Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-07-12
The
d ESTROY E R
NV BU RToN +. STEVENSON

Delcasse sat for a moment deer
in thought; then he summoned his
secretary, gave the necessary or
der about the photographs and
dictated a cipher telegram to the
chief OF his secret service at Ber-
lin. That done, he babe his secre-
tary good night, dismissed him
and went to bed.
But not to sleep. Turning at
full length upon his back, his
arms above his head, he stared
steadily mp into the darkness un.
I'll his brain, freed Of all lesser
problems, all vagrant thoughts,
was concentrated upon the great
problem which now confronted it
How had the destruction of La
Liberte been Accomplished
1t was, of course, the work OF
Germany. Those two strangers.
who spoke German in a moment OF
great excitement, who had arrived
fve minutes before the disaster.
who had FASTENED away immedi.
ately afterwards, who had lied
about their destination, and for
whom a steam yacht had been
waiting-all this, as Crochard said
could have but one meaning.
And then Delcasse fairly bound.
ed in the bed. Fool that he had
been not to think of it! There
was another proof! The telegram
from the emperor!
lie lay a moment trembling.
then Gained himself by'a mighty
effort. How was it the emperor
had learned so promptly Of the
disaster? There was only one
possible answer: an emissary had
hastened to flash the news to him
Ian emissary dressed, prepared,
who needed to delay for no in.
yestlgation, since the roar of the
explosion told him everything
one OF the men, perhaps, who had
waited on the quay. And Delcasse
biting his nails, his face wet with
perspiration, pictured to himself
the emperor also waiting, pacing
~restlessly back and forth, until the
word should come! He gnashed
his. teeth with rage, this good
Frenchman, and shook trembling
fists up into the darkness. An,
Germany should pay! Germany
should pay!
But again he Gained himself,
wiped his forehead, and composed
himself for thought.
How had La Liberte been de.
stroyed2 There was the question
which must be answered, and at
once.
BY a mine, set to explode at a
certain hourY Delcase shook his
head. It was absurd to suppose
that q mine could be planted in a
lharbor as strictly guarded and 90.
Iced as that Of Toulon. By.a tor.
pe,io, then, which could be launch.
ed some distance away? But Hat
was even more absurd. The
lauHching of a torpedo required
q complex mechanism as we'll sup.
pose that an enemy would be able
it. install q cannon on the docks
unobseryed. By a submarine But
La ilberte had lainsat anchor il
an enclosed basin: besides there
,vcresthe outer basins, patrol boats
sentries, the constant coming and
going Of sailors and marines. Of
|launshes, of boats of all kinds
How could an enemey creep I'm.
observed past all these?
True, the accident had occurred
int dawn, when every one but the
Esentrles was asleep. But even al
that hour the harbor was strictly
guarded. An enemy, to enter IN.
seen. wsuld have to be impalpable.
invisible
l5esldes, how could a mine or d
torpedo or a submarine have
caused the explosion Of the maya.
zines, one after the other, at regu..
liar intervals 4spaced, one 81
|the officers had said, like the Re.
ports Of q heavy gun. First one
had been fred, and then d second,
land then q third Delcasse, CLOSING
his eyes, had q vision Of ghostly
figure stealing from one to al.
Iother, torchi III hand
His mind roved back again over
his talk with Lepine. Gould 1t have
been done by wireless Notgtht
ordinary wireless, but some snbtle
Yarianto f eflsar waves, ssome4new
form 81 radio-activiity which ii
seine way callsed combnsieni
There Was III enemy which could
[ait unseen fromInagL,saazsine Is maya.
zine whish No locks nor bars
could guard against
heart faltered at HI