The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-24

would have got us astern.''
 A five-inch shell burst just under the quarter, and the torn waters flung the Gertrude forward with leap.
 Fritz is a mighty good gunner when he isn't worried with getting stuff flung at him." the skipper growled. Better send him back shell two, Ned. It will keep him from getting too coeky.'
 The Gertrude's crew were standing by their guns and the order was at once obeyed. Every gun that would bear astern roared out. and luck was with them, for a couple of shells reg istered on the pursuers. and werc an- swered by a furious sa1vo. Its all right as long as we keep them coming said Craddock. We have the heels of them alright, md the Gertrudes stern is a mighty small mark
 Suddenly in the Hull of the roaring tumult a woman's voice rang out loud and shrin, the voice of Nina Olafsen.
 Help, help" she screamed. "The prisoner is escaping"
 A wild cry of agony followed, and in the smoky haze down fin the waist of the ship they saw a man and wom- an struggle fiercely together. A knife flashed and the woman flung up her hands while the man made flying leap for the rail, and went over the side. Quick lightning the wounded girl gathered herself. 1eapt to the rail, and her pistol spat out stream of lead.
 In the white gleam of the rushing water Commander Gu1den's face rose, a bullet hole neatly drilled between his eyes, then it was swept astcrr, and hidden by the all-concealing sea. while Nina Olafsen dropped her pis- | toI and sank to the deck, the blood yelling from a wound in her breast. | Another sa1vo burst about the Ger | trude at the moment, and 1t seemed | a miracle that she escaped, so closely | did the shells circle her round, but save for the spray on her decks, and | the splint of steel that flew between | her masts took no hurt. 'I don't want any more like that,
 muttered Captain Craddock. "Oh | hang it all, they are sheering off, that
 was their last little lot. What has gone wrong with FTitz?" "Boom!" the flying steamer shud- dered to the concussion, and out of ! the gloom a. great battle cruiser leapt her terrible fifteen-inch guns blazing, and the old white ensign blowing | proudly astern.
 Fritz did not wait her coming. The | pair of them had got about and were i flying for their mineguarded waters | in frantic haste, while the Gertrude's crew had leapt on her rails, and l cheered wildly as the mighty ship l went past, the surge from her rush
 ing side sending their craft bobbing | like a cork.
 | "Boom, boomi" again the great ! guns roared, and far astern red glare l of light in the sky told that at least
 one had gone to the mark, then quick as the closing of a shutter the mist shut the fight out of view, and the | Gertrude's panting turbines were | slowed down
 Later the wireless brought them the
 news that one of the enemy cruisers had been stink and that the other, bad | ly or fire, had managed Q gain the
 shelter of heir mine fields, but some
 kow the Gertrude's crew were not | 1ujoying tteir triumph wke1 tho
 morning troke, and the sun came up | br' Sht and clear
 The doctor had reported that there | was no hope of saving Nina Ola:scu s ] lfse and the news spread Sa gloom
 pvcr the ship, for the sailors, man
 and boy. had accepted the fasr-haired, blue-eyed, sea-bred maiden as a sis ! ter of their cwn
 | About midday she asked to see Cap | tain Craddock, and he went soft-foot- | ed and Eereheaded to the little cab
 in where the girl lay, her eyes bright
 with fever, CT fair 1ace fIuyhed- With an effort the dying girl lifted
 her arm, and put her little white fin
 gers into Craddock's rough palm, while
 in q whisper she thanked him for
 his kindness. Craddock could not find
 T word 70 gay. but bending nyer her he tenderly smoothed back the damp
 curls from the fair young brow. "I am cymg, captain, S1- I am glad to die" she struggled brave | 1y for words. "I fancied that Gli.den
 might make an attempt to escape,
 and when the sentry was calico to the guns I took his place. I suppose
 the nearness of his friends gave the
 man a wild idea that he coLii reach | them, but I stopped him, rnanK God" In the blue eyes there flashed for a moment that same grim light of | triumph which had It the eyes or her old kindred, when in the long past, with shirling axe and cleaving sword, they had leapt from their Galleys to
 the yellow English sands.
 "Yes. you have certainly paid your debt,'' said the skipper, and the girl s hot fingers gripped his hand. 'rhore is one favor I want to ask you, Captain Craddock," she said with weak eagerness. will you bury me in the sea where my father went down?"
 Yes" the captain answered reas-
 suringly. At the spot where the F'rigi sank"
 The girl sighed.
 Then Will soon be at rest" shs whispered, and the weak head she had lifted sank back inc the crook
 of the shippers arm, and with a low sigh Nina Olafsen passed
 They were a hard-bitten lot on the Gertrude, but there was a mist in
 more than one pair of eyes, when a couple of hours later, the ship slowed
 down, and he slender form of Nina Olafsen, wrapped in a Norwegian flag, was lowered over the side, and even Capain Craddock's voice was
 husky as he read the service for
 burial at sea. and the little figure disappeared in the dark waters on
 which the wreck of the lost F'rigi st:l1
 tumbled-