THE RAIDER
Word of the United States' declaration of war upon Germany was flashed
to the Algonquin on the fourth day out. It brought a thrill to Frank
and to Captain Stoneman, an American himself.
Mrs. Wheaton, however, was the only person aboard who did any bragging
as a result of it. She declared that now the United States had come to
the rescue of the world, she had no fear of German raiders or Germans
in any other shape or form.
The Algonquin was still two days out from Buenos Ayres. It was night.
Came a hail from the lookout forward,
"Ship, sir!" he sang out.
"Where away?" demanded Captain Stoneman from the bridge.
"Dead ahead, sir!"
Half an hour later the light of an approaching vessel became visible to
all on deck.
"The raider, do you suppose?" asked Frank, who stood near the captain.
"How do I know?" demanded the captain angrily. "It may be and it may
not be."
A moment later the searchlight of the approaching vessel picked the
Algonquin out of the darkness.
"Drat those searchlights!" shouted the angry captain. "If it wasn't
for those things a man would have a chance."
The wireless operator hurried up.
"Message, sir," he exclaimed.
"Well, why don't you give it to me. What are you standing there for?"
"Vessel orders us to heave to or she'll put a shell into us, sir," said
the operator, paying no attention to the captain's anger.
"She will, eh? What right has a bloodthirsty pirate like that to tell
me what I can do? I won't do it."
Nevertheless Captain Stoneman gave the command to heave to.
"What's he sign himself?" he demanded of the wireless operator.
"He doesn't sign himself at all," was the reply.
"Drat him!" exclaimed the captain again. "Oh, well, we'll see what
happens."
Half an hour later a small boat from the vessel that had accosted them
scraped alongside the Algonquin.
"Throw over a ladder," came a voice in English. "I'm coming aboard
you."
The captain of the Algonquin growled again but he gave the necessary
order.
A moment later three figures scrambled on deck. At sight of the first
man, Captain Stoneman's frown changed to a smile and he stepped quickly
forward.
"Dash me if it isn't Lansing!" he exclaimed. "When did you get into
the service, old man?"
The man in the uniform of a naval officer looked at the captain closely
a moment, then extended a hand.
"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "If it isn't Stoneman. Where you
bound, Captain?"
"Buenos Ayres. What ship are you?"
"American cruiser Pioneer, Stoneman. I'm the first officer."
"Good for you, son," exclaimed the captain. "First I took you for that
German raider they say is sailing about in these parts."
"That's what I took you to be," declared the lieutenant. "I know there
is no need searching your ship, Captain. You're true blue, but I'll
have to have a look at your papers."
"Perfectly proper," said Captain Stoneman. "Come below."
The two disappeared below, but returned on deck a few moments later.
"Who are your passengers, Captain?" asked the American officer.
Captain Stoneman explained.
"Guess I'd better have a look at them anyhow, if it's no trouble," said
the lieutenant.
"No trouble at all, Bo's'n," he called, "summon all passengers on
deck."
Frank and Jack were already there, and approached. The American
officer asked them a few questions, and then waved them away.
"All right," he said.
Mrs. Wheaton and her daughter appeared a few moments later. The former
was angry. She approached the lieutenant.
"What do you mean by holding us up in this high-handed fashion?" she
demanded.
"Necessity of war, madam," said the lieutenant with a bow.
"Necessity fiddlesticks," was the reply. "Who are you, anyhow?"
"I'm Lieutenant Lansing, American cruiser Pioneer, madam," came the
reply.
Mrs. Wheaton's manner underwent an immediate change. "You'll pardon
me, Lieutenant," she exclaimed. "Of course, I know you must do your
duty."
After a few words with Mrs. Wheaton and her daughter, Lieutenant
Lansing turned again to Captain Stoneman.
"All right, Captain," he said, "you may proceed. If leave you now just
a word, though. Look out for that raider. She's around here some
place. If you sight her, fire your guns, and if I'm within hearing
I'll come up. Work your wireless, too. I'm here to nail that fellow."
"Very good," said Captain Stoneman. "You can count on me, Lansing."
The two men shook hands and the American naval officer, followed by his
men, disappeared over the side. Captain Stoneman gave a signal and the
Algonquin moved on again.
"Didn't take the United States very long to get started, did it?" said
Frank, as they descended below.
"I should say not," was Jack's reply. "Still, I am afraid American
cruisers will have no more success in nabbing the raider than have
British vessels."
"Don't forget we're on the job," said Frank, with a smile.
"I'm not forgetting it," said Jack. "The sooner we come up with that
fellow the better it will please me."
"Same here."
"Well, guess we may as well turn in," said Jack.
"Probably will be nothing doing tonight."
Five minutes later the lads were asleep.
Morning dawned clear and bright and Captain Stoneman congratulated
himself that he was fast nearing his destination.
"Tomorrow morning at this time and we will be safe," he said at the
breakfast table.
"Pooh," said Mrs. Wheaton. "What is there to be afraid of? Don't you
know that the American cruiser Pioneer is in these waters?"
"But she is not in sight, mother," said her daughter.
"I'd like to know what difference that makes. Lieutenant Lansing knows
that there are Americans aboard the Algonquin. He will not desert us."
"I am afraid," said Frank, "that Lieutenant Lansing has more important
duties just now than seeing that the Algonquin reaches port safely."
"And what can be more important, I'd like to know?" demanded Mrs.
Wheaton.
"Well, there are a whole lot of things," said Frank, "one of which is
to nab this German raider, and I'll venture to say that the Pioneer is
paying more attention to the raider right now than it is to the
Algonquin."
"Young man," said Mrs. Wheaton, "it is perfectly plain to me that you
do not know what you are talking about."
Frank flushed, and was about to reply. But he caught the eye of Miss
Wheaton and remained silent. A few moments later he excused himself
and left the table.
Fifteen minutes later Elizabeth Wheaton approached him on deck.
"Don't mind mother," she said with a smile. "It is just her way. She
means no harm."
"Probably not," agreed Frank with a smile, "but you will admit that it
is rather annoying."
Before the girl could reply, there came a hail from the lookout
forward.
"Ship, sir!"
"Where away?" called the first officer, who held the bridge.
"Dead ahead!" came the reply.
Indeed, a ship was plainly visible to all on deck at that moment.
It came to the first officer in a flash that this vessel bearing down
on the Algonquin was in all probability the German raider.
He summoned the captain.
Captain Stoneman came jumping on deck.
He gave one look at the approaching vessel, and then cried angrily,
forgetting his grammar absolutely as he did so. "That's her! That's
her as sure as I'm a foot high."