Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-25
COUNT LUCKNER
THE SEA DEVIL

utHiE WIS utW tHtliltS duu fewer
friends.
The American declaration of war
came as a blow expected. but hard
nevertheless. Some of the more pes.
slmistic of us could spell the doom OF
Germany In 1t. Ii altered the position
OF our buccaneering expedition some
what, too. Ii reduced the number of
neutral ports Into which we might SAIL
1t also increased the number Of cruls-
ers we had to look out for.
However, neutral ports did not en-
ter into our calculations much. All
ports really were hostile, anyhow
Neutrals would limit US to a short In.
hosnltable stay, the wireless stations
nearby would broadcast our presence
and the cruisers would come flocking
The American naval ships didn't mean
much, either. They would doubtless
be kept, nearly all Of them, to guard
the Atlantic shipping lanes for the
passage OF American troop transports
ana leave what patrol of the Pacific
''N>~ NNS'S0tt " tHC III ltisl ubu JuP
anese. The principal change of cir
cumstance for US was that now we
could take American prizes.
We steered across the Pacific past
the Marquesas far to the south of
Hawaii. We made the waters near
Christmas island our cruising ground
There, near the equator, the east
bound and west-bound routes for sail
Ing ships. crossed We sailed back
ward and forward, crossing the equa-
tor two and three times each day.
We captured three American ships
In these waters the A. B. Johnson.
the L. 9. Slade, and the Manila. Our
| prisoners npmbered forty-five men. one
| woman, and pet opossum.
The captains were not half SO ms.
| tonlshed and bewildered as the for
mer captains when we unmasked our.
selves as buceaneer. They knew
that the sailing ship raider was
| abroad. SO We were deprived of
some Of our former amusement of
astounding and befuddllng. officers
and crews by suddenly hosting the
German flag, unmasking our cannon.
| firing machine gun into their rig.
ging, and similar pleasantries. Ev-
erything went Off according to rou-
| tine
CIV one occasion we ran Into a most
intricate complication. We had ex-
| pected the complications of war and
piratical strategy. That was part Of
the game. But at the time to which
| refer we were faced with a new and
tender complication, roInatic com
plication.
Hes got his wife along,' Boarding
Officer PRESS Informed me.
He referred to an officer of one of
the ships. Indeed, we had noticed a
woman aboard the captured ship.
The officer In question presently In
troduced me to his helpmate, and q
knockout she was, pretty, petite, and
well, Just q bit rogulsh.
by joe" thought, "the sailors
Of these days are marvellous fellows
Where do they get these swelllooking
wives? When ! was In the forecas
tie. 1t was different"
In those days an officers wife was
something TO run away from-usual
~ fat, usually savage, and always
sloppily dressed. | thought of all the
windjammer captains under whom
had sailed, and | couldn't think of
one who had a wife that looked like
a chorus girl Well, times do change
There was the captain we had cap
tured in the Atlantic who had such a
pleasant little bride, and now here
was this officer and his sprightly
beauty.
guess ! can also adj. myself to
the list. Here | am, skipper of a
peace full windjammer now, taking my
three-master the Vaterland around
the orld, and | have my wife along.
have already described Irma, the
fairy princess Of my green island In
the Canaries. Yes, sailors wives have
improved in looks these days.
Aboard the Seeadler we greeted the
pretty little lady with great cordiality
Our former fair company had been
so pleasant that we anticipated an.
other similar Frightening Of the dull
monotony aboard. The monotony was
indeed broken somewhat! But In q
decidedly different way than we had
expected The officer had not been
long aboard before he took me aside
and made an awkward and somewhat
embarrassed confession. He had been
thinking things over.
"Count." ne said, lin your reports
you may saySsomething about my hay
Ing my wife along"
"Yes," | replied.