CHAPTER XXV.
AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR.
Aboard H. M. S. battle cruiser _Alto_ subdued excitement prevailed. Itwas six o'clock the morning after the first British naval victory offHelgoland, and still, for some unaccountable reason, the commander ofthe _Alto_ had received no information of the battle.
Alice Beulow, pale from loss of sleep and tired to the point ofexhaustion, paced to and fro in her little cabin. Several times she fellupon her knees beside her bed and prayed, for, by the mandate of thecourt-martial, she had less than two hours to live.
Now the forward lookout on the _Alto_ made out the first sign of aswiftly approaching vessel. Rapidly it came on. Under instructions fromCaptain Johnson, the wireless operator was attempting to "pick up" theoncoming craft, but, after several futile attempts, finally gave it up.The stranger vouchsafed no reply.
The cruiser's bell tolled the half hour.
"Half past seven!"
The words escaped the kneeling girl. She arose and, going to a littlemirror, straightened her hair. She was beyond tears, and was preparingto meet her death bravely. She had given up all hope of rescue.
Came a knock at the door.
"Come!" she called, and Lieutenant Berkeley entered.
"Are you ready, Miss Beulow," he questioned.
"Yes," replied the girl calmly, and followed him on deck.
To the farthest point aft on the cruiser the lieutenant led the way,Alice following with a firm step. As she reached the selected spot andstopped, there came a cry from the lookout:
"Boat coming toward the _Alto_, sir!"
All eyes were turned in the direction indicated. Still some distanceaway, it was discovered that the vessel seen approaching earlier in themorning had come to anchor, and that a small boat had been lowered, andwas rapidly approaching the _Alto_.
The firing squad had been selected the night before, and now stoodready. At this moment the first officer came up and took the rifles fromthe hands of the six men.
"Three rifles will be loaded with blank cartridges," he informed themen, "so that it will be impossible to say which man's bullet kills theprisoner."
The sailors all breathed easier. It was something for each man to knowthat there was a possibility that he would not be the one to snuff outthe life of the young girl.
"Lieutenant Taylor!"
It was Captain Johnson who spoke.
"Sir?"
Lieutenant Taylor, who stood nearby, approached the commander of the_Alto_.
"You will relieve Lieutenant Berkeley and take command of the firingsquad."
The lieutenant's face turned a trifle pale, but he saluted thecommander, then turned on his heel and took Lieutenant Berkeley's placeat the head of the death squad.
"You will give the command to fire at eight o'clock precisely," CaptainJohnson instructed him.
"Yes, sir," was the lieutenant's reply.
Alice Beulow turned upon the traitor a scornful smile, but she utteredno sound. She recognized the folly of a plea for life at this late hour.
With her back to the ship's rail she waved aside the man who approachedwith a bandage for her eyes.
"I am innocent," she said quietly, "and am not afraid to die!"
The man stepped back, abashed. Lieutenant Taylor now was tremblingperceptibly.
"I wish that I could undo this," he muttered to himself, "but it is herlife or mine."
He pulled himself together, and faced the firing squad.
At this moment there came a shout from the sea. Captain Johnson lookedover the side of the _Alto_. The small launch was now almost alongside,and the commander could see the form of a young man in the uniform of amidshipman directing the approach of the craft.
The latter shouted something unintelligible as the launch scrapedalongside the cruiser.
A moment later Lieutenant Taylor, whose thoughts had been so wrapped upin the black deed he was about to commit that he had not noticed theapproach of the launch, gave the command:
"Ready!"
Unflinchingly Alice Beulow, with a slight smile on her lips, faced thefiring squad.
The hands of each man trembled, and the face of each was pale.
Then, suddenly, before Lieutenant Taylor could give the next command,Frank Chadwick bounded over the side of the _Alto_, nor did he hesitatefor a moment. In spite of all attempts to stop him, he rushed toward thespot where Alice Beulow was facing death.
Captain Johnson barred the lad's progress. But Frank was not to bestopped. He dashed ahead with such speed that the captain was thrustviolently aside.
Suddenly the commander clapped his hand to where a moment before hissword had hung by his side. But, even as he did so, the blade leaped, asthough alive, from his scabbard, and an instant later Frank brandishedit aloft!
Then the lad sprang upon Lieutenant Taylor, who even at that second hadraised his hand to give his second command to the firing squad:
"Take aim!"
But before he could give the command to fire, Frank was upon him.Startled, the lieutenant leaped back, forgetting the girl, the firingsquad, everything but that his nemesis had run him to earth.
He succeeded in drawing his sword just in time to parry a slashing blowwhich Frank aimed at him with the commander's sword; but a second laterthe lad had closed with him, and the lieutenant's sword was practicallyuseless.
The appearance of the apparition from over the side of the _Alto_, andits sudden dash into the center of the firing squad, had taken thecruiser's officers by surprise. But now Captain Johnson pulled himselftogether, and his voice and Lieutenant Taylor's rang out at the sametime with an order to the firing squad:
"Shoot him!"
But one man was in a position to obey the command without fear ofaccidentally shooting the lieutenant.
Quickly he brought his rifle to bear, and his finger tightened upon thetrigger. There was a sharp crack. But Frank did not fall. The cartridgein the rifle had been a blank.
Now the struggling combatants scuffled and twisted so rapidly that itwas impossible for any of the sailors to shoot Frank without imminentrisk of hitting Lieutenant Taylor, while the latter, realizing for thefirst time just how near death he was, put forth his utmost strength tofree himself, but in vain.
Suddenly the lad released his hold and threw both his arms around thelieutenant, the sword still grasped in his right hand. Then his lefthand gripped the naked blade, and, with a quick snap, broke it off afoot from the hilt.
Once more releasing the lieutenant from his close embrace, he took abackward step, following instantly by a quick lunge forward again, whichsent his shortened sword straight and true into the traitor lieutenant'sbreast.
Lieutenant Taylor slid gently to the deck, gave a single convulsive soband lay still.
Without one look at the girl whose life he had saved at the imminentrisk of his own, Frank stepped up to Captain Johnson, saluted, andexclaimed:
"Sir! there lies the traitor. I arrived just in time to prevent you fromcommitting a terrible crime. Miss Beulow is innocent."
"Who are you, sir?" demanded Captain Johnson, waving back the sailorswho had again leveled their rifles at the lad. "Why should I not haveyou shot at once?"
"I am Midshipman Chadwick, sir, of His Majesty's scout cruiser _Sylph_.I am here at Lord Hastings' command to save an innocent girl! This wasthe only way I could do it!"
"And where is Lord Hastings?" asked the commander.
"Aboard the _Sylph_ yonder, sir."
"Then why did he not come, instead of sending you? Or why did he notorder the execution stayed by wireless?"
"Our wireless is out of commission; and Lord Hastings is ill with afever, sir!"
Captain Johnson was silent for some moments.
"I must of necessity place you and Miss Beulow under arrest," he said atlength, "but the execution is stayed until I have inquired further intothe matter."
"Thank you, sir," replied Frank. "It is al
l I have fought for!"