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

Ut is very unfortunate" Comman- der William Gulden said when the girl had been carried tenderly below. '"The fraulein and I were engaged to be married just before the war. T was merchant sailor then, and sail ed first officer with her father, Cap tain Olafsen."
 That makes it, if anything, worse than ever," said Craddock grimly. You have repaid your old skipper
 by murdering him."
 T only did my duty" said the Ger man with an arrogant toss of his head.
 Ut was sad, if you like, but l had to obey orders.'
 Here, bo'sun, lock this fellow up in the tween decks, and put a sen try at the door. Give the man instruc- tions to blow his head off if he makes any trouble.
 "Ay, ay, sir" said the bo'sun, who
 had been hanging hopefully around
 with a rope in his hand. "Blow his
 head off is the word, sir. Come along, Mister Pirate"
 He laid couple of horny hands
 on the gold-laced shoulders, and pay
 ing no attention whatever to the German officers indignant protests, he dra gged him along the deck, op-
 ened the door of the little cubby hole in the tween decks, and kicked him down into 1t.
 "Confound the rascal" Craddock blew off steam with long sigh of re- lief when his prisoner had disappear
 ed "I'lI better keep him out of sight or I may lose my temper, and string him up after all. Dirty dog, and thinks
 he is being ill-used because we don't applaud his foul work. What are the Germans coming tor" They'll make it all right for him in the internment camp" Mackenzie's slow voice drawled at his elbow. The old engineer tramped to the rail, then came back to the captains side. Everybody has been too fright ened of Germany" he growled- Look
 at this matter of the F'rigi. Norway hanging of this pirate. and she won't even make a protest ''Too much under the hoof of the beast" said Craddock. We should have taken the matter in hand our selves, and kept sacred the laws of the seven seas. But I suppose our sail ors, masters and men, in the German
 hands would have paid for it. The argument ended as many score of such had, without any satis-
 faction, and all the while the Cert rude was plunging through the seven seas. leaving behind her the drift of timber that marked where the old F'rigi had gone down. In the morning Nina Olafsen came on deck, her blue eyes heavy with sorrow, and her drawn face telling
 of dark hours of agony, but she said nothing of her father nor of her lover, though she discovered in some way where Gulden was confined, and har Si1U k ing the tween decks soft-footed as a cat before a mouse hole- q wonder what Is her gamer" he said to Holmesworth. ''Is she after a bit of revenge, or is she looking for a
 way of escape for her lover?" 'T don't know, but I guess she will do with a bit of watching" Ned an-
 swered. 'She has got hold of an auro- matic somewhere. I saw her filling the magazine, and hiding 1t in her dress"
 That certainly looks bad" growled Captain Craddock- 'I suppose I ought to take it from her, but I don't want | to use anything like violence to the poor lass. She has suffered plenty
 as it Is. I'll tell the bos'un to keep
 his eyes peeled, and make sure she doesn't get at that scoundrel Gull den"
 | Dteh "OIhlIS down southwards on her endless pat | rol, but the seas seemed strangely desolate. The blocking of Zeebrugee and Ostend had been sadly hamper | ing the pirates in those seas, for the smaller type of submarine, and Ger | many was needing all her newer and | bigger craft out in the Atlantic, in vain attempt to hold up the thrush | of Uncle Sam's legions.
 
 verge of the wet triangle, seeking for prey, and finding nothing, and the | evening was closing in on them, grey and hazy when Craddock gave the | order to put about.
 The second officer leaned over he | rail, ear turned down to the surface | of the water.
 Do you hear anything?' he asked
 T thought I caught the throb of a
 screw" I guess you are right" said | Craddock sharply Whats more, | there seems to be a pair of them.
 and they are closing on us. Look at | that now"
 | Out of the haze a couple of light | cruisers suddenly broke. and as soon
 as they caught sight of the Gertrude | they opened fire It was sore against lCraddock's liking to back out of a. fight, but he was fool to throw | away snip dSdlnSL nOp6lTS OQuS, | and he jumped to the engine-room | tube.
 Hit her up all you can, Mac" he
 shouted down to the engineer. There | are a couple of big 'uns with us and
 it is going to be nip and tuck if we get | clear.
 Right O." was the cheerful res ponse. I've been blowing steam to waste anyhow and I'll give you all
 the speed you want
 The purring roar of the turbines Increased on the instant, the screws quickened the jarring throb, until
 every plate of the good ship quiver- ed, and she slashed away through
 the head sea with a mighty drone
 of cloven waters
 It was high time. for already the Germans has recognized the Gertrude
 and the roaring fire 1eaping from
 their tunnels told that the forced
 draught had been turned on, and
 their guns kept clattering with fierce
 eagerness as they tried to close. Craddock paced the bridge calmly