CHAPTER IV
THE TRAIL TO STRANGE NEWS
Fortune has a way of favoring the bold. The corporal and a marine werein the corridor behind Darrin. The ober-lieutenant's special guard hadbeen hurled aside.
Hearing the outcries, the other two marines in the cabin sprang towardthe German officer. One of these von Bechtold tripped and sentsprawling; the other he struck in the chest, pushing him back.
Just an instant later von Bechtold went down on his back, all five ofthe marines doing their best to get at him in the same second. But theGerman had had time to knock the lid from a battery cell and to plungethe envelope into the liquid contained in the jar. Then the German wassent to the mat by his assailants.
Darrin, following, his whole thought on the envelope, plunged his righthand down into the fluid, gripping the package that had been snatchedfrom him.
"Sulphuric acid!" he exclaimed, and made a quick dive for a lidded firebucket that rested in a rack. The old-fashioned name for sulphuric acidis vitriol, and its powers in eating into human flesh are well known.Darrin's left hand sent the lid of the bucket flying. Hand and envelopewere thrust into the water with which, fortunately, the bucket wasfilled. When sulphuric acid in quantity is added to water heat isgenerated, but a small quantity of the acid may be washed from the fleshwith water to good advantage if done instantly. After a brief washing ofthe hand Dave drew it out, patting it dry with a handkerchief. Thus thehand, though reddened, was saved from painful injury. The envelope heallowed to remain in the water for some moments.
"Von Bechtold, you are inclined to be a nuisance here," Darrin saidcoolly. "I am going to direct these men to take you above."
"I am helpless," replied the German, sullenly, from the floor, where henow lay passive, two marines sitting on him ready to renew the struggleif he so desired.
"Take him above, you two men," Darrin ordered, "and take especial painsto see that he doesn't try to escape by jumping into the water."
At this significant remark von Bechtold paled noticeably for a moment.Then his ruddy color came back. He got upon his feet with a resentfulair but did not resist the marines who conducted him up to the deck.
Dave now drew out the envelope, which had become well soaked, and tookout the enclosure, a single sheet. The writing at the top of the sheetwas obliterated. Darrin did not read German fluently, but at the bottomof the sheet he found a few words and phrases that he was able totranslate. Their meaning made him gasp.
"Danny-boy," he murmured to his chum, "I want you to make quick work oftransferring the prisoners to the 'Logan.' Keep back two of the Germanengineer crew, and send word to Ensign Phelps to come over on thelaunch's next trip with two men of our engine-room force, and to bringalong also six seamen and a petty officer. Phelps will take charge ofthis craft as prize officer."
The submarine was soon cleared of her officers and crew. Ensign Phelpsand his own men came over and took command. Two German engine-room menhad been kept back to assist the Americans. On the last trip Darrin andDalzell returned to the undersea boat and gave the order to EnsignPhelps to proceed on his way to the base port.
As soon as the prize with its captors was under way, Darrin went to thechart-room of the "Logan," sent for the marine corporal, and orderedthat Ober-Lieutenant von Bechtold be brought before him.
As the prisoner was ushered in Dave rose courteously, bowed and pointedto a chair.
"Be seated, if you please. Now, Herr Ober-Lieutenant, yoursecond-in-command and your crew will be taken ashore as ordinaryprisoners of war, and turned over to the British military prisonauthorities. Of course you are aware that your own imprisonment willtake place under somewhat different circumstances."
Von Bechtold, who had accepted the proffered chair, gazed stolidly atthis American naval commander, who was several years younger thanhimself.
"I fear that I do not understand you," the German replied.
"You soon will, for you speak excellent English," Darrin returned, witha chilly smile. "Your English does not have exactly the Chicago accent,but it was good enough for your purposes. The Chicagoan speaks with asort of sub-Bostonese accent, as perhaps you did not know. Your ownEnglish has rather the sound of Oxford or Cambridge University inEngland."
Opening his eyes wide, and expressing bewilderment, the German begged:
"Will you be good enough to speak more explicitly?"
"Certainly," Dave assented. "When you are turned over to the Britishmilitary authorities it will be done with a card showing that you nowgive the name of von Bechtold----"
"Which is my right name," interposed the German officer, tartly.
"And the card will also state that, a few days ago, you gave the name ofMatthews."
"Again you use that name of Matthews," cried von Bechtold, impatiently."May I ask why?"
"I will make it so clear," Dave promised him, "that you would understandeven though what I am about to say were not true. But it is true. A fewdays ago you met me at the hotel in port. You met also my executiveofficer, Mr. Dalzell. You introduced yourself to us as Matthews, claimedto be a buyer for a Chicago dry-goods house, and declared that yourmission was to buy linen."
"Not a word of truth in it," declared von Bechtold, calmly, with a waveof his hand, as though to brush aside the charge.
"Unfortunately, quite true," Dave went on, steadily. "You werethere under an assumed name and claimed to be an American citizen.You exhibited an American passport; I have heard that your governmenthas a printing office where such documents are turned out. You werethere out of uniform. In other words, sir, your conduct on Britishsoil, in civilian dress and under false colors, met with all therequirements of proof that you were there as a spy. It has longbeen known to the British, and to us, that German spies haveabounded in Great Britain and that they obtained a good dealof information that we would rather German submarine commandersdid not possess. So, Mr. von-Bechtold-Matthews, it will be mydisagreeable duty to hand you over with the charge that you have beenserving as a spy. Dalzell and I will be obliged to testify againstyou. I much fear that a British court-martial will condemn you to beshot."
"What infamous lie is this that you are threatening to utter againstme?" demanded the German officer, leaping to his feet.
"No lie at all, as you know quite well," Dave went on. "I am sorry tohave to bring you to this plight, von Bechtold, but you know that Icannot do otherwise."
Gazing into the steady eyes of the young American naval officer vonBechtold realized the folly of further acting. Breathing hard, hedropped into a chair.
"It is not a fine thing that you propose to do to me," he declared. "Youdo not know, of course, that I have five young children at home, whowill need a father."
"I did not know it," Dave answered gently. "Yet I feel quite certainthat some of the information you have gathered, when ashore in theseparts, has resulted in the drowning at sea of a good many men who mayhave left behind even more than five children."
"I feel that I am doomed," shuddered the German, throwing a hand up overhis eyes. "My five little children will not see their father again--noteven when this war is over."
"It is too bad," Dave answered, "but I suppose, Herr Ober-Lieutenant,that it must be classed with the fortune of war. Now, as to the identityof the civilian who lies dead in a berth aboard your late command, itmay be that, if you were ready to tell something about the reasons forhis presence on board, and why he had in his possession this paper----"
Here Darrin spread out the wet sheet of paper that he had brought fromthe submarine.
"I can tell you nothing about either the civilian or that paper,"declared von Bechtold, doggedly.
"That is your own affair," Darrin admitted. "I shall not make anyattempt to force you."
"You had better not!" declared the German, fiercely. "I can die, but Icannot betray my country. Yet have you no heart?--when I tell you aboutmy five little children whom you would deny the privilege of ever seeingtheir father again?"
"If I were to su
ppress my report of your activities as a spy," Darrincontinued, "I would be guilty of betraying my country and my country'sallies. It would also be necessary for me to induce my subordinateofficer to do the same thing. You will realize the impossibility of ourdoing such a thing. On the other hand, between now and the time that youare tried by court-martial you will have time to reflect upon whetheryou wish to try to save yourself from the death sentence by explainingto the British authorities the full meaning of what had been written onthis sheet of paper and also the reasons for that civilian being aboardyour craft. Then, by throwing yourself on the mercy of the court, youmight escape the full penalty meted out to a spy."
"I shall not do it," declared von Bechtold, rising and drawing himselfto his full height.
"Nor do I believe I could be induced to tell what I knew if I stood inyour boots. Orderly!"
To the marine who entered Dave gave the order to summon the guard. VonBechtold was taken back to the "Logan's" brig, and locked in forabsolutely safe keeping. Darrin went up to the bridge.
"Do you feel sorry for the fellow?" asked Dalzell, when he had heard anaccount of the interview.
"No more sorry than I do for any man who is down and out," Dave replied,truthfully. "Now that he is captured and his spy work ended, I believethat ships on these waters will be much safer."
"He will be just one Hun less, after a firing squad has finished withhim," Dan rejoined.
Dave nodded thoughtfully.
"War breeds savage ideas, doesn't it?" demanded Danny Grin, with a shrugof his shoulders.
"Not breeds, but brings out," answered Darrin.
They were nearing the coast now. Destroyers, patrol boats, drifters andmine-sweeping craft sighted the "Logan" and her prize, and the shrillwhistles of these hunters of the sea testified to their joy over thecapture.
Then the destroyer and her prize entered the port. Darrin brought hiscraft to anchorage, while the captured submarine was anchored not faraway. The German prisoners were taken ashore under guard and turned overto the British authorities.
Ober-Lieutenant von Bechtold, under the charge of being a spy, wasmarched away under a special guard.
And then Dave made haste to present himself, with the half-destroyedsheet of paper in his pocket, before the flag lieutenant of Vice AdmiralSpeare.