The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-27

Before We were half way down
toward the water there began TO
be . great noise OF firing. Of big
and little cannon and rifles. There
began to be shouting, and men ran
back and forth below Us. ! asked
Tugendheim what It all might mean.
and he said probably . British sub
marine had shown itself. whis-
pered that to the nearest men and
they passed the word along. Great
contentment grew among M, none
caring after that for rain and mud.
that was the nearest We had been
to friends in oh how many months
If it truly were = British sub
marine!
We reached the waterfront pres
entity and were brought to . halt
in exactly the place whore RanJoor
Singh had halted Us those hve
times ON the day We tramped the
streets. We faced . dock that had
been vacant two days ago, but
whore now q little steamer lay
moored with ropes, smoke coming
from its funnel. There was NO
other sign Of life, but when the
German officer shouted about .
dozen times the Turkish captain
came ashore. wrapped in . great
shawl, and spoke to him.
While they two spoke asked
Ranjoor Singh whether that truly
had been a British submarine, and
he nodded; but he was not able to
tell me whether or not 1t had been
hit by gun-fire. Some Of the men
overheard, and although we all
knew that our course to Gallipoll
| would be the more hazardous IL
that event we all prayed that the
artillery might have missed. Feal
comes and goes, but mans love
lives in him.
When the Turkish captain and
the German officer finished speak.
ing, the Turk went back to hi
steamer without any apparent
pleasure, and we were marched W
| the gangway otter him. 1t wa
pitch-dark by that time and thu
only light was that OF lantern b!
which the German officer stood
cycling US one by one as we passed
Tugendheim came last, and hi
talked with Tugendheim for sew
eral minutes. Then he went away
but presently returned with,
should say. half a company o
Kurdish soldiers, whom he poste,
all about the dock. Then he de
parted finally, with wave o. hi!
/ cigar. as much as to sa.s that s.-ee
of the ledger had been balanced.
4 1t was a miserable steamer, sa
bib. We stood about on iron deck.
and grew hungry. There were M
,awnings-nothjGg but the super
I structure of the bridge, and, al
though there we're but two hun
bred thirty-four of us. including
Tugendheim, we could not stow
ourselves SO that all could be shell
tered from the rain and let thu
mud cake dry on our legs and feet
There was a little cabin that Tu
gendheim took for himself, bu
Ranjoor Singh remained with u
on deck. He stood in the rain b.
the gangway, looking first at on
thing, then at another. l watches
him.
i Presently he went to the door o
the engine room, opened It, ant
looked through. / was about Il
look, too, but he shut it in my face
1T is enough that they max
steam," said he; and looked u
at the funnel and saw steam ming
led with the smoke. In a littl
wheel on the bridge tn
/ Turkish captain sat on a shell
wrapped in his shawl, smoking
great pipe, and his mate. who wa
also a Turk, sat beside him starinl
at the sky. l asked Ranjoor Sing
, whether we might expect to hav
/ the whole ship to ourselves. Sal
. /, 1T would not be difficult to over
[ power those two Turks and thei
: small crew and make them do GU
bidding!" But he answered that
| regiment of Kurds was expected t
/ keep US company at dawn. The
/ he went up to the bridge to hav
, word with the Turkish captain, an
: I went to the ships side to star
| about. Over my shoulder / toll
the men about the Kurds who wer
, coming, and they were not pleased
Peering into the dark and wor
dering that SO great q city q
, STEAMBOAT should show 50 fe'
| lights, I observed the Kurdish ser
} tinels posted about the dock.
Those are to prevent us frol
going ashore until their friend
J GOMEZ" said I. and they snarled 9
me like angry wolves.
, I'VE could easily rush ashor
and bayonet every one Of them!
said Gooja Singh.
But not a man would have gon
; ashore again for q commission !
the German army. Gallipoli wa
written in their hearts. Yet
could think of q hundred thousan
chances still that might prever
our joining our friends, the Bril-
ish, in Gallipoli. Nor was I sur
} in my own mind that Ranjoo
. Singh intended we should try.
was sure only Of his good faitl
and content to await development
Though the lights Of the cit
were few and very far between, S
many search-lights played bac
and forth above the water ths
there seemed . hundred Of then
III judged it impossible for tn
} smallest boat to pass unseen an
I wondered whether It would
difficult or easy to shoot with gres
guns by aid Of search-lights, re
membering what strange trick
light can play with . gunner
eyes. Mist, too, kept rising OF tn
water to add confusion.
Il While I reflected In that mannel
J thinking that the shadow Of ever
wave and the aide of every boa
vniUhf ho urhuoa pino RouSa0