Evening star., 1924-12-07

clifton outfit, consisting OF severa
large cases of dynamite, to be
brought up on the bridge.
The deck of the Armenian extended
from the bows aft to the bridge. Or
the forward deck were crowded the
miscellaneous herd of armed ruffians
whom we had driven on board off the
pier. in the center Of the bridge
over the wheel, burned an electric
light. which, though IT lighted up the
bridge and all on 1t, only enabled me
to discern from there a vague dark
mass on the deck, from which an ugly
muttering was rising. This appeared
a very disadvantaseous position, al
we on the bridge would be at the
mercy of any shots from the deck
which might be expected at any mo.
ment.
r HAD the dynamite cases brough,
up, and, letting it be known wha,
they consisted Of had q barricsde
built OF them along the rail of the
bridge in front Of the wheel, which
barricade rose to our chests, bu!
easily permitted us to see over. The
captain looked on at this maneuver
with the deepest interest and with
the sweat running down his forehead
L
case opened and the contents verified
before it was placed in position, Al
the same time placing small full
inmate detonator inside the lid OF
each case, of which he we'll under
stood the object.
I then told him to instruct his
mate to spread this among the crew
and their friends, impressing on them
all the fact that any bullet hitting
any OF the cases would, thanks to the
detonators, make II quite certain that
the whole ship would instantly be
blown to eternity AS this news was
eagerly passed round the ship, the
nasty grumbling from the crowd on
deck ceased instantly, and I felt sure
that there was no man among them
who from that time onward would
dare to fire a shot at US, and that
each would watch his neighbor close
ly to prevent any such dangerous
proceeding. At this time the man
had instructed to watch the chiefs
masthead lights reported that they
had been lowered, and I called four
OF my men on the bridge. and told
the captain that I wanted steam
Very sulkily he spoke down the en-
gine room speaking tube, and we be-
gan slowly to forge ahead into the
crowded anchorage.
Slowly at first and then with great
er speed we followed the Kruger
and were able to keep her stern ligh,
in sight till she turned. about l.
miles down the harbor, to lay heI
course between the guardships for
the open sea.
After that her light was extin-
gutshed, and we saw her no more
though We heard a series of whistle
signals and one or two shots, which
to our intense relief, were from small
guns only, and as no searchilght was
shown, for the first time that night
I began to realize that there was
really a possibility. IL our luck hello
good, that we might get safely out
But our own trial was to come. A.
we closed the guardships and made
for the short quarter OF a mile OF
| open water which was all that lay
between them. the captain began te
| show signs OF active hostility. He
declared that he wouldn't go out, thai
the guardships would fire, and thai
we should be blown up. or at any
rate pursued and caught and shot
So obstreperous did he finally be.
come that I called my four men q
stand round him with their Axet
bayoaets and to allow no one to ap.