Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-12-10
TWENTY-FIRST INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER LxxiII.
The Encounter at Sea.

The Encounter at Sea.
Over the sea, up into the stars, sped
the distress call of the ship at sea:
IS. o. S. Gretzhoffen! S. o. S. Gretz-
hoffen!"
Broken, incoherent at times, but inn
perative, the strident wall of the wire
less clamoring out into the empty air,
asking for ears far away to listen to
what it said. And ears did hear-the
ears of friends.
The prime minister of Gretzhoffen,
rs has been said, had by this time
succeeded in making some sort of
clearance of the unwelcome guests or
the Gretzhoffen palace. He had got
the king to bed, some Of his officers to
horse, and a few of his servants to
work. AS for himself, he felt him.
self unable to establish the broken
machinery of the government on any
lasting basis. Frederick-Count Fred
erick-the man with the strong brain
and arm-where was he?
Bent upon answering for himself
this somewhat imperative question,
the prime minister made search here
and there for some clue to the miss
ing nobleman. His agents ran the
trail to the dock whence Count Fred
erick had sailed so many days ago.
He learned that at the time the kings
yacht had put out there had been seen
the line of smoke of a passing steam
er, far below, toward the mouth of
the bay. Apparently the kings yacht
had set out with the purpose of inter-
cepting this steamer. What then had
happened none could tell. Some
where out on the sea the nobleman
of Gretzhoffen had disappeared.
Therefore, said the prime minister
TO himself, it might well be true that
Count Frederick, having been gone a
certain period of time, might now be
ready to return. These long absences
were usual with him, but always he
had come back. Hitherto that had
meant his return by land. Now it
must mean his return by sea. 1t
might be quite as well, reasoned the
prime minister, to have one of the
earliest interviews with Count Fred
erick on his return. 1t was we'll, sure
1y, to be we'll established with those
who would take control of affairs in
the distracted kingdom of Gretz-
hoffen.
Il shall even take our other yacht,
the Adelina," said the prime minister
TO himself land put myself in the way
of the royal yacht, should it now be re-
turning" And even so he did.
The Adelina was stout little steam
ing craft, of good lines, and well
enough armed.
The prime minister did not hasten
in his errand, for indeed he had no
definite purpose in view. Only, having
put the Adelina into commission, he
pushed out quite beyond the bay, I'M
til he felt the long roll of the Med
iterranean under him. Then, as it
CHANGED, at a point not so far from
the late shipwreck of the Prinz Adj
Ter, he slackened speed and kept him.
self barely under way. Having moth
ing better to do. he waited.
Ii was night now, and the stars were
shining brightly above. The gentle
airs of the South European sea were
soft and languorous. But, to the prime
minister, as he restlessty paced the
deck of the Adelina, these things
were lost. He was engaged in retiec-
tions of none too pleasant a nature.
Signing, he said to himself: There is
no use in this. l might as well put
back"
He turned as the boats wireless OPP
orator fastened to him now, a paper
in his hand. He had not noticed the
crackle of his own wireless masts of
late, although from time to time he
had sent out signals in the hope of
striking somewhere some information
regarding the missing craft.
Il beg pardon, sir said the messen-
ger excitedly, but we have just got
an S. o. S. Someone is calling the
AdeIina."
Calling us-where is it-who is
it," demanded the prime minister.
They are calling Gretzhonen and
signing Frederick. 1t is S. o. S.
they are in trouble somewhere. Who
is 1t, excellency?"
The prime minister started as
though struck by an electric shock.
Frederick! Who but the very man
| want-Count Frederick-and calling
ust Tell me-what is it that he says.
Only the same thing, excellency-
s. o. S.-Gretzhoffen-Adelina-
Frederick And, yes-he says One
hundred and seventy-tive miles south
southwest
One hundred and seventy-five miles
= that, of course, must mean from the
port whence he sailed. We are more