Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-09-12
Luckner and his companions take pas
sage on = vessel at Waksya with the ides
oa capturing il when II put to sea
CHAPTER XV-Continued

My officers were with me. and the
men also saw the point, but agreed
with much reluctance Certainly. none
of US wanted to go 10 British prison
camp. But there seemed no help for
1t.
Ii was the twenty-tirst of Septem
Der. Just two days short OF month
since our departure from Mopella.
The lieutenant and his -four men In
those short pants and bare knees came
aboard. Followed By bis men, he
stepped up to me.
i've got to arrest you." be began
decently enough. "Who are your
"Allow me-" responded. ito Intro
duce myself. am Count Luckner,
commander OF the Seeadler. These
men here are part of my crew.
Are you Count Won Luckner1'
"Yes."
He gazed around bewIldered. fright.
ened, and certainly nonplussed. I'm
agined could see his legs shake. Ap
parently, he was dlgesting the fact
that he and his men were practically
unnrmed and the certainty that we
must be armed to the teeth.
1--WE have" continued, hand gre
nades and firearms enough to send you
and your knee-pants army here to
Kingdom Come. and II we we're In uni
form, you would be our prisoners.
However, be that as II may, you have
caught US In civilian clothes-but look
here"
We took our weapons out OF our
pockets. | .llad had two OF our men
bring up our bundles. We cut them
open and displayed the grenades. pis
tolls. and machine guns. The lieuten
AMI stared. still aghast In spite Of my
reassuring speech. The soldiers we're
funny. You could see the goose pin
pies on the skin below the lower edge
of those short pants. They edged 10
the rail. evidently ready to tumble
overheard The captain of the schoon.
err and his crew now knew what Kind
OF guests they had welcomed aboard
They stood gaping.
u must ask you TO stand back q
moment, lieutenant" | exclaimed.
while destroy my wnr material.
Overheard with It allp' called to my
men.
Pistols, grenades, md machine guns
dropped, spashing into the water.
sAnd now, lieutenant" saluted. mt
your servicei"
"RighLlho. count" he replied, "yot
men have made great name for your
selves on your cruise, and now you
have played cricket With me- You will
receive decent treatment. You have
my word MS Briton- for that" lie
emphasized the word "Briton."
had no doubt as 10 what our first
ordeal was TO be. Unless the British
had more recent news than we con.
corning our comrades whom we haf
left of Mopelia, which was not prob
able, we would be questioned as Il
the whereabouts of the Seeadler anf
the remainder OF her crew. told ms
men that they should give the same
reply to all nterrogations. namely thu
had hidden them to keep silent ant
that | would answer for all. Tia
would prevent US from tripping on
another up. We had taken care t,
throw away any notes or papgrs w
had that gave any hint as to wher'
we had gone ashore In the Society Is
lands. They could search us as niue
as they liked, but they would I'm
nothing. One mischance, though. bt
fell us. was to lenrn In few day
that one Of my comrades had droppe
a notebooks, which presently was fount
In 1t he had brief diary OF the SET
ndler's voyage. questioned the d
artist who had kept the nnfortunal
record md he told me that his note
about Mopelia were very sketchy. II
remembered clearly that he had wri
ten we had captured the sailing shi
Manila. After that was single el
try.
LANDED stores at Mopelia"
There his diary broke Off. There WI
no mention of our having sunk Il
Manila or OF our having lost the Sc
adler of Mopelia or taken refuge {
the island.