The sun., 1918-10-20

disorganizing. Yet quietly and coolly the
men turned up and ran 70 their stations,
even the wireless operator who was blown
up through the deck.
There was no time To launch the beats,
for the yacht was already sinking In
obedience TO an order To abandon the ship
shouted from the bridge the crew threw
the boats overheard, then leaped after, and
while they swan around trying To right
and bale them the Yacht slid with her
dying and dead on down under the moon
Lit sea.
Home and Mother Far Away.
ut was some job to get those boats
righted and baled." The survivor, clean
faced sailor lad, spoke with unconscious
humor Il tell You home and mother
locked long way off just then. A plank,
an oar, a straw, anything dry looked good
10 me-"
They had just climbed in when tbs
long, sinister shape of the U-boat rolled
out of the sea and sailed alongside. For
tunately cloud had blotted out the moon.
As the submarine rode higher than the
boats, they could see the heads and Shout
ders of three men above the coming tower
in outline against the sky. A voice, pre-
cise, military, but civil in tone, hailed
them.
"What ship were your
Prompted by a rapid whisper from his
officer, this same lad gave French name.
"What was your tonnage and eargoT
Eight hundred, sir; an empty bottom
proceeding to b for cargo"
"Any officers therei"
Any hesitation would have sent the Of
feers, perhaps all the crew, prisoners into
Germany, but the lad answered on his own
initiative, mo, sir The mate was killed
by the explosion. The captain went down
with the ship"
Imagine the suspense while the U-boat
officers talked together up there in the
dusk; the relief when, after calling diree-
lions to the nearest land, they steamed
slowly away. Twelve hours labor at the
oars before they reached port had no
power TO abate it. For we sure thought"
the lad finished his story, "that it was
Germany for all of US"
Clear Day Recalled Home Waters.
Next morning broke with pleasant sun
shine streaming down on the white hamlets
that were strewn along the coast. The
men off watch lolled in the sun, reading
or studying, according to their bent. A
victrola in full blast in the mems reading
room forward combined with the warmth
and sunlight in producing slight flavor
of Long Island Sound. Closing ones
eyes it was easy to fancy bevy of girls
floating up the companionway in clouding
lawns and laces. But a glance at the
frowning guns and depth mines quickly
dissi,. ed such fanciesL
That evening we delivered the convoy
at the end of the run and took on another
for the return. The voyage home was
uneventful. We rolled lazily northward
without break in the monotony, which
is harder to bear than the shock of battle;
routine so dull that even torpedo comes
almost as a welcome break.
An article compiled from the concen-
trated experience Of an entire feet is apt
to convey an impression of life vivid,
dangerous, exciting. Dangerous life on
the Tin Fleet undoubtedly is. One never
knows when a yacht may "kick over a
mine" or meet torpedo face to face.
Apart from these ever present difficulties
they go back and forth on their runs with
the same regularity and about as much
excitement as is to be found on canal
boat In tow of mule.
Almost as though it had ben rehearsed
for this article there passed under my