway COM
munications with Europe. Prices had
altered little, and our industries con-
tinued as before. There was talk of
British invasion, but this | knew to be
absolute nonsense, for the British must
have learned by this time that it would
be sheer murder to send transports full
of soldiers to sea in the face OF sub
marines. When they have tunnel
they can use their fine eXpeditiOnary
force upon the continent, but until
then it might just as we'll not exist so
far as Europe is concerned. My own
country therefore, was III good care
and had nothing to fear. Great Brit
ain, however, was already feeling my
grip upon her throat. AS in normal
times four-fifths of her food is i'm
ported, prices were rising by leaps and
bounds. The supplies in the country
were beginning to show signs of de-
pletion, while little was coming in to