CHAPTER XXII.
IN DIRE PERIL.
When Lieutenant Taylor saw the _Sylph's_ launch turn and head for thelittle vessel without waiting for him, an expression of great surprisecame over his face, followed by one of anxiety. He raised a shout, and,when he saw that Frank paid no heed to him, although he knew his shouthad been heard, his suspicions were aroused.
Quickly he drew from his pocket the message Lord Hastings had orderedhim to give to Captain Johnson, and tore it in little pieces. These hedropped into the water, and then made his way toward the captain, whostood awaiting his approach.
The captain greeted him pleasantly.
"You have a message for me, sir?" he asked.
"I have, sir; and it is a most disagreeable one."
"Disagreeable? Has some disaster occurred?"
"No, sir. It is even worse, if possible."
"Explain yourself."
"Very well, sir. I am commanded to charge the young lady who has justcome aboard with being a German spy!"
"A spy! Lord Hastings has not informed me of this, and I have been incommunication with him."
"Very true, sir, but with good reason. There are others aboard the_Sylph_ whom he did not wish to overhear such a communication. She wasseen to steal a message relating to the movements of the fleet from thewireless room. Also she is a German. Lord Hastings requests that she betried at once!"
"Very good, sir," replied Captain Johnson.
He called his first officer.
"Have Miss Beulow summoned here at once," he commanded.
A moment later, the young girl, smiling, stood before them.
"Miss Beulow," said the captain, "I have an unpleasant duty to perform.You are accused of being a German spy!"
The girl staggered back.
"Who makes this absurd charge?" she demanded, after she had to somedegree regained her composure.
Lieutenant Taylor stepped forward.
"I do, at Lord Hastings' command," he replied.
The girl stared at him with the greatest contempt. Then she turned tothe captain.
"I am innocent of this charge," she said; "but this man," and shepointed an accusing finger at the lieutenant, "I know to be a spy. He isaccusing me to save himself."
Lieutenant Taylor smiled sneeringly.
"A very natural reply," he said. "Captain, she was seen to put themessage I spoke of in her purse. Perhaps she still has it there. Willyou see for yourself?"
"Your purse, if you please," said Captain Johnson, extending his hand,and speaking in a harsh voice, for he had no reason to doubt the truthof Lieutenant Taylor's words.
The girl's face turned white. For the first time she realized the fullseriousness of her situation. For a moment she held her purse evencloser to her.
"But, captain," she began, "I----"
"Your purse, if you please," interrupted the captain.
Slowly the girl extended it to him. Quickly he opened it, and a momentlater withdrew a little piece of paper, which he opened and read. It wasthe message containing the supposed plans of the British fleet.
After a hasty perusal, the captain turned to Lieutenant Berkeley, hisfirst officer.
"Arrest her," he said.
"But, captain," exclaimed the girl in terror, "a message to LordHastings will confirm the truth of my story."
"I shall communicate with Lord Hastings at once," was the reply, "but Iam convinced that no answer he can make will exonerate you."
"The case is perfectly plain," agreed Lieutenant Taylor.
"Have this young woman confined to her cabin," commanded Captain Johnsonto Lieutenant Berkeley, "and have a court-martial summoned to sit at 8o'clock in the morning. That is all. Take her away. Now you, sir," hecontinued, turning to Lieutenant Taylor, "I suppose are to stay here tomake the charge?"
"Exactly, sir," replied the lieutenant; "such was Lord Hastings'command."
"Very well. Lieutenant Berkeley will provide you with quarters."
The captain made his way to the wireless room, where he had the operatorpick up the _Sylph_. First he sent a message, simply saying that MissBeulow had been arrested on the charge of being a spy, the accusationhaving been preferred by Lieutenant Taylor. Then he asked furtherdetails. But there came no reply. In vain did the operator again try topick up the _Sylph_. At length he gave up the attempt.
"It is very plain," said the captain to himself. "It is just asLieutenant Taylor told me. Evidently they do not answer because theyfear someone will overhear the message."
But at that moment the wireless came to life, and the captain waited.
"From the _Sylph_?" he questioned.
"No,", was the reply, "from Admiral Jellicoe. Instead of continuing toCopenhagen, we are ordered to cruise about in these waters, that in casea German vessel succeeds in running the blockade, we may be able tointercept her."
"All right," was the reply, and the commander made his way to his owncabin.
For Alice Beulow, confined to her cabin, and in full realization of herperilous situation, the day passed slowly. Food was brought to her, butshe was not allowed to go on deck.
All night she paced up and down in her cabin, and the first gleams ofsunlight, streaming through the window, found her pale and hollow-eyed.Sleep had been impossible.
But eight o'clock came at last, and she was conducted to CaptainJohnson's cabin, where around a long table sat the men who were to tryher on the charge of being a spy--the court-martial--composed of CaptainJohnson, First Lieutenant Berkeley, Second Lieutenant Palmer, ThirdLieutenant Emery and Fourth Lieutenant Arthur. Lieutenant Taylor wasalso present.
Captain Johnson arose as Miss Beulow entered the cabin.
"Miss Beulow," he said sternly, "you are accused of being a German spy.Are you innocent or guilty?"
"I am innocent," replied the girl quietly.
Captain Johnson motioned her to a seat, then turned to LieutenantTaylor.
"You may state your case, sir," he said.
Lieutenant Taylor arose and bowed to the members of the court-martial.Then he faced the young girl, a slight sneer on his face.
Now, lying was not the least of the lieutenant's accomplishments, and hetold a plausible story to the officers who sat as judges. He told of howLord Hastings had learned, through great good fortune, that there wereGerman spies on board the _Sylph_, and how, after being saved from awatery grave, Miss Beulow had repaid her saviours by joining in theconspiracy against them.
He related how Lord Hastings had set a trap for the plotters, and howMiss Beulow had been caught red-handed stealing a message from thewireless room. She had not been arrested then, he explained, because theidentity of the other conspirators had not been learned, and it wasfeared that her arrest would make them more wary.
It was indeed a plausible story, and the judges were plainly impressedwith it. Not a doubt of the lieutenant's honesty and veracity hadentered the mind of a single member of the court-martial.
At length the lieutenant finished and resumed his seat; and the accusedgirl arose to face her judges, whom, she was now certain, would also beher executioners.
"Do you wish to make a statement?" she was asked.
"I do," was her reply, as she stood trembling and on the verge of tears,and she continued: "I solemnly swear I am innocent of this grave charge.It is true my father is a German, but that does not prove I am a spy. Iaccuse that man there," and she pointed a trembling finger at LieutenantTaylor, "of conspiring to destroy the British fleet!"
Lieutenant Taylor sprang to his feet angrily.
"Absurd!" he cried, and sat down again.
"Is it not true?" continued the young girl, facing him steadily, "thatyou are not an Englishman? Is it not true that you are an American?"
"And what of that?" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I am nevertheless anofficer in the British navy."
The girl turned from him and faced her judges again.
"Gentlemen," she sai
d, "that man came to me two nights ago and declaredto me that he was a captain in the German army, and that he was plottingthe destruction of the English fleet off Helgoland. He thought thatbecause I am a German, and because I had ignored him, that he could gainmy sympathy by disclosing his reason for being with the English. He toldme his plans. He, not I, is the traitor!"
Captain Johnson rose to his feet.
"How," he asked, "do you account for the paper I found in yourpossession?"
"Lieutenant Taylor showed it to me," replied the girl. "He said it wasthe message that meant the destruction of the British fleet. He gave itto me and I kept it. That is all."
"I deny it!" exclaimed Lieutenant Taylor, springing to his feet
Captain Johnson waved him aside.
"Have you anything else to say. Miss Beulow?" he asked.
"Nothing," replied the girl, "except that I am innocent."
"You may return to your cabin, Miss Beulow," said Captain Johnson. "Youshall know our verdict as soon as we have reached it."
Haltingly the girl was escorted back to her cabin. Here, at length, shegave way to her feelings and burst into tears. When, finally, she wasagain summoned before the court-martial, she had regained her composure,and, dry-eyed, and standing firmly erect, she once more calmly faced herjudges, to learn from them whether she was to live or die.
The captain and all other members of the court-martial arose from theirseats.
"Miss Beulow," said Captain Johnson, in a gruff voice, "we have foundyou, after due deliberation, to be guilty of the charge against you."
Alice Beulow staggered back, and the captain stopped speaking. TheBritish commander cleared his voice of a huskiness that had crept intoit, pulled himself together, and continued firmly:
"And the sentence of this court-martial is that you be shot to-morrowmorning at eight o'clock!"