GERMAN BRUTALITY AT ITS WORST
JUST behind the conning tower a jointed steel mast was raised and stepped
by three seamen who came at the petty officer's order.
Farther astern a narrow, ledge-like trapdoor of steel was raised, and
from this was taken and stepped another steel jointed mast. The seamen
now worked quickly in rigging aerial wires in place. In a very short time
the work was completed, and the petty officer saluted von Schellen.
"You cannot fail to understand what we are doing," hinted the young
German officer.
"You are about to send or receive radio messages, I take it," Dave
replied.
"You have been told, of course, that we always report our whereabouts
after dark?"
"Yes, it is common knowledge with the Allies," Dave admitted. "And also
that you receive instructions from the home offices of your Admiralty."
There was a crackling sound on the aerials, followed by others, some
short, some long.
"A wonderful invention, is it not?" asked von Schellen, with
satisfaction.
"Yes, and first developed outside of Germany," Dave bantered,
good-humoredly.
"True enough, but we have known how to take the radio and adapt it to all
our needs," retorted von Schellen.
"Your operator is now reporting your whereabouts, of course."
"That would seem likely, wouldn't it?" the other demanded.
"And then you will receive information."
"Yes; and sometimes we have even messages for our men from their homes,"
laughed von Schellen. "More! I have even had tender messages from my
sweetheart! And have answered them in kind!"
For a moment Dave stared in astonishment. He knew von Schellen for a
truly heartless brute. The idea that any woman could love this fellow
came almost as a shock. And that Schellen could have any tender feelings!
Wonders would never cease.
"Of what are you thinking, if I may ask?" the German went on.
"After information coming to you," Darrin hinted, "it almost goes without
saying that you receive your orders."
"Surely we receive them," nodded the German, "if we happen to need any.
But in our line of professional work, after we have received information
we do not often need orders. We know how to use our information."
"Of course," Dave went on, "any other radio operator who is within
hearing distance can pick up your messages, so you do not send them in
open German but use a code, or rather, a series of codes."
"If your radio men have ever picked up any of our messages," retorted the
young German, "you must know that you were not able to decipher their
meaning."
"We could not always decipher them," Darrin admitted.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Why, it is possible, of course, that sometimes we and our Allies have
some keys to the German use of code messages."
"You assert that?" questioned von Schellen, rather eagerly.
"No, and I do not deny it, either," Dave smiled.
"You are interesting, but discreet," complained the German, banteringly.
"And I may say as much of you," Dave continued. "Naturally, you know
some things that you would not tell me, and I know a few things that I
would not dream of telling you."
"And, instead, you hint at things that are not so, and perhaps I do about
the same thing," returned von Schellen.
After that silence fell for some minutes. Dave walked back and forth, the
junior officer watching him keenly.
Overhead the crackling at the aerials continued, with occasional
intervals of silence when the operator below was busy receiving messages.
Again a petty officer approached von Schellen, saluting and reporting in
an undertone.
"It is time for you to go below," announced von Schellen, turning to
Dave.
"I appreciate very much this opportunity to take the fresh air," Dave
said, politely, as he turned toward the conning tower.
"Oh, I guess you're welcome," said the lieutenant, shortly, and with a
meaning smile, "though sometimes there is such a thing as too much
outdoor life."
To Darrin's mild astonishment, as he stepped below, a folding table had
been set up, and around this were seated the ober-lieutenant and two
other officers, one of them an engineer. Von Schellen, at a nod from his
chief, made the fourth at the table.
Into this cabin were brought the English couple and the Danish master.
Several sailors stood about. The occasion began to take on a formal look,
which was heightened when the ober-lieutenant laid on the table a small
sheaf of papers.
"First of all, you, Herr Darrin," began the ober-lieutenant. "There can
be no doubt that you are Darrin?"
Dave thrust a hand in under his sheepskin, bringing to light a card-case.
From it he withdrew a pasteboard which he laid on the table.
"That is my card," he said.
The ober-lieutenant studied it deliberately, then passed it to another
officer as he continued:
"And you do not deny that it was you who captured Ober-Lieutenant von
Bechtold of the Imperial German Navy. You were the principal witness
against him when he was tried in Britain for being a spy?"
"I do not deny it, sir."
"That is all. You may step back."
As Darrin drew back he could not escape the feeling that two of the
seamen near him regarded him as being their especial prisoner.
"And now, the Earl and Countess of Denby," called the ober-lieutenant.
The English couple remained as motionless and appeared as unconcerned as
though they had not heard.
"You two, I mean," insisted the ober-lieutenant, turning to them.
"Oh," said the man, and stepped forward, his wife following him.
The ober-lieutenant eyed the pair impressively before he asked them:
"You do not deny that you are the Earl and Countess of Denby?"
"No," replied the man.
"Ah! Then you admit it?"
"No," he said, promptly.
"But either you must be, or you cannot be, the noble couple whom I have
named. Which is it?"
"That is for you to determine," replied the man.
"But what do you say yourselves?"
"Nothing."
"But you must answer my question!" the commanding officer insisted
angrily.
"You fatigue me," declared the man.
"You have not answered my question, and won't?"
"We have nothing to say."
Frowning, the ober-lieutenant whispered to a petty officer, who had
placed on the table the same album that von Schellen had brought to the
wardroom door. The commanding officer opened the album, pointing to two
photographs that adorned a page.
"These are your photographs, are they not?" he demanded, glancing up at
the pair. But no reply came from them.
"At least," said the ober-lieutenant, stiffly, "you have been given
abundant opportunity to deny, and have declined to do so. Our imperial
government has had sufficient information that you two have recently
entered the British secret service. It is even known to the imperial
government that you two recently undertook to penetrate into Germany,
under even another assumed name than Launce, and that you planned to spy
upon what was to be learned along the Kiel Canal. You even had some of
your arrangements made for performing that seemingly very difficult piece
of spy work. You have been charged, and you refuse to deny. It is the
same as a confession on your parts. The Earl and Countess of Denby will
stand aside."
Two sailors, at a sign from the ober-lieutenant, drew the English pair
back.
"Martin Kennor, once master of the Danish freight steamer 'Rigsdak!'"
called the commander.
Promptly the Danish skipper stood forward.
"There can be no doubt at all that you answer the description just
given?" demanded the ober-lieutenant.
"None vatever," agreed Kennor.
"The only fault to be found with you," continued the ober-lieutenant,
"is that you had the misfortune to be found in such company, and that
later on your tongue might prove too long and ready. That is all!"
Von Schellen, again on his feet, signalled to some of the seamen, then
said:
"The prisoners will follow me."
To the amazement of all he led the way to the conning tower. After him
the sailors herded the four prisoners of war. They ascended the ladder,
the Englishwoman being the last of the four. Her husband and Captain
Kennor assisted her as she stepped through the manhole to the deck
outside.
"But this is unkind," she declared, with a shiver. "My husband and I have
not our outer wraps, and the night is chilly."
"I will mention the matter," replied von Schellen, stiffly.
The wireless masts and aerials had disappeared. As the four passengers
stood on the deck and wondered, the seamen entered the submarine through
the manhole in the wake of von Schellen. When the last of them had gone
into the conning tower the junior lieutenant re-appeared at the manhole
to call:
"A pleasant evening for four!"
Then the manhole cover was closed and there came to those on deck a
muffled sound connected with fastening it on the inside.
"What does this new insolence mean?" cried the Englishwoman.
"If you do not guess, you must soon know," replied her husband, throwing
an arm about her. It was then that Mrs. Launce understood. She turned
pale, but did not cry out.
Perhaps a full minute passed before the submarine began to move forward.
Dave Darrin, familiar with the sounds from below, knew that the rumble of
machinery coming to his ears was caused, not by the engines used in
surface running, but by the electric motors employed when running under
water.
"The brutes are going to drown us, as they did the hapless sailors they
took from our boat!" gasped the Englishwoman.
"Yes, my dear," replied her husband, "and you have said that you would
prefer drowning to being a prisoner in Germany."
"I still say it," she answered quietly.
"We are to have our wish," said her husband.
Dave Darrin remained immobile; Captain Kennor shrugged his shoulders
without speaking.
The prow of the craft dipped into the water, which soon came creeping up
around their ankles. The forward deck was now out of sight, the water in
which they stood rising toward their knees.