The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-13
CHAPTER ".
The Quest Of the Sea Shark.

/ Lieutenant Donald Paget STOOD on
the upper platform Of the F55, which
ran awash In the waves Of the North
Atlantic, far from the mother ship
which had conveyed her and others OF
the dotilla almost to the north OF
Scotland.
The frail little craft hummed noisily
- her petrol motors drove the twin
screws through the water. The F55,
one Of the older type Of submarine.
was making ten knots through diff
cult sea. Within her $50 feet by Is
she held an amazing potentially for
| destruction.
Above the coming tower rose the
single periscope for the captain or
lookout man-now almost useless.
should the F55 submerge herself, on
account of the washing seas. Within
the tower were the observation port.
depth meter, and tubes connecting
with the engine room and torpedo
station. The platform quivered inces-
sanity as the periscope motor under
neath throbbed, and the vibration Of
the engines made the entire vessel
shiver.
In the few days that he had been
at sea the sense of responsibility for
his ship and the lives Of his men had
weighed on Donald heavily. Now, en-
tering the coming tower, and taking
his stand beside the lookout man. he
seemed to assume dual personality.
One part Of him bent itself automat-.
ically to its task. The other was
thinking over the events of the past
few days, and bordering on their sig
nifcance.
On the day following his visit to
Baltimore, Donald had telegraphed re-
peatedly to New York, but no news
had been received Of the Beotia, and
he had been unable to obtain any in
formation concerning her from any Of
the port officials. He had finally gone
aboard at Newport News in very
disappointed frame Of mind, hopeless
of meeting Ida Kennedy until after
the war.
The chances of his surviving it did
net appear to him to be brilliant ones.
A last message from the mother ship
Informed him to keep his course
toward the Shetlands. He was in
structed that a battle cruiser had
slipped out Of the Kiel canal and
was lurking somewhere among the
Norwegian fjOrds, with a view to
evading the blockade, making for the
Atlantic. and harassing shipping there.
Tho Inference from this statement
was an obvious one, for the American
fleet's patrol joined the British in this
longitude.
Smoke to starboard, sir!''
Sam Clouts, the lookout, was speak
ing, and instantly the two parts Of
Donald's personality fused. Ida Ken
nedy was forgotten. Upon the hori-
zon, through his glasses. Donald could
see tiny spiral of curling smoke.
He flung over the surface steering
wheel and headed the F55 straight for
the stranger. From that distance he
knew that, while he could see the
tunnels Of the ship. the submarine was
invisible, owing to the curvature Of
the earth.
RelinQuishing the wheel to Clouts.
he watched the stranger. Gradually
the smoke thickened: then there came ,
into view two tunnels, and hull half !
Invisible among the ehopping waves.
It was impossible to mistake the on
coming ship. She WAS Q battle cruiser
Il ~ Bluechse class, and she could
oaly b escaping westward 10 harry
commerce along the Atlantic trade !,
roate. WltA her Hast heels and T.
ineA esost ~ csald match aay init
a1eat exeept tAese q the hone squad
rsa.
Dsaase's lsek wss NH In aftsr
a. /
Ahs vss prscssdiag vsse-aor.wsst,
sssdaAsly pszpsslne - resad TIE eAst-
loads and - gaia ths shelter Of The
npaA soas. i Was daring msneuyer,
sa0 - voGl0 eestatnly b aGhted By
~ British Destroyer Aotilla. Sun,
tAoseh - ee1la hardly outsassn
Asss 1ast little craft, she might beat
hem OF and escape before other the
British OK. the American blockadine
Eesoels could come upon tie scene.
Donald spoke Z sharp command into
10 tube Of the diving station. Tho
latcA w. 5ammed down. Ihs hosi-
'ontal fudders ct the bow were Dc.
lected the water rushed into the div.
Nc tanks, and the Fo6 began to dip.
~ surface running light slanted sea-
var0 - the bow went under, and
lowly regalnsd poise ~ the stern fol-
owed. Bringing the F55 back to IN
ven keel The hum Of the petrol mo-
ofs ceased, the hun was Alled with
he roar q The inrushins water, then
he electric motors took up their
teady throbbing.
Five metersl" announced the man
t the depth indicator. "Six meters |
)even-hahi"
At frst the hum Of the electric mo.
ofs dominated al ether sounds, but
faduaIy II became blended With q I
medley Of noises. Placing his ear q t
aOme0f ARAinAt the ulafin1 ~ fho