CHAPTER XXIX
A CHAMPION PASSES
Harris laid one of his revolvers on the deck, reached in his pocket andproduced the six of diamonds. He looked at it closely in the halfdarkness and a smile passed over his face.
"I suppose I'm a fool," he muttered to himself, "but someway I couldn'thelp it. I was afraid Jack would cut the low card. I wouldn't have doneit for one of the others, but Jack, well, he's a boy after my ownheart."
Harris replaced the card in his pocket; then thought better of hisaction, drew it forth again and sent it spinning off across the sea.
"There," he said quietly, "goes all evidence that I cheated."
He picked up the revolver he had laid on the deck and moved a shortdistance from the companionway.
There was an extra violent crash and it seemed that the door must burstopen.
"Another one like that will do the work," said Harris, calmly.
He took up what he considered a strategic position and produced hiswatch. This he lay on the deck and sat down beside it.
"May as well be comfortable," he remarked.
Again there was a crash and the door of the companionway burst open. AGerman head appeared.
"Crack!" Harris had fired without moving from his sitting posture.
The German head disappeared and there was a cry of alarm from below.
"One down, I guess," said Harris, quietly, to himself.
For some moments there was silence, broken occasionally, however, bythe dull sound of voices from below.
"Talking it over, eh?" muttered Harris. "Well, I'll still be here whenyou try again."
It was perhaps fifteen minutes later that a cap appeared in theopening. Again Harris fired. The cap did not disappear and Harris firedtwice more quickly.
The cap disappeared.
"Guess I got another one," said Harris.
Twice more within the next fifteen minutes this happened.
"That should be four, if I have counted correctly," said Harris; "andI've still four cartridges left. I won't have to reload yet."
He felt in his pocket and then uttered an exclamation of alarm.
"No more bullets. I'll have to make these four count for the next two."
Nothing appeared in the doorway again for ten minutes more and thenHarris fired again. Fifteen minutes later the same thing happened andHarris, making sure that this was the last of the enemy, emptied hisrevolver at it.
Then he got to his feet and put his watch in his pocket.
"Guess that settles it," he said. "Now I'll look around for a boat. Ididn't know it was going to be as easy as all that. If I had I wouldhave had the others wait for me."
He moved toward the companionway, and as he did so, a bullet whistledby his ear. Harris stepped back in surprise; and in that moment thesolution came to him.
"By Jove! They've fooled me," he muttered. "They poked their caps upand I shot them full of holes. However, they don't know yet that I'mout of bullets."
A few moments later a cap again appeared in the opening. Harris had nobullets to fire at it.
"They'll discover my predicament in a moment or so, though," he toldhimself.
He pulled his watch from his pocket and glanced at it.
"An hour," he said. "They have had time enough. However, I'll just seethe thing through."
As he spoke it grew light. Harris looked off across the sea. There, sofar away that it appeared but a speck upon the water, he saw what hetook to be the motor boat bearing his friends to safety. He waved hiscap.
"Good luck!" he said quietly.
Now a German head appeared in the door of the companionway. It was nota cap this time. Harris saw it, and drawing back his arm, hurled one ofhis revolvers swiftly. His aim was true and the weapon struck theGerman squarely in the face. With a scream of pain the man fell backinto the arms of his companions.
But Harris' action had told his enemies that he had no more bullets,and seeing that they had but one man to contend with, the Germanssprang from their shelter and leaped for him.
Harris clubbed his remaining revolver, and with his back to the pilothouse, where he had retreated, awaited the approach of the four foes.
"You're going to have the fight of your lives," he said grimly.
A German sprang. Harris' arm rose and fell and there was one Germanless to contend with. But before Harris could raise his arm again, theother three had closed in upon him. Harris felt himself borne back.
The former pugilistic champion of the British navy cast all ring ethicsto the winds. He struck, kicked and clawed and sought to wreak whatdamage he could upon his enemies without regard for the niceties offighting. He knew that they would do the same to him.
So great had been the force of the shock of the three Germans--all thatwere now left of the original twelve--that Harris was borne to thedeck. His revolver hand struck the floor with great force and theweapon was sent spinning from his grasp.
With a mighty effort, he hurled the three men from him and leaped tohis feet. The Germans also arose. Harris did not wait for them toresume the offensive. With head lowered he charged.
Nimbly the foe skipped to either side and Harris felt a keen pain inhis right side. One of the foe had drawn a knife and stabbed as Harrisrushed by. Whirling quickly, Harris again sprang forward. One man didnot leap out of his way quickly enough, and Harris' hands found histhroat.
The man gave a screech as Harris' hands squeezed. The Englishman raisedhis enemy bodily from the deck, flung him squarely in the faces of theother two, and followed after the human catapult.
The foremost German dodged and seized Harris by the legs. Both wentover in a heap, Harris on top. Harris raised his right fist and wouldhave brought it down on the German's face but for the fact that thesecond foe seized his arm in a fierce grasp. At the same moment hestruck with his knife.
The point penetrated Harris' right side and he felt himself growingfaint. Angrily, he shook the German from him and rose to his feet. Theman who had been underneath the Englishman also got quickly to hisfeet, and before Harris could turn, stabbed him in the back.
With a cry, Harris whirled on him and seized the knife arm. He twistedsharply. The German cried out in pain and sought to free himself. Buthis effort was in vain.
With the grasp by the wrist, Harris swung the man in the air, andspinning on his heel, hurled him far across the deck, where theunconscious form struck with a crash; and at the same moment the otherGerman struck again with his knife.
Harris staggered back.
Now the German who so recently had felt the effect of Harris' fingersin his throat, pulled himself from the deck and renewed the battle. Headvanced, crouching, and another knife gleamed in his hand.
It is possible that, had it not been for the effects of the knifewounds, Harris, in the end, would have overcome these foes, for he wasa powerful man. But when a man is bleeding from half a dozen wounds andfaces two adversaries both armed with knives, he has little chance ofultimate victory. Harris realized it; but he was not the man to beg formercy. Besides, so fierce had been his attacks and so great hisexecution, it is not probable that the Germans would have spared himanyhow. They were insane with rage.
There were only two of them left now; and Harris told himself thattheir number would be fewer by one before they finished with him. Heleaned against the pilot house panting from his exertions.
"A great lot of fighters, you are," he taunted his enemies. "Four ofyou attacked me with knives and you haven't done for me yet."
The Germans also were glad of a breathing spell. Their faces reddenedas Harris taunted them.
"We shall kill you yet," said one angrily.
"Don't be too sure," said Harris. "I'm an Englishman, you know, and youhave always been afraid of an Englishman."
At this the Germans uttered a cry of rage and sprang forward, theirknives flashing aloft.
The first German missed his mark as Harris dodged beneath his arm andclosed with him. He uttered a cry for help.
>
"That's right, you coward! You'll need it," said Harris.
He squeezed the man with all his might. Out of the tail of his eye hecaught the glint of the other German's knife as it descended. Releasinghis hold upon the one man, he stepped quickly backward. But the knifecaught him a glancing blow on the forehead, inflicting a deep wound.
For a moment Harris paused to shake the blood out of his eyes. Then,with a smile playing across his features, he advanced; and as headvanced he said:
"You've done for me, the lot of you. But I shall take you with me."
The Germans quailed at the look in his face; and as he moved forwardswiftly they threw down their knives and turned to run.
But they had delayed too long.
Harris stretched both hands out straight before him. One hand closedabout the arm of the German to his right. The other clutched the secondman by the throat. Harris pulled the man he held by the arm close; thenreleased his grip, but before the German could stagger away, seizedhim, too, by the throat.
"Now I've got you," he said.
Blow after blow the Germans rained upon his face and shoulders, kickingout with their feet the while. Harris paid no more attention to thesethan he would have to the taps of a child.
But the Englishman felt his strength waning fast. It was with an effortthat he staggered across the deck. At the rail he paused for a moment,gathering his strength for a final effort.
Then, still holding a German by the throat with each hand, he leapedinto the sea.
Once, twice, three times the three heads appeared on the surface and aspectator could have seen that Harris retained his grip. Then the threesank from sight.
And so passed the former pugilistic champion of the British fleet,brave in death as he had been in life. The waves washed over the spotwhere he had gone down.
CHAPTER XXX
THE UNKNOWN UNMASKS
With the coming of dawn the three figures in the little motor boatgazed back in the direction from whence they had come. There they couldstill make out the distant shape of the _Bismarck_. She rode quietly inthe water, and there was nothing about her appearance to tell the threein the motor boat of the terrible struggle that was raging even at thatmoment.
"Poor Harris," said Jack. "I hope that in some manner he is able toescape."
"Certainly I hope so, too," declared Frank.
"He's a brave man," said von Ludwig.
Jack drew the fateful deck of cards from his pocket.
"These," he said, "I shall keep."
He ran through the deck several times, playing with them. Unconsciouslyhe counted them.
There was something wrong. Jack counted the cards again. The result wasthe same.
"Sir!" he called to von Ludwig.
"Well?" "How did you chance to have this pack of cards?"
"I play solitaire considerably," was the reply.
"You couldn't have played solitaire with this deck," said Jack.
"Why not?""All the cards are not here. There are but fifty-one."
"There were fifty-two when I put them in my pocket," said von Ludwig,"because I counted them."
Again Jack ran through the deck There were but fifty-one cards.Suddenly the lad gave a start. He spread the cards out in the bottomof the boat, making four piles all suits together. He counted the hearts.They were all there, thirteen of them. He counted the clubs. They wereall there, too. Next he counted the spades. All were there. Last hecounted the diamonds. There were but twelve. Jack arranged them in order.There was one card shy. Jack found what it was a moment later. There wasno six of diamonds in the deck. For some moments Jack sat silent,staring at the cards before him. He had been struck with a great light.
"So!" he said to himself at last, "Harris cheated."
"What's that?" said Frank, who had heard Jack's muttered words, but hadnot caught their import.
"I said," replied Jack, slowly, "that Harris cheated."
Frank was surprised. A moment later he said: "Well, even if he did, helost anyhow."
"That's it," said Jack, quietly. "He didn't lose."
"You mean----" exclaimed Frank, excitedly.
"Yes; I mean that I lost. I should have been the one to stay."
"Impossible," said Frank.
"It's true," declared Jack. "Von Ludwig here says the deck was a fulldeck. It's shy a card now. The six of diamonds is missing. That is thecard Harris cut first. You remember he turned aside?"
"Yes, but----"
"That's when he slipped the six of diamonds out of sight and exposedthe deuce of spades."
"What's all this talk about cards?" asked von Ludwig, at this juncture.
Jack explained and for a few moments von Ludwig was lost in thought.
"You know," he said, finally, "I think more of that fellow every minute.That's the one case I have ever heard of where a man cheated with honor."
There was silence aboard the little craft as it sped over the water, allthree aboard keeping a close watch for the approach of a German vesselof some sort. Von Ludwig referred to his chart occasionally, for hewished to steer as clear of mines as possible. They might be deep in thewater and they might be close to the surface. There was no use takingchances. And while the voyage continued the lads were to be treated toyet another surprise; but this surprise was to be a pleasure and wouldnot bring heavy hearts, as had the discovery of the missing card.
"I wish," said Jack, suddenly, to von Ludwig, "that you wouldtell me who you really are. I sit here and look at you and know Ishould be able to call your name. But I can't do it and it makes itdecidedly unpleasant."
Von Ludwig smiled. "I should have thought you would know me in a minutein spite of my disguise," he said quietly. "I am sure I should have knownboth of you no matter what pains you took to conceal your features."
"You're only making matters worse," said Frank. "Come on now and tell uswho you are."
Again von Ludwig smiled. "I wonder if you can guess who I am when I saythat I can tell you all about yourselves?" he said. "For instance, you,Jack. You spent most of your life in a little African village. And you,Frank, are an American who was shanghaied aboard a sailing vessel inNaples soon after the outbreak of the war."
"By Jove!" said Jack. "Outside of Frank here there is only one man whoknows all that about me."
"And there is but a single man who knows as much of me," declared Frank."Can it be----"
For answer von Ludwig rose in his seat and stripped from his face theheavy German beard that had given him the true Teutonic expression, andthere stood revealed before Jack and Frank none other than LordHastings, their erstwhile commander and good friend. Frank gave a cryof delight and sprang forward at the imminent risk of upsetting themotor boat. He seized Lord Hastings' hand and pressed it warmly. Thelatter's greeting was no less affectionate. Jack, not so given todemonstrations as his chum, also advanced and grasped Lord Hasting'shand.
"You don't know how glad I am to see you again, sir," the lad saidquietly. "It seems like an age since we saw you. And to think that wedidn't recognize you instantly."
"That's what seemed so funny to me," said Lord Hastings. "When I firstsaw you aboard that German vessel I was fearful for a minute that youwould recognize me and blurt it out right there."
"But what were you doing there, Lord Hastings?" asked Frank.
"It's a long story," was the latter's reply, "but I guess now is asgood a time as any to explain."
"I wish you would, sir," said Jack.
"Well," said Lord Hastings, "as you know, I told you when we partedthat I had an important diplomatic duty to perform. First, it carriedme to Roumania, where, I may say, I was successful."
"You mean that Roumania has decided to cast in her fortunes with theAllies, sir?"
"Exactly. She will take that step some time in August, though the exactdate I am unable to say. My mission there at an end, I was ordered toreport to Berlin. As you know, we still maintain a staff ofcorrespondents in the German capital, although their identities arec
losely hidden."
Frank and Jack nodded, for they had known this some time before.
"Well," Lord Hastings continued, "in Berlin I was instructed to learnwhat Germany planned to do to offset the Roumanian menace, for she issure to know of Roumanians decision by this time. I had some trouble,but I succeeded at last."
"And what will she do, sir?" asked Frank.
"That," was the reply, "I am unable to state at this minute. It is asecret that I am guarding carefully and I cannot even tell you ladsabout it."
Frank and Jack asked no further questions along that line.
"But how came you aboard the German vessel, sir?" Jack wanted to know.
Lord Hastings smiled.
"In Berlin," he said, "I was supposed to be a Roumanian officer, whohad hopes of changing the attitude of that country. The Kaiser wishedto show me how foolish it would be for the little Balkan state to jointhe Allies, and for that reason, had me shown through the German navalfortifications. That information, too, I am carrying back with me."
"But why didn't you tell us who you were in Bremen, sir?"
"I don't know. At first I guess because I wanted to surprise you bothwhen you did learn who I was."
"But you told us not to try and learn who you were."
"Well, that was for a good reason. For, if you should have sought topry, it might have aroused suspicions and there is no telling whatwould have happened."
"I see, sir," said Frank. "But you almost lost us when you didn't getback in time."
"I know that now. I wouldn't do the same thing again."
"And what are you going to do after you return to London, sir?" Frankwanted to know.
Again Lord Hastings smiled.
"That's hard to tell," he replied. "Still, I imagine it will not bevery long before I feel a deck under my heels again."
"You mean you will leave the diplomatic service again, sir?" askedJack.
"I expect to. The king promised me a new command before he despatchedme to the Balkans. But I do not know how long I shall be kept waiting."
"And when you get it, sir, will we go back with you?" asked Frank.
"Why," was the reply, "I should have thought that by this time youwould perhaps have changed your minds."
"Never, sir," declared Jack, positively. "We would rather serve underyou, sir."
"I'll see what can be done," Lord Hastings promised.
And with that the lads were forced to be content. Still, they knew wellenough that Lord Hastings would do what he could to have them with himagain.
"The main thing now," said Lord Hastings, "is to dodge the enemy andget back to England."
"With you here, sir," said Frank, "I am sure we shall get back safely."
And Frank proved a good prophet.
All that day they made their way slowly through the North Sea. Severaltimes enemy ships were sighted, but, because the little motor boat layso low in the water, the Germans did not see them.
With the coming of night, however, Lord Hastings increased the speed ofthe little craft. He felt that they were now beyond the German minefields and that if another vessel were encountered it probably would beBritish.
And this proved to be the case.
Along toward morning of the second day, a British cruiser bore down onthem. Soon all were aboard the vessel, which, when Lord Hastingsinformed the commander of the nature of the papers he carried, turnedabout and headed for London.
A day or two later, Frank and Jack again found themselves installed inthe comfortable home of Lord Hastings, where they sat down to awaitwhat time might bring forth--confident, however, that it would not belong before they were upon active service under the command of theirgood friend, Lord Hastings.
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