The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-01-17

I The frnil little craft hummed noisily
rs her petrol motors drove the twin
screws through the water. The F55,
one Of the older type Of submarine,
was making ten knots through a dIffi.
cult sea. Within her $50 feet by Is
she held an amazing potentiality 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
meath 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, Ell
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 pondering on their sig
nificance.
On the day following his visit 70
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 a very
disappointed frame Of mind. hopeless
Of meeting Ida Kennedy until after
the war.
The chances Of his surviving II did
not 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.
The infereace from this statement
was an obvious one. for the American
fleets 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
he earth.
Relinquishing the wheel to Clouts,
he watched the stranger. Gradually
he smoke thickened; then there came
nto view two tunnels, and a hull half
INVISIBLE among the chopping waves.
1t was impossible to mistake the on.
'oming ship. She was battle cruiser
4 the Bluecher class. and she could
'nly be escaping westward to harry
commerce along the Atlantic trade
cute. With her fast heels and L.
nch guns. she could match any unit
float except those Of the homo SQUAD.
on.
Donald's luck was with him after
III.
She was proceeding west.nor.west,
purposing to round the Shet-
ands and so gain the shelter Of the
pen seas. 1t was a daring maneuver.
nd she would certainly be sighted by
he British destroyer fiotllla. Still,
hough she could hardly outsteam
hese fast little craft. she might beat
hem on and escape before either the
British or the American blockading
essels could come upon the scene.
Donald spoke 4 sharp command into
he tube Of the diving station. The
atch was 1ammed down. The hori-
ontal rudders at the how were de.
ected. the water rushed into the div.
ng tanks, and the F55 began to dip.
he surface running light slanted sea-
'ard as the bow went under, and
lowly regained poise as the stern fol-
owed. bringing the F55 back to an
ven keel. The hum Of the petrol mo.
ors ceased. the hull was flled with
he roar Of the inrnshing water; then
he electric motors took up their
teady throbbing.
Five meters!" announced the man
the depth indicator. "Six meters
even-half"