White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-09-06
CHAPTER Continued


~
Our overloaded cockelshell with
crew of six was the smallest auxllary
cruiser In the war. For cruiser we
were, and we were setting out to cap
ture a ship, sail back to Mopelia. pick
up our comrades there. and continue
our raid. To find and take a ship on
the high sea was q doubtful PROPOSE
ton. but we might get to some OF the
other islands. not too well populated
and guarded. and find a vessel at
anchor. We could board her at night,
overpower the captain and crew. and
sail of with her. We planned first
Of all to visit the Cook islands, some
eight hundred miles distant, and If we
found no ship there, continue on an
other thousand miles farther to the
Fiji islands, where there were sure
to be ships loading with copra for the
ammunition factories of Europe. We
figured on making around sixty nau-
teal miles day, so that, If we had to
go all the way to the Fills, 1t would
take US approximately thirty days.
Thus we should be back with ship
in three months at most.
We discussed our tactics thoroughly
for the expected capture We would
steal aboard. Half-past three In the
morning was the best hour. Men
sleep their soundest then. A couple
Of us would go to the officers cabins
the rest to the forecastle. We would
show our pistols. disarm them. and
herd them below. 1t would be good
to sneak to their clothing first and
take away their belts and snip the
buttons off their trousers Then, when
you have them put on their clothes
they stand, without belts, suspenders,
or buttons, holding up their trousers.
Thus they are helpless We had a
few bombs loaded only with powder.
harmless, but capable, Of making ter
rife noise. If there Is any trouble.
the terrible explosion creates gen.
eral panic. couple Of men with
their heads about them can do won
ders with dozens in panic. Another
good thing is to have couple of fell
lows outside shout suddenly and make
a great disturbance. That creates ex-
citement and throws people Off their
guard. said to my bos'n:
"Don't hurt anybody unless you
have to. We don't want to spoil our
clean record by killing anybody. But.
by Joe, If a captain or Waterman
raises rifle or pistol. don't wait
till he shoots. Get him first"
On bright summer morning-Au-
gust %, 1917, to be exact--we all shook
hands. There was no cheering, mere
ly quiet, earnest words of friendship
and good luck. II was the first time
that we sixty-four seamen had parted
since the Seeadler had set sail to run
the blockade eight months before, and
1t was only now, at the moment OF
saying good-by, that we realized how
closely attached to one another we
had become. We who were going
could see a brooding question in the
eyes of those who were staying be
hind:
SLOW will that overloaded cockel-
shell stand heavy weather."
Never mind. we would probably find
out soon enough. The understanding
was that. If we did not return in three
months, something had happened t.
US. They should wait for US until
then. Afterward, King and his men
were to get away from the atoll as
best they could
We sailed out of the lagoon, through
the coral entrance, into the open sea.
The hulk of the Seeadler lay there
helpless on the reef The tide was
high, and the breakers swept over the
coral. She was red brown now
from rust and weathering, Each flood
ing billow raised her bit, and then
she sank back hopelessy with loud
groans and creaks Of despair on the
coral bed. AS we passed her she
seemed to call over to us:
"Come aboard, want to take yor
on your voyage. Don't desert you
old friend"
And as wave raised her 1t seemed
as though she were struggling to gel
on an even keel again and come tt
us, only to find tina: the coral held bel
In relentless grasp Tears filled oul
eyes.
"Good-by, Seeadler." l called; per
haps we shall never see you more
And even If we do, you can never sal
again. Nevern0re will songs resoun(
on your decks. Nevermore will yot
raise your sails and fly flag from
vour maSts"
A brisk wind carried Us westward
with swelling OF our Sails The
happy island receded The last Ger
man colony and the wreck OF the See
adler slowly dropped out of sight owe
the rim of the horizon.
Today the Seeadler still remains OF
the reef at Mopelia. After we ha,
gone, Lieutenant King afraid tina
the stumps Of her mast might attrac
passing warship, blew them out witt
dynamite. The explosion set a fir
that burned away part OF the wood
work. A quantity Of ammunition still
aboard blew up and cracked the fore
part of the hulk.