PLAYING THE SPY.
Captain Oscar Pelham knew only too well that he carried his life in his
hands.
He was in the heart of the enemy's domain, and they would not hesitate
to kill him on sight.
He must be cautions, for the ship was a strange one to him and it would
be easy to make a false move and thus expose himself.
In one hand he carried a long knife and in his belt rested a brace of
pistols.
He walked silently to the end of the stateroom he had entered, and
through a half-open door saw a narrow passageway leading into a large
and well-furnished cabin.
From this cabin came the murmur of voices which had first greeted his
ears.
The British commander of the ship was holding a conference with the two
Chinese captains of the warships lying close alongside.
As Oscar took a step forward, a negro suddenly appeared, from another
stateroom.
"Hi, you----" began the negro, when Oscar caught him by the throat.
"Silence! if you value your life!" muttered the young captain of the
new Holland. "Say another word and I will kill you!"
The negro was powerful, and instead of keeping silent he tried to throw
Oscar off. Both went down to the floor and the negro strove to cry out.
It was a fatal move.
Down came the keen knife, straight into the negro's body, and he lay
still where he had fallen.
Oscar withdrew the bloody blade with a shudder.
He hated to take human life thus, but it had been rendered absolutely
necessary.
He stowed the body under a bunk and threw a blanket before it.
Then wiping the knife on a curtain, he tiptoed his way closer to the
cabin.
"I do not see how your plan can succeed," he heard the English captain
say.
"But it will succeed," replied one of the Chinese captains, with a
strong accent. "Chan Lee and I have it well in hand."
"Then you must have a strong hold upon President Adams."
"We have."
"I doubt if he will agree, even so. Why, sir, if he did that, he would
be a traitor to his country--a regular Benedict Arnold."
At this both Chinese captains shrugged their bony shoulders and drew
down their almond-shaped eyes.
"That is nothing to us," remarked the captain, who had heretofore
remained silent.
"He won't do it, I tell you."
"Captain Gresson forgets that the President has lost his daughter,"
went on the other Chinese captain.
"Ha! So that is the way the wind blows!" ejaculated Captain Gresson.
"You are now on the right path."
"The girl was abducted."
The two Chinese captains bowed.
"You have her on board of your ship?"
"No, she is many miles from here."
"Where?"
Again the two Chinese captains shrugged their shoulders.
"Let us talk of something else," said one.
"It is a clever plan, but a horrible one in the bargain," was the
honest comment of the British captain. "We don't make war in that
fashion."
"The Chinese fight as pleases them," answered one of the yellow
commanders.
"Yes, I know. But I don't think you will succeed, anyway."
"Why?"
"President Adams would rather see his child killed before his face than
prove a traitor to his country. I know these Americans."
"Good for the Briton!" muttered Oscar. "His heart is in the right
place, even if he is an enemy."
"We shall see!" muttered one of the yellow captains. "But what of this
attack on San Francisco?"
"Orders are to commence at sunrise to-morrow."
"And how many ships will take part?"
"Seven."
"But seven?"
"Yes."
"And the remainder?"
"The remainder will sail up the coast under the direction of the
Russian admiral."
"To bombard the Alaskan coast and try to retake the territory," said
the Chinese captain, with a shrewd laugh. "The great Russian bear has
always wanted Alaska back, since gold was discovered at the Klondyke
and elsewhere."
"Well, who can blame him?" answered the English captain. "What do you
ask at the hands of President Adams--a slice of California, where you
can locate a new Chinatown--and if he won't give it to you you will
kill his daughter."
The talk continued for several minutes more, when there came a call
from the deck.
"I will come in a moment," said the English captain, and arising he
hurried to the passageway in which Oscar was hiding.
The Englishman passed him, but not so the yellow captains.
One stumbled over a rug and pitched forward, clutching at the curtains
which concealed Oscar.
Down came the curtains.
"Walila! Cher walila!" roared the second yellow captain. "A spy! He
must be killed!"
"A spy!" cried the British captain.
"Ha! You are a stranger to us!" came from Captain Gresson, and he eyed
Oscar sharply.
"Hush! Not so loud!" said Oscar, and raised his hand, warningly.
He saw that he was in a bad situation--that nothing but a clever ruse
could save his life.
"Why be still, young sir?" demanded the British captain, but in a lower
tone.
"We may be overheard," whispered Oscar. "I come to you on a secret
errand. Is the admiral on board?"
"No, the admiral was here, but left an hour ago."
"To go up the Alaskan coast?"
"I believe so. But what is that to you? Who are you?"
"I am Barton Peeks," answered Oscar.
He mentioned the name of a notorious British spy who had been captured
in St. Louis, shortly after the great war broke out.
"Barton Peeks!" ejaculated Captain Gresson. "Where have you been? How
did you get here?"
"It is a long story, captain," replied Oscar. "I was placed under
arrest by those clever Yankees, but I found a friend and escaped one
dark night in a heavy storm. But I have important news for the admiral.
If he goes to the Alaskan coast all is lost."
"Then you thought he was on board this vessel?"
"I did; otherwise I would never have come on board."
"How did you get here?"
"In a submarine boat captured from the Yankees."
"Not the Holland XI.?"
"No, but a craft very much like her. We captured her while she was
coming through the Central American Canal. Six of the men on board were
killed. The engineer took the oath of allegiance to England and I got
aboard a new crew of men I could trust. We shall now be able to give
the Yankees a dose of our own medicine, captain."
"It is a strange story, Peeks--a strange tale, truly. But you were
always a wizard, by the war reports--captured to-day and free
to-morrow. Where is your craft?"
"At the stern. Will you come on board?"
"I am needed on deck now."
"I will go aboard and wait for you, for I want you to help me.
Everything is going wrong, and this movement on Alaska is the worst of
all."
"I would like to see that strange under-water ship," spoke up one of
the yellow captains, who had listened to the talk with interest.
"Then come with me," said Oscar, grimly. "And you'll be a prisoner in
five minutes more," he added under his breath.
The turn of affairs delighted him, for the Chinese commander was the
same who had spoken about President Adams' daughter. Once he was a
prisoner, Oscar was certain he could wring the yellow wretch's secret
from him.
"Remain here for a moment," said Oscar, as they neared the stern. "My
men are on guard and may not like to see me with a stranger, after
my telling them I had come on a secret mission. I will be back in a
minute."
The Chinese captain agreed to wait, and Oscar hurried to the rear rail
of the Corcoran.
He leaned far over, expecting to catch a dim view of the new Holland
underneath.
Then a cry of dismay burst from his lips.
The submarine craft was gone!