WAR IS DECLARED!
"Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk,
hein?"
Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the
_Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the
third day out. Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he
had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the
friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had
had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had
adjusted for him.
Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his
time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me
work." But there was another reason beside his deep-seated interest in
everything appertaining to his profession that made Jack haunt the
_Kronprinzessin's_ wireless coop. De Garros, with whom he had had
several conversations since their meeting on board, had repeatedly told
him to be on the lookout for something "that would before long come over
the wires." Once, in discussing the boys' plans for amusing themselves
in Europe, the aviator had said meaningly, "if you ever get there." But
what he meant by these words he had steadfastly refused to explain,
telling Jack that he would find out in good time.
"Me, if I gedt idt a holliday," said Poffer, after greeting Jack a day
later, "I go by as far avay from der vireless as I couldt gedt idt. I
gedt sick undt tired hearing idt all day 'tick-tick' undt sending idt
all day der same 'tick-tick' alretty. Donner! I'm hungry again. Holdt
idt mein key a minute vile I gedt idt mineself a bite."
The stout German slipped his wireless "ears" from his head and extended
them to Jack, who, good-naturedly, took them. Then he made off for his
cabin where he kept constantly a stock of provisions to satisfy his
appetite between meals.
"Well, I'm a fine chump," smiled Jack, as he slipped into Hans' vacant
chair. "No wonder Bill says I'm crazy. Off for a holiday and the first
thing I know I find myself back on the job. Hullo, here's a message
coming. K. P. E., that's our call. Funny sort of sending, too. Doesn't
sound like a commercial operator."
Jack crackled out a reply.
"This is the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_," he flashed back; "what do you
want?"
"Tell your captain to lie to in his present position till further
orders," came the reply.
"Well, I like your nerve," flashed back Jack, thinking somebody was
trying to play a wireless joke on him. "Don't you know we are carrying
the European mails from New York? You stick around where you are and we
may bump into you on the way back again."
"Never mind about that. Obey orders at once," came back bruskly.
"Say, never mind that comedy," implored Jack. "I'm busy. Ring off."
"No trifling there, young man," was flashed back. "This is the British
cruiser _Essex_. We want to overhaul you."
"But you can't stop a mail steamer."
"In this case we can. War has been declared by England upon Germany and
Austria. Lay to or it will be the worse for you."
A step sounded behind Jack. He turned quickly, thinking it was someone
who wanted to send a message, in which case he was anxious to "cut out"
the man he thought was playing a senseless joke on him. The newcomer was
de Garros.
"Ah, sitting at zee wire, eh? I suppose our always hungry Teutonic
friend iz taking ze light lunch somewhere. Ah, any news? I saw you
working ze key as I came in."
"No news since I came on," said Jack, carelessly. "I was just trying to
convince some deep sea joker that he couldn't fool me."
"What do you mean?"
"Why, somebody just flashed a message to the ship that they were the
British cruiser _Essex_ and that war had been declared between England
and Germany and----"
He got no further. De Garros's hands flew out and seized his shoulders.
"Zat was no joke, _mon ami_," he exclaimed; "it was zee truth."
"The truth? How do you know?" asked the naturally astonished Jack.
"It has been in zee air for months in diplomatic circles. I thought zee
declaration would have come before this. It was for that that I was in
Amerique buying aeroplanes."
"What, is France in this, too?" demanded the astonished Jack.
"Yes, and Russia also. Russia declared war two days ago. Then came
France, zee second member of zee Triple Entente, as zee is called, and
now, as was expected, comes England to help against the German
barbarians."
"But how did you know all this?" demanded Jack. "There was nothing in
the papers when we left New York, but something about a row between
Austria and Servia."
"Which caused all the trouble," came the reply; "or, rather, zee match
to zee powder. But zee ask me how I know zee declaration of war of
Russia and France. I am not the only man on zee ship zat does. Captain
Rollok, he knows, zee officers know, like me zey have been getting
wireless messages in code. Zey have been warned to look out for English
cruisers in case England joined France and Russia. Zis Gerrman ship with
six million dollars in gold on board would be a fine prize for Great
Britain. My friend, before many hours have passed, you are going to have
some excitement."
"Great gracious, then that message wasn't a joke and that British
cruiser may overhaul us and take all that bullion?"
"If she can catch us,--yes. She will also make prisoners of the Germans
on board and take the ship to an English port."
"What had I better do?"
"Here comes young Poffer now. Tell him of zee message and get it to zee
captain at once. If we are caught we may be delayed indefinitely and zee
haste is imperative with me at zee present time."
The German wireless man entered the cabin, gnawing at a huge pretzel. At
Jack's information of the message that had come, he dropped it to the
floor in his astonishment and stood staring for a moment.
"Himmel!" he exclaimed, when he found his voice. "Englandt is go var
midt Yarmany! Undt a Bridish sheep chase us. _Ach du lieber_, if they
catch us, Hans Poffer goes by a prison yet midt nudding to eat but bread
undt vater----"
"Never mind about that now," interrupted Jack quickly; "take that
information to Captain Rollok at once. Take it yourself. Don't give it
to a steward. If the passengers knew of this, there'd be a panic in a
jiffy."
Poffer, still with his mouth and eyes wide open, hurried off on his
errand.
"Captain Rollok will probably come back himself," declared de Garros,
"and vee will be ordered out of the cabin. Ve had better go now. But vee
must not say a word of zees till zee time comes. Vee have more as two
thousand passengers on board and if zey zink a warship chase
us,--_sacre!_"