The Stolen Submarine

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIII, Issue IX, 27 August 1904, Page 6

The Stolen Submarine

By

GEORGE GRIFFITH.

Author of " The Angel of the Revolution.” " Brothers of the Chain,” ‘ The White Witch of Mayfair," " The World Masters,” &c.

BOOK lII—THE FINAL FIGHT.

CHAPTER XI. HUNTED DOWN. The reply from Petersburg and Port Arthur to Baron Kashama’s summons lo evacuate Port Arthur, Harbin, and \ ladivostock was twofold. First came a Hat refusal to do anything of the sort as long as a Russian ship floated or a Russian soldier was able to carry a rifle; and hard upon this came the very much more practical intimation that a Russian submarine had destroyed the Japanese squadron in Chemulpho, and would take the Mikado’s fleet ship by ship and destroy them in detail. This news was received at Tokio and Nagasaki the day before Hillyer returned to the latter port from Vladivostock. “ That is rather serious news, Mr Hillyer,” said the Baron, after Mark had rendered his account of his own doings, and the Minister had told him the news from Cheniulpho. “ This must be the second time that this vessel has escaped you. Unfortunately it does not seem very likely that she can be found unless she happens to make one of her attacks at some place where your vessel happens to be at the time, and that does not seem a very likely coincidence. At the same time, I am afraid that there is no limit to the amount of damage that she can do us, at any rate by “As far as I can see, your Excellency,” replied Hillyer, “ there is only one thing to do, and that is patrol the coast by air and undersea between the Korean channel and this port until we find her. She is perfectly certain to do one of two things, either make a dash for the port or try and get northward through the strait. Possibly, she may have a try for Ma-san-pho or Fusan, but under any circumstances she cannot travel from Cheniulpho to this port or Ma-san-pho unless she is towed.” “ Ah, yes,” said the Minister. “ that is proved by the papers which came into our hands, thanks to your wonderful capture of the Donovoi, but it seems to me that our greatest danger lies in the possibility of her being towed to within striking distance and then making a rush for it.” “ I think I can guard against anything of that sort, your Excellency. I mean anything in the nature of a surprise, provided you will keep all your vessels closely confined to port and keep the aerial squadron, with the exception of my own vessel, patrolling the coast and Strait. I will leave the Zanita here, as it is no use exposing her to any risk, and start out at once with the Mermaid and airship to see if 1 can’t

run this good lady to earth —or mud, as the case may be.” He laughed rather grimly as he said this, and the Minister replied, with a little shrug of his shoulders: “ Ah, yes, that is the worst of this new warfare which you have helped to bring into vogue. There is no mercy in it. for you have made surrender impossible.” “I am not altogether sure of that, your Excellency. My idea is to make the game of war so costly that no one will care to fight, and 1 do not altogether despair of bringing this good lady and her submarine into port before she has done very much more damage.” “ Ah,” said the Minister, “if you could do that, Mr Hillyer, there is nothing that the Emperor and his people would not give you in return for it.” “ 1 shall ask my own reward, your Excellency, when the time comes,” replied Hillyer, with a sudden change of manner which the baron did not at the time fully understand, “and if I am in a position to ask for it, 1 think it will be granted.” “ And if I am not trespassing on your confidence, sir,” said the Minister, “ you would honour me highly if you would allow me to inquire the nature of the reward you desire. It is possible that I may be of some service to you when you are about to make your request to His Majesty.” “ I shall ask for peace, your Excellency,” replied Hillyer, “ and for the life of a certain Russian official, if he happens to be alive at the time. This must be the last war fought on land or sea or in the air, and that is why I refuse to tell even His Majesty himself the secret of the motive power which has given me, and therefore, for the time being, Japan, the command of the air. I will either capture or sink this vessel, and I will make it impossible for Russia to invade either Korea or Japan, and I shall be obliged if, during my absence, you will lay that proposition before His Majesty’.” “And the alternative?” asked the Minister with a lift of his eyelids. “ The alternative, your Excellency, would be a dissolution of the alliance between us,” replied Hillyer, gravely. “ The Empire of the Air and that of the Rising Sun would no longer be allied.” “ T understand you,” replied Baron Kashama. making one of those moi ions which had distinguished the ceremonious politeness of the old days. “It is a good thing that we who have been the last to enter the battlefields of the nations should, by the help of a son of the greatest of the sea Powers, be the first to proclaim peace on earth.”

“ And enforce it,” added Hillyer, rather bitterly. “It has been proclaimed long enough, and by’ no one more loudly than Holy- Russia herself. It will be interesting to see what she has to say to the ultimatum which I hope to personally deliver at Petersburg before very long.” That night the Marian and the Mermaid renewed their supplies of motive power, provisions, and ammunition, and the other five vessels were got ready to take the air. All the Japanese warships were strictly confined to the harbours, and all the entrances were protected by mines and booms from which networks of chains hung down to the sea-bed. A complete change had thus come over the face of the war. The situation would have been somewhat ludicrous had it not been charged with such tremendous possibilities. Here were two great nations who had already begun what was expected to be the most determined and bloody fight of modern times. Their armies bad taken the field, and their fleets had been at deathgrips on the water only’ a few days ago; and yet here they were with fleets imprisoned and armies paralysed, not daring to approach each other. After the events at New-chwang, Harbin, and Vladivostock, not only’ did the Russian land communications cease to operate, bnt there was a feeling of u i

easiness among the officers, and one not unlike panic among the soldiers, whose superstitious terrors had been thorougnly aroused, which had already resulted in moral damage infinitely greater than even the physical destruction wrougiu by the attack, of the airships. It has been proved again and again in military experience that there is nothing so demoralising to an army which has already taken the field as inaction and waiting for the unexpected. It was now clearly evident that these new and terrible adversaries which had so suddenly appeared on the scene held rhe Russian lines of communication a, their mercy. The Siberian Railway, never very efficient, would be almost worse than useless if its bridges could oe blown up and its great junctions and termini laid in ruins by’ an enemy who could not be struck baek and whose movements could not be traced. Then, too, the cold weather was at an end, and the frozen wildernesses of Manchuria were becoming vast wastes of mud and black oozy soil, which, save for the railway and the few militaryroads, were impassable for artillery or heavy wheeled transport. Thousands of men were coming eastward every day, hundreds of tons of food and stores were found ito exist only on paper, disease was already’ decimating the halfstarved troops, disgusted and discouraged by the apparent impossibility of

reaching the enemy, and terrified by the probability of the appearance of these strange monsters of the air which could rain tire and death upon their camps as though they carried the very lightnings of heaven. The position of the Japanese land forces, both in Japan and Korea, was, of course, very much better, thanks to the magnificent organisation of the transport and commissariat and the protection afforded 'by the airships. But it was none the less, like the .Russian, one of paralysis. Until the Mermaid had hunted down, and either destroyed or captured the Russian submarine, it was impossible to make any advance, since it would have been madness for transports laden with men and munitions of war to put to sea while this invisible enemy eould sink them at a stroke; and so the soldiers and the sailors of the Mikado found themselves just as powerless to get at the Russians as the Russians were to get at them. Such was the situation in the East which had been so suddenly brought about by the transfer of the fighting to the underseas and the upper air, and there were not wanting those in Japan who were asking themselves very anxiously what would come to pass if the duel between the Russian submarine and the Mermaid should result in favour of the former. One luckily-placed torpedo, and the command of the sea would pass from Japan to Russia, and all that had been achieved so far would be undone in a moment. No one was more fully aware of the extreme danger of the task which he had undertaken than Mark Hillyer himself was. In submarine fighting, just as in aerial warfare, there is hardly any alternative possible save victory or destruction. The crippled airship will come to the ground like a bird with a broken wing, and dash herself and her erew to pieces; the submarine whose plates are torn by ram or torpedo sinks into the depths never to rise again, as the terrible tragedy of peace in Spithead waters had proved all too conclusively. In calculating the chances, he found that he had three points in his favour. First came the airship, which he had handed over for the present to Captain Merkett, and with, which the submarine would be connected by a telephone wire. It was certain that L’Anonyme had to be towed whenever she had to cover any considerable distance. That was clear, not only from the methods her commander had found it necessarv to employ in getting out to the Far East, but also from the papers captured on the Donovoi. and, therefore, Captain Merkett would be able to warn him instantly of the presence of any suspicious vessel which might be towing L’Anonyme. Secondly, the Mermaid was able to aet quite independently over an area of about 10.000 miles, thanks to the extreme condensation of the liquid gases from which she derived her motive power. Finally, from the slight knowledge which he already had about her engines he knew that he had an advantage of about ten knots over the Russian. Still, he fully recognised the importance of the unexpected, and he knew that a touch of the ram or the striking of a torpedo would bring the Mermaid’s career to a swift and final conclusion. For these and other reasons, the night before he left Nagasaki, he executed a will in duplicate in which he left the whole of his own fortune, amounting to over a million sterling, “to Miss Marian Lonsdale absolutely.” and these he left in the charge of Baron Kashama, addressed to his father, to be sent to Europe at the first opportunity. The Marian took the air, and the Mermaid sank below the waters of Nagasaki Bay at day-break on the following morning- The airship, flying at a speed of 40 miles an hour, headed away to the eastward, south of the Goto Islands, and then northward in the direction of Port Hamilton. If the submarine was coming southward from Chemulpho, she would naturally be towed down well out to sea and out of sight of land, then work her way by night among the islands which crowd the Korean Straits, and get as near to Nagasaki as possible before making her final rush. It was, therefore, Hillyer’s object to catch her if possible in the open sea between Quelpaert Island and the Gotos, where plenty of sea-room would give him the advantage of his superior speed.

Meanwhile the Sokold, with the Sea Snake in tow, was steaming down the Yellow Sea in the direction of Quelpaert Island, keeping a very wary lookout, not only for hostile warships, but also for any merchant steamers which might ■ recognise her and run into a Japanese port with the news of her whereabouts. The plan of action was practically what Hillyer had anticipated, but it should be noted that neither the captain of the Sokold nor the Princess Zaida had yet had any news either of the capture of the Donovoi or of the doings of the airship; in fact, they were totally ignorant of the existence of the latter eraft. Thus the princess considered that she had every reason to believe that, if she could onee get within striking distance of Nagasaki, she would have nothing to do but destroy the ships she found there at her leisure and reduce it to a worse condition than that of Port Arthur. CHAPTER XII. CLIMBING DOWN. “Well, now, gentlemen, what is to be done about this development?” said Sir Victor to Sir Julius and Randal Ackerman. who had accepted his invitatoin to talk matters over at his office. “It certainly seems to me a trifle awkward. Here I have gambled on peace and you have gambled on war, and now it looks as though Mr. Hillyer is going to give us peace or war just as he pleases.”

“Well,” said Randal, “I must say that if this story about the airship and the silent bombardment of Niu-chwang. Harbin. and Vladivostock is true, and I suppose it is, the sooner that we go into some other line of business the better. I’ll be kicked if I like the tone of the man’s message a little bit.” “But what does he mean about being held personally responsible?” said Sir Julius uneasily. “A man who can blow fortresses and railway stations to pieces without even being seen would be a very nasty customer to tackle under any circumstances. Why, if the fellow got the fit on him he might drop one of his infernal shells on the roof of the Bank of England itself, and as for individual assassination, that would be a mere bagatelle to him.” “Well,” said Randal, “I don’t see what there is to prevent a fellow like that doing exactly what he pleases. Personally. I feel very much inclined to make terms. After all, millions aren’t much good to anyone if you feel that your life is at the mercy of a fellow who can come sailing through the skies, drop a bomb on you, and disappear into thin air. What do you think. Sir Victor?” “Pretty much the same,” he replied, “and I admit that I am entirely of your opinion as to making terms if we can. but.” he continued, “I am afraid with Sir Julius the matter stands rather differently. In other words, it is rather more personal.” “Might I ask what you mean?” asked Sir Julius, turning sharply round. The moment of possible revenge had arrived, and Sir Victor did not hesitate to take advantage of it. “There’s that rather unfortunate condition that you made with me as to the compulsory return, etc., of my sister-in-law 7 . I am afraid you were a little hasty there. You see this man Hillyer, who has so unexpectedly and unpleasantly come to the front in this war, and appears to be lord of the air and all the rest of it, happens to be very much in love with Mrs Arthur Erskine’s sister, and if he gets back all right from the war is going to marry her. Naturally, he wouldn’t have very much consideration for you in that case.” “By Jove, Julius, that sounds rather awkward, doesn’t it?” said Randal. “And I don’t suppose either of us quite saw it in that light before. You see, it has now become a question of family honour with the gentleman, and I should say that this particular gentleman would be rather a difficult person to argue with. I suppose it’s too late to apologise, even if you could apologise for a thing like that. And then, what about your little arrangements with the Courts of Berlin and St. Petersburg? I don’t suppose we need make any secret of that now with Sir Victor, since we all seem to be pretty much in the same boat?” Sir Julius took one or two turns up and down the room, pulling his moustache and audibly gritting his teeth. “Yes,” he said in a distinctly uneasy

tone. “I don’t think there’s much else for it but surrender, but at the same time there’s something else to be considered. What are our august patrons going to do about it? If we let those loans fall through at the last moment, it’ll be a very heavy loss. They may not be inclined to take the thing as quietly as we should do. You see, there’s no sentiment in business. The man who mixes sentiment up in his business never makes money, because the other fellow gets in front of him; but money-making isn’t like running an empire, after all.” “Don’t you think you had better take a trip to the Continent to-night, Julius?" said Randal, “and explain matters as completely as you can?” “That’s not a bad idea.” replied Sir Julius. “Anyhow, I shall be in a position to put the truth as it is more plainly than anyone else, I think, and then there’s that little affair of yours, Sir Victor—l mean the affair of the submarine. She has evidently been making a good deal of trouble out there, and if we, as I may tell you we are going to. try and make peace where all our interests were for war, don’t you think that you might take a run over to Paris and explain matters after some fashion to the French Government? “You see, we don’t know what this fellow Hillyer may have been telegraphing to the British Government, because he’s evidently free of the Japanese censorship, and if the British Government get hold of the idea that this craft which has cleared the Japanese ships out of Chemulpho or sunk them is the lost French submarine L’Anonyme. illnatured diplomatists may jump to the conclusion that France knew more about the transfer than she admits, and then where’s I’entente cordiale?” It was a distinctly awkward situation, and no one saw its awkwardness more clearly than Sir Victor. He knew that these two men had him completely in their power, and that if he did not do as was suggested, or rather commanded, they would do it for him. Altogether the situation was becoming a great deal too complicated to be pleasant when the tension was relieved to a certain extent by a knock at the doe* and. in obedience to a “come in” from Sir Victor, the entrance of Mr Hawkins, who was, curiously enough, the uncle of the chief engineer who was just then driving the Marian through the air in search of the Sokold. “Cablegram. Sir Victor, if you please, through Eastern Telegraph Company. I thought yon would like to see it at once.” “Quite right. Hawkins. Let’s have it.” said Sir Victor, somewhat impatiently. “That will do. I will let you know if there’s an answer.” He tore the envelope open, and when the clerk had closed the door behind him he said to his guests: “Possibly this may throw some light

on the situation. It’s a wire in my own cipher from our mutual friend Dr. Chen-Y u, from Nagasaki, and very probably contains the latest news that is any use to us. If you will light a cigar and sit down for a few minutes, I will translate it for you.” There was about a quarter of an hour of somewhat tense silence, broken only by half-audible puffs as the smoke ring’s circled up from the two cigars and the rustle of the leaves of Sir Victor’s cypher book. Sir Victor had done a good deal of hard work in his time, but he never put in quite sueh a hard quarter of an hour, what with translating and thinking, as he did then. When he had finished his transcript he took out a cigarette, lit it. read the transcript over to himself, with what the brothers Ackerman mutually thought intolerable deliberation, and then he swung his swivel chair round and said, in a slow, dry tone, which he kept as steady as he could: “ Gentlemen. I don’t think that there will be much need for any of us to go to the Continent to-night, whether to Paris, Berlin, or Petersburg. If we did. we should probably get there a little late.” “Eh? What’s that?” exclaimed Sir Julius, sitting bolt upright in his chair.and dropping the ash from his cigar over the knees of his trousers. “ Too late. What! At Berlin and Petersburg. Well, if I know anything ” “ My dear Julius,” said Randal, in his usual unruffled tone, “it’s quite certain you don’t know what is in the wire which Sir Victor is going to read to us. Suppose we hear that first.” “ Oh, yes, of course. Always a bit too much ahead, as usual.” mattered Sir Julius. “Excuse me, I am all attention.” ’■‘l'rom Chen-Yu, Nagasaki, to Victor Erskine. London. Begins.’ reads Sir Victor. ‘I am instructed by the Imperial Government of Japan to inform you that hostilities are for the present suspended on land and sea in consequence of the action of the French submarine stolen from Marseilles at your instigation, and at present believed to be in command of Princess Zaida Dorosma and one Falcone Lugand. or Orsino Lugand, and placed, in defiance of international law, at the disposal of the Russian forces in the East. This vessel has committed outrages on Japanese ships which eannot be legal unless it can be proved that her operations are sanctioned by both the French and the Russian Governments. If this cannot be proved the Government of the Mikado will immediately put the matter to the test by officially informing the British Government of the circumstances and calling upon it either to obtain proper explanations from the French Republic or to consider the latter as a belligerent and to carry out the terms of the treaty of alliance ex-

isting between Great Britain and Japan. 1 am here practically as a prisoner under sentence of death, and, as 1 know all the circumstances, which, as you know, can be duly corroborated by reference to a mutual acquaintance at Paris, 1 have yielded to force majeure and placed all the facts within my cognisance at the disposal of the Government of His Majesty the Mikado. I am further instructed to inform you and the firm of Ackerman Brothers, with which you are doubtless in contact, that unless all financial operations on your part and theirs tending toward the support of Russia or any combination, secret or otherwise, between Russia and any other Power, are immediately cancelled, all the facts will be communicated to the French Government, and that the subsequent connection of Messrs Ackerman with the transaction will be communicated to the British Government. Ends.—CHEN-YU. Countersigned, KASHAMA, Minister of War.’ ”

“ Well, that’s a pretty kettle of fish! ” said Sir Julius, “especially when you get it mixed up with the personal responsibility referred to in the other telegram. What do you propose to d<' about it, Sir Victor!” “ I’ll be kicked if I know at present,” he replied, with a sincerity which was quite unmistakable. “ Suppose we go and have some lunch and talk it over.” “Not a bad idea at all,” said Randal, getting up from his chair. “It’s the most infernal complication 1 ever got into, and if I ever get out of it I shall retire from business, change my name, and seek a refuge from Mr. Mark Hillyer’s airships in rural obscurity or some of the remoter outlands of the earth. I don’t like the idea of those bombs falling from the air at all. Fancy one of them dropping through the roof of your house just as you were sitting down to dinner. No, no, we must take it lying down. We can’t stand up to this kind of thing.” There again spoke the cowardice of capital, and both his brother and Sir Victor entirely agreed with him.

There was a further discussion over lunch, and the result was that the following cablegram was despatched in Sir Victor’s cipher. “To Kashama, Nagasaki. Begins. Conditions stated in Chen-Yu’s cable agreed to. We deny all responsibility for stealing of L’Anonyme by Princess Dorosma and the Eugands. We have no hostility to Japan, and undertake to do no business against her interests. Proposed loans to

other Powers cancelled this afternoon. Loans to same amount now at disposal of Mikado’s Government if required. ChenYu a scoundrel who has taken money from both sides and sold both. No reliance whatever to be placed ou his statements. He cabled fact of presence of L’Anonyme in Port Arthur Harbour to us, and this information was withheld from the Russian Government by authorities in the Far East. We believe the Russian Government to be entirely innocent of any complicity in this transaction. Make what use of this you please. Ends.—Ackerman and Erskine.”

It was a pretty mean surrender for three men who a few weeks before had considered themselves among the most powerful in Europe, but they made it because a new Power, greater even than that of money, had suddenly been born into the world. They recognised this fact, and so, as Randal Ackerman had put it, they took the threat which, of course, had really emanated from Mark Hillyer. “lying down.” CHAPTER XIII. CLOSE QUARTERS. The first day of the cruise of the Marian and the Mermaid passed without incident. The sea appeared to be deserted. The tempest of war had passed over it, and left it bare, and hour after hour Captain Merkett and Mr. Hawkins stood alternately in the conning-tower of the airship, turning their glasses to every point of the compass, and seeing nothing but the grey-blue waters and the shadows of the clouds drifting across them. Then night fell, and Hillyer, who had taken his sleep during the day, went into the conning-tower of the Mermaid to begin his night-long look-out for the enemy, whom he had to find and destroy if his dream of peace on earth was to be realised. The speed of the submarine and the airship was reduced to twenty miles an hour, and a zig-zag course, extending fifty miles in each direction, that is to say, nearly north-west and north-east, was steered midway between Quelpaert and the islands off the Japanese coast. Ahead of the Mermaid a broad fan of rays, invisible until they fell upon an object, swept constantly to and fro through an arc of 180 degrees, but there were no other lights in the Marian or the Mermaid save the shaded lamps which threw their light only on the steering compasses. And so Mark Hillyer passed the long, dark, silent hours, swinging the mighty engine of destruction which was under

his control to right and left, as she prowled through the darkness of the waters, like a tiger seeking his prey through the jungle, while a thousand feet aloft the Marian followed her course, also watching like an eagle for its victim. Soon after three the moon cleared a dark bank of clouds which lay along the eastern horizon, and the dim, grey surface of the sea became visible. If that cloud-bank had reached to the zenith, or if there had been no moon that night, the fate of the world might have been different. It was just one of those accidents which the Fates seem to make use of as counters in the game they play with the destinies of humanity. Captain Merkett’s glasses instantly went up to his eyes, and presently the telephone-bell in the conning-tower of the Mermaid tinkled. “Yes,” said Hillyer, putting the receiver to his ear. “Seen anything?” “Yes, sir,” came the reply, “about half a point to the west of north as we’re steering now, and, say, five miles ahead, there’s what looks like a big steamer making a lot of smoke. Warship, I should say, and steaming pretty fast." “Just run down a bit and investigate,” replied Hillyer, “but don’t quicken up yet.” “All right, sir,” said Captain Merkett, and presently the Mermaid sank 500 ft. in a slanting direction. Hillyer waited for a somewhat anxious quarter of an hour, one hand holding the receiver to his ear, and the other on the steeringwheel, and then Captain Merkett’s voice said again: “She’s a big. five-funnelled Russian cruiser, sir, and so she must be the Sokold. I'm rising again now to keep out of sight. Shall I go for her, or will you ?” “Wait a bit, I don’t think she can be doing anything here, except towing the submarine. Still, I’d better make certain first. If I tell you she is I shall east off the cable and leave you to deal with the cruiser. Get her to surrender if you c-an; I don’t care to sink her without any warning, although I will the other fellow if I can.” “Very good, sir.” said the skipper.

Then be, too, waited, about as anxiously as Hillyer had done. Another ten minutes of silence passed, and then came the momentous message from the Mermaid: "It’s all right, she’s got the submarine in tow about three cables astern; I’ve been under her. She’s lying just awash. I’m going to let the cable go and get out of the way. Good-bye. I thiuk we’ve got them.” “Good-bye, sir, and good luck!” an swered the skipper, and then he gave orders for the cable to be reeled in. Ten minutes later the officer in charga of the bridge of the Sokold had the most amazing experience of his life. The moon had shone out clearly for a few minutes, and he saw a strange shape which looked from below like a huge fly ing raft come floating down with a slow spiral motion from the broken clouds. Then it began to run slowly round his ship, keeping perfect pace with her, although she was steaming at about 19 knots. In a few moments he realised that it had torpedo-tubes, two of which kept ominously pointing towards the Sokold, and then he saw that it was unmistakably supported by aero-planes and driven by rapidly revolving propellers, after which it dawned upon his astonished senses that the greatest of scientific problems had been solved at last, and that here was a veritable airship—not a mere gas-bag which could be more o» less accurately steered through a calm or against a light wind for a few miles, but a true flying machine, supported in the air by its own power of flight. Moreover, here it was over more than a hundred miles from land, literally “making rings” round a vessel steaming at ovei 20 miles an hour through the water. Silently, save for a soft whirring noise as the fans beat the air, the strange shape passed three times round the Sokold about on a level with the tops of her five lofty funnels. Meanwhile, he sent an orderly down to the captain’s room, requesting him to come on deck at once, and just as the Marian was passing the port end of the bridge for the third time he came up. still huddling on his overcoat. He stop-

pe<T short, Blaring at the strange apparition as it sweyt round, and then lie gasped out* “Holy saints, Kareneviteh, what's that ?”

“An airship, sir,” replied the lieutenant, “it cannot be anything else, for it has just dropped from the clouds and has run round us three times, though We are making about 19 knots. He flies no flag, as you see, and has made no signals, so one cannot tell whether he 14 *i friend or an enemy.” “Then may the saints grant that lie is a friend, for I certainly don't like the look of those torpedo tubes. Our twoinch deck would not stand very long against a few dynamite cartridges dropped from them. .Why, he could sink us ‘■Pardon a moment, sir.” said the lieutenant, as the telephone bell rang in tha steering-house, “The submarine wishes to speak to us,” “There was a telephone wire running from the bridge of the cruiser along the towing cable and into the conning-tower of the Sea-Snake, and as soon as tho lieutenant put his ear to the receiver! he heard the princess’ voice saying: ‘'We have seen something iu the water “-only a glimpse of it —but it can hardly be anything but n submarine, I'm going to loose and fight it. It cannot belong to us. 1 will rejoin you at daybreak.” Then there was a buzz and a dick and Ihe voice stopped. The lieutenant repeated the message io the captain, who, brave and all as he ■was, could not repress a, start as he Baid: “What’s that, ft submarine below U 3 ami an airship above us! That looks like the poor Sokold's bones being at the bottom before yery long, unless our lady of the sea can dispose, of the other fellow. Ah, look there! He’s going up above us. Now what the deuce does he mean? Why doesn’t the fellow speak to us or make a signal or something. .Confound him. Ah, 100k —what’s that?” They both looked us and saw what Was plainly an electric bulb coming flown towards them. The airship was by this time exactly over the navigating bridge, and keeping perfect pace with the cruiser. The bulb came, down until it swung just in front of the bridge. As it came towards him the captain put out his hand and caught it. Just above it there was an envelope tied to the wire, lie tore it <4ff and looked at it. It was addressed, “To the Captain of the Sokold.” lie opened it and took out a letter couched in few, but pregnant phrases s “From the officer in command of his Imperial Majesty the Mikado’s aerial cruiser Marian. "Will you fight or surrender? As you cannot do the first I should advise you to dp the second. This airship has already set New-ehwang and Harbin on fire, and blown up the dock at Vladivostock. I can knock you into scrap-iron in ten minutes, and if you don't hoist your flag and drop it in sign of surrender I shall do so. MeanWhile remaining jynirs obediently, Andrew Merkett/’ The captain and the lieutenant, like Searly all educated Russians, read and spoke English, The captain banded it To the lieutenant, and said: that, Karanevitch. That

■never came from a Jap. It is either English or American; but if that is true about New-ehwang and Harbin and Vladivostock, the scoundrel can do what he says; we haven’t a gun that we could train on him up there.” “ There is only one chance, sir, that I ean see,” said the lieutenant, handing the letter back. “And that?” •Rifle fire, sir. : would call the men up, make them lie on their backs, and keep up a continuous fire upon hint. The vessel cannot be made of anything strong enough to be bullet-proof, and the first volley might cripple him.” “Karanevitch, the idea is excellent!” I‘e'plied the captain, laying his hand on the lieutenant’s shoulder. “It is a thousand times better than ignomnious surrender. Beat to quarters, run the flag up to the foremast, and keep it there. We ean only sink, as the Variag did.” The flag went up. and the order was given immediately, but, unfortunately for the captain’s heroic resolve, this is precisely what Mr. Andrew Merkett expected him to do. He had opened one of the windows of the conningtower, and as he saw the flag go up, flickering in the faint moonlight, he heard the bugle sound the call to quarters. He instantly shut the window, took down the engine-room speakingtube, and said: “ Let her have it, Mr. Hawkins.. Full speed. Hurry up now. thev are going to shoot!” Before he had hung up the tube again he felt a shudder run through the ship. He pulled the lever which controlled the aeroplanes towards him, and before the crew and marines of the Sokold could be paraded the Marian bad sprung forward at an ever-in-ereasing speed, passed through the clouds at a height of 4000 ft, and soared up into the clear moonlight and the serenity of the upper sky, beyond vision or the search of any effective attack from earth or sea. “ I’m sorry,” said Captain Merkett to himself, as he swung the wonderful craft round so as to bring her over the cruiser again; “rifle fire, eh? Not a bad idea, but he's asked for his gruel, and so I guess he'll have to have it. Anyhow, the boss can’t say that I didn’t give him a fair chance to cave in while he was safe. That’ll do, Mr. Hawkins. Half-speed for the present. Get your tubes charged and stand by with the lifting-fans when I give you word.” He moved the lever away from him a little, and the Marian began to sink swiftly towards the clouds again. Then again he called down the speakingtube: “Quarter speed, then slow, ready with those tubes,” The clouds seemed to come up towards him and the breaks in them got bigger, and presently in the middle of one of these he saw the white shape of the Sokold standing out distinct against the almost black water. “Start your lifting fans ami get over him, and give him the forward starboard tube. Ready now. When it’s plumb let go. Now!”

The next moment the crew of the Sokold felt a terrific shock, which was the last thing most of them did feel. A burst of green flame blazed out, three of the five funnels crumpled up, and the deck split and cracked in all directions

a’ though it had been ie«. A moment later another explosion burst out on the after deck. The steel walls of the after citadel flew asunder ami twisted up us if they had been paper. The cruiser stopped with a shudder and began to settle down by the stern, and then Captain Merkett said through the speakingtube: “Not too bad, Mr Hawkins. Now give him a dose of dynamite as near amidships as you can.” Within the next minute a 20-pound dynamite shell came hissing through the air, and dropped into the vitals of the Sokold. There was a burst of flame, ;t shuddering shock, a rush and roar of escaping steam, and the cruiser bent up amidships and disappeared. “I guess that’s about all you’ll want this side of kingdom come, my friend,” said Captain Merkett, who, though one of the best of husbands and fathers, and the mildest mannered of men in peace, had no more bowels of compassion than a graven image when he onee got into a fight. “Now, I guess I had better go down and see what the boss is doing with that other fellow under the water.” (To be Concluded.)