The Press., 1915-03-10
The Mystery Of the Pelican A Story of the Sea During
 Wartime.
By P. A. MITCHELL


 verted after the great European wal broke out to a United States vessel She carried a cargo of copper. Wheth CT 1t was intended for Italy or was te be forwarded to country engaged fl war I never knew, but did know that copper was in great demand for tho manufacture of ammunition. And further knew that, although we were sailing under the stars and stripes, oul captain was constantly on the lookout for war vessels, though I am not surt whether at that time copper had beer | declared contra band of war.
 We steered a course south of that usually taken by ships bound for the Mediterranean in order to take as lit tie risk as possible. There are few vessels to be met with on that part of the worlds waters. and we did not speak a ship till we were in longitude 32 degrees 10 minutes west, latitude 2S degrees 20 minutes north, and then we spoke a vessel we came upon because she had been abandoned.
 She was a small steamer of about 800 tons. Our captain, after satisfying himself that he could get no reply to signals, sent me aboard of her with a dozen men to examine her and report. I found her in good order, but the only living thing aboard was dog. He was dying of hunger, but considered that he could not have been left there very long or he would doubtless have died. for I could not find any indications that food had been left for him.
 I went below to have a look at the cargo and found the hold full of rifles. The machinery seemed to be in good working order, and there was trace of fire left in the furnace. The only thing wanting was the lifeboats. l saw no reason why she should not be taken into port as prize. 1 signaled the captain. telling him what l had found. and he came aboard to have q look at the ship and cargo himself.
 We concluded that the vessel had sighted a man of war and that the crew, expecting capture. had concluded to get away themselves. There were several ways by which they might have escaped-in d fog or by boarding a faster vessel than the pursuer. The absence of the ships boats tended to confirm this theory.
 The captain concluded to try to get the vessel into port as prize. If she could be taken to Europe her cargo f1, yal, Ill lNl1f of PSa there was danger of pture by war vessels, for there was no doubt that a cargo of rifles was contraband of war. Anyway, the captain directed me to re- main aboard with the men had with me, including an engineer that he would send me, and ordered me to try to get the ship to either a Spanish or a Portuguese port. If I could get far enough north to reach the western coast of France, better still, but he ad- vised me not to try for France unless cape in that direction.
 Since there was fuel for power and food for a prize crew there was noth- ing to be sent me except the engineer. Soon after his arrival the fires were relighted, and, steam having been gen. erated, we parted with the Gowan, because I took more northern course, and the next morning she was out of sight.
 I found that our prize-her name was the Pelican-was a faster ship than might have been expected from her size. She could do fifteen knots an hour. There were flags of all nations aboard, which was not surprising, con sidering that she was carrying a con- traband cargo. Indeed, there was every indication that she had been taking big risks.
 One unexpected discovery was made there had been a woman aboard. We found in a stateroom we supposed to have been intended for the captain lot of feminine paraphernalia. Think. ing that in this room I might find something that would throw light on the case, I made a careful search. found nothing except a crumpled bit of writing paper on which had been written in a woman's hand:
 Father-why am locked in my room? I am frightfully worried about you. Some thing must have happened. will try to get this to you, but don't know how.
 HELEN.
 There was just enough in this to be tantalizing Who was "fatherT And who was Helen? She had evidently not been able to send her message and had crumpled it and thrown 1t into one of the drawers.
 I would bova prooaadad ok opoa f, look for further evidence, but at the time I discovered this message was called on deck by the watch, who had sighted a line of smoke on the star. board quarter. 1 kept on the same course till the steamer came near enough for me to see with glass that she was cruiser, though she display ed no flag; then I put the ship due north. which would place the cruiser astern. She was evidently coming for me. for she increased rapidly in size. put on all steam, but the cruiser must have been making from three to six knots more than l, since she drew up on me rapidly. It did not matter much what was her nationality. for if she caught us she would take our car-i go. If she were neutral and we could prove ourselves neutral we would not be liable to seizure, but unfortu- nately for us we had no plpers at all.
 It was about , o'clock in the even- ing when we discovered the cruiser, and by the time it fell dark she had approached within five or six miles of us. l ordered every light put out. but she brought searchlight to bear on us and immediately after fired a gun after us. Then n friendly fog came along and threw mantle about us that not even Il s@arc'light could penetrate. The cruiser lost us and did not find us again.
 The next day one of the crew came to me and reported that the men were in great fear that the ship was haunt ed. Moans had been heard. l sent for the man who had heard them and or