Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

southwest wind came down
on the North Sea as a hurri-
~ cane. Felix Won Luckner.
captain-lieutenant in the Ger
man navy, had been waiting for it,
Ills little four-master. square-rigged
snip had been lying there behind the
Island of Sylt, her canvas reinforced
chains in her stays, her crew atten-
ttgs. Outside the British blockade
ships had been keeping vigil. But
with the swoop of the storm Luckner
ran gathering out of the chart house,
climbing into his oilskins, believing
his glee:
'-Now, boys. Now is our chance.
' 1Io! The British will hide away from
the storm tonight. The long night.
boys! The big storm! off on our
pirates cruise. boysi Let's go. Let's
co."
He watched the sailors frantic
backs, shiny in their weatherproofs
under an occasional lantern. jerking
T. like firefiies in and out of the night
or in q rhythmic line hauling on the
halyards. His blue eyes squinted
against the storm, his broad mouth
clenched in a grin upon his ubiquitous
black pipe, he stood above them, Il re-
incarnation of all the buccaneers.
This was what he loved.
Adventurer, tramp, hero, officer, gen
tlenlan and count in his own right,
Felix Won Luckner felt the hurricane
tug the rising canvas as though 1t
beloved his own soul. For the thrill
of such sailing he had run away from
the ancestral castle. and from the
time he was I3 lived a hazardous life
at sea. Since then he had redeemed
himself; had become a regular officer
, in the German navy, returned TO his
family, let himself be put on gunboats
and battleshipS tsuch as the kron-
prfnZ in the Battle of JQtland), and
had felt out of place.
Even now, retired from the navy,
and come TO America on a mission for
charity the count travels i'll a full
rugged sailing ship.
That December night in 1916 was
his first return in a long time to nor
anal sailors existence At last he was
again on a real Vessell He knew the
elements. He knew men. He was pre-
pared. He loved it when storms
ragged.
"Ho, boys! Cast off. Up spanker!
Up topsails. Ho. Whee"
The Sea Eagle came about, shud
dered caught that hurricane and
plowed north like a big torpedo.
Past the islands, past the storm
scattered British line-north in the
whistling gale.
The count yelled to his mate; 1--WE
go too fart
Ahead was blackness: behind, black
ness cut by the white ribbon OF their
wake. But Luckner knew they would
be near Greenland. driving thus be-
fore the heavy storm.
Our boys will have no Christmas
presents this year. Maybe Wen get
north wind for Christmas"
They did They turned about. free
In the Atlantic. On cold, crisp,
pleasant Christmas afternoon they
made everything shipshape aboard and
sailed back down the world.
From the Sea Eagles masthead flew
the Norwegian flag. In her mail
pouches were forged letters from Nor
Wegian girls to their sweethearts In
many lands. In the galley was Nor
wegian food. even to the sardines, ana
the hold was full of lumber. But un-
der the lumber We're an old-fashioned
15-centfmeter cannon, two machine
guns and rifles and revolvers for all
the crew.
IL X
r ATE that afternoon the Sea Eagle |
IL was hailed by the British cruiser !
Avenger. The British captain came
aboard. He searched the false Norwe-
cian ship from stem TO gudgeon and |
found nothing suspicious. Capt Luck
ner tells how, speaking Norwegian. ne
took the Englishman into the CABIN,
Introducing him to his wife. It would
look we'll he had thought. for Scandl,
nayian shippers take their women TO
sea.
He had disguised a 17-year-old
cabin boy in wig and dress and tled
him up as with a toothache, SO that
he wouldn't have to speak.
The captain of the Avenger doHeu
his cap. But on the way out he
st,,n,bled over a dachshund
aaThat's a German dog, captain, ne
said quickly. .a1,,
genial. Him? Not him, captain.
Maybe his grandfather or his great
And they were given the liberty of
@Nowr, The count banged his huge
s,st on the rail of the bridge. NOW
I,ovg. we become pirates! Now we are
eagerly the Sea Eagle, steady and
Grim scudded south for the new year
INV Felix Won Luckner, later
1,noS,,n in the Pacific as the Sea
Tea,-fI . took 450 prisoners and sank
a1even allied vessels without firing
,,,ore than a signal shot, without xiii
fne, even a cat, is a long, and IN way
repetitious story.
He was looking for grain ana SAT-
refer ships, which he knew carried
anti-sllbmarine guns, more efecuVe
xTeanons than anything he had on