Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-06-20
+ + + I + + + + + II
! COUNT LUCKNER|:
! THE SEA DEVIL
Doubleday sErbbs a.s By LOWELL THOMAS

By LOWELL THOMAS

make tough customer for our sail
Ing ship 10 handle. But why not have
a good look ul her? We set the sig
nal:
"Chronometer time, please"
The way she paid no attention TO
the request said very clearly:
"Let that old windJammer 30 and
buy watch p
But we had other devices. We had
a smoke apparatus To send clouds roll.
ing out of the galley, and on the gal
ley roof was dish loaded with
quantity of magnesium Which when
lighted produced wicked red flame.
We sci the smoke and tire going, and
ran up distress signals. The Seeadler
now was the most misunderstanding
ship afire sou ever saw. Thirty OF
my crew armed with itles hid kehnr
the rail, and Schmidt quickly dressed
up as the captains wife. the Beautiful
but simperlng "Josefeena" of the big
feet. We had another piece OF APP
parntus which we now used for the
first time. II was q kind of cannon
made out OF section of smokestack
der, and you touched 1t off With
lighted cigarette. Ii was quite harm
less but made terrifying mise. You
would have thought 1t II superdread
ft,1 IetI ,1fa ro1
sailors who had the most powerful
voices aboard. gave them lurge mega
phones, and stationed them on the
topmnst yards of the malnmasi ane
mzzen.
II that steamer was short on cour
tesy, she was long on humanity. She
came rushing heroicaly to the aid OF
the old sailshlp that was blazing SO
dramatically just astern. Size had a
powerful wireless set, and as | stood
on my bridge watching her as she
steamed toward US could MOI take
my eyes off the fve-inch gun on her
deck. What was our little p0pgun be
side that piece Of ordnance2 One
shot would blow us right out Of the
wnter.
The steamer had big fat captain
who had his cap pulled down over one
eye. His voice, even when he wills
pered, was deep below. You should
have heard II through the megaphone
The steamer drew near. The fit cap
tain raised his megaphone.
what the hell's the matter with
your His voice doomed across like
the rumble of our old cannon.
We cut off the smoke and flame. II
looked as If we had fought our fire
successfully. Schmidt, the captains
beautiful wife, tripped along the deck
with coquetlish movements of shout
ders and hips. The officers on the
steamers bridge eyed the fair vision
and exchanged smiles with that rogue
Of a Schmidt. Nor was the fat cap
tain insensibe to feminine charms
He rolled his eyes and grinned with
the expression Of skipper who Gun
easily "cnt his officers out"
Look AT the wireless, Leudemann,'
/ said, "and the hve-inch gun"
KNOCK the wireless over,n he re-
piled, "and let's have II out with the
tve-inch gun"
"Clear the deck for action" ]
roared.
Instantly. the beautiful Schmidt
threw off his silken Dress and In the
uniform Of German COB kicked his
Britishers stared aghast. The Ger
man flag ran up, our ril1emen arose
from behind the rail, ready to pick of
anyone who tried 10 handle the five
inch gun. Bang, crash, and our gun
knocked over the wireless shack A
tremendous defamation, and our false
smokesiack cannon added its voice 10
the general effect
The steamers crew swarmed on
deck and ran around like crazy AMI
mails. The captain felephnned his or
der TO start the engines. His engine
crew was on deck MS panicky as the
others. tIe ordered the boats swung
out Ills men were already doing thui
rs well as their fright allowed.
"CleaT the 1dEck for action" ne
hewled.
That only gave the crew greater
scare than ever.
| shouted 10 him:
LAY TO. or | will sink you"
had 10 admire that captain. The
fat fellow dominated the frightened
mob by sheer force of lung power His
voice seemed to sweep the deck and
master everything.
Gun crew to their posts. By Joe.
you scalawags. Gun crew to their
posts, ! say, by joe"
We stood watching. didn't think
he could do II. but the panic stilied
The frightened men stood at o kind
of attention. The gun crew sepa
rated Itself from the crowd II looked
as though there would be fight, his
cannon against our rifles. Well, we
could pick them off, sand that fat soul
q the situation" would be an excel
lent mark to shoot at.
We had one more device left.
gave the signal From the mastheads
boomed three voices through the meg
onhoppc In ppjo,r The shout .,oo T..