The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-10
PAGE EIGHTEEN
DISCOVERY CHAPTER XXI


 CHAPTER XXI
 Breathless. they stared at Gun oar. each man feeling chill of anticipation, and then they crowded up. admiring, hoarse with ques- tiouS.
 Look here,' he said. There was only one ship firing It wasn't shooting at the moon, but at some thing that doesn't fire back, either an unarmed merchant ship. which you all know is impossible, or a submarine on the surface. which Is answering with torpedoes."
 Of course submarine Mall sSen interrupted.
 T had to find out two things, who won the battle, and whether the winner was German or Eng fish"
 And new you know?"
 Yes. The ship was sunk by a ;orpedo That is why the guns stopped firing. For I knew when
 he planes went out, that if the ship was still afloat it would tell IS. An English ship would have fred at the planes. A German ship would have sent up a recognition ;ignal. But I watched and there vas no signal"
 "Ja. ia. the ship was sunk" they cried impatiently.
 r But Gunnar was not to be hur- ricd 50 the winner was the sub- marine" he went on after mo- meL ;, but was it German or Eng lishs If it was German, and had sunk an English ship, it would have stayed on the surface, and when the planes came, radioed them, or sienaled with light, and the planes would have gone back to NamsoS. But what happened? There was no light, and no radio either, for the planes came back flying very low, and then turned out to sea again, hunting. Therefore the submarine is English"
 So" the pastor said, ESQ from a few gunflashes, you know the whole story"
 "Gunfire and three planes" Gun mar murmured, and turned away, embarrassed by their admiration.
 They who were friendless and alcne, cut off in the midst of the enemy, knowing that somewhere across the waste there might be help, strained every sense outward like sailors on cold and bitter watch. Not one man doubted this was the night they had been wait ing for
 Gunnar had the glass. It was four minutes after one by the dCc- tors watch when out on the vast. unbroken black of the horizon he saw a faint pinpoint of light that started and was gone.
 He tensed and wanted to cry out, but held back for fear it was star. A full minute passed, and then another And then it came again. two short flashes and the dark.
 The others had not seen it. One or two had even turned away, when they heard him say in a low, shaken voice. Give me the book"
 A chill stabbed at old Malken's chest. Osterholm wet his salt lips nervously, but kept staring straight ahead of him, seaward. Kjeriof pulled the book out of his pocket and opened it slowly, deliberately, as if that was the way he had al- ways planned it.
 Two" Gunnar cried out, ." seven 2 and after long pause, ". eight"
 The little farmer thumbed awk- wardly through the pages and then in a dreadful voice, the like of which they had never heard, said, "All."
 One .. one two" Gunnar counted. ". seven"
 Clear" Kjerlof said, and the word choked out of him as if his heart had stuck in his throat.
 All clear,' they whispered to each other, and could not believe it,
 Suddenly Gunnar began counting again, and they all crowded for ward. As the numbers came, Kjer- lof, kneeling beside him, called out the words. Gan you read . our signal?" Your watch, doctor, your watch" said Gunnar. He stood up, and | ,aking the light in one hand and | he watch in the other, flashed two lots straight westward over the water, precisely 30 seconds apart. The answer came quickly.
 What facilities have you for anding equipment?"
 Gunnar signaled, Two six meter kiffS gasoline motors And he read, '1Ten tomorrow tight six men meet party four miles ue west bring someone our agent ill recognize do you understand?' ''Yes," Gunnar signaled. and again |, 3 seconds later, "Yes."
 And that was all. The faint light n the horizon went dark, and once gain they were alone. A moment assed. and they turned to look at ach other, as if this end and an- yer to their hopes were still im- Dssible and not to be believed. But len all at once the tension hroke nd they laughed and pounded ach other on the shoulders, re- ssdirx this one or that who bad