The Land That Time Forgot

mander's room, Bradley and I taking that of the deck-officer, while Olson and two of our best men occupied the ro

Diesel engines broke down in the morning, and while we were working on it, the forward port diving-tank commenced to fill. I was on deck at the time and noted the gradual list. Guessing at once what was happening, I leaped for the hatch and slamming it closed above my head, dropped to the centrale. By this time the craft was going dow

ad opened it-some one who was willing to die himself if h

ward noon we sighted smoke due west, and having found that only enemies inhabited the world for us, I ordered that the other engine be started so that we could move out of the path of the oncoming st

before the repairs were completed, the sentry came to my room and awoke me. He was ra

I asked. "What's

"I seen her sneakin' from the crew's room just now," he went on. "She'd been in gassin' wit' the boche commander. Benson seen her in there las' night, too, but he

ck me suddenly in the face, I c

d. "Keep your eyes and ears open and repo

the surface, my orders having been to proceed at half speed until we could take an observation and determine our position. The sky had been overcast all the previous day and all night; but as I stepped into the centrale that m

They had been broken upon the night that Lys had been seen talking with von Schoenvorts. I think that it was this last thought which hu

me the previous night. In fact, as I had given the matter thought, it seemed incredible that the girl could have passed through my room, in which Bradley

es must be pretty clever to come it over us all like this; but they haven'

e are no extra instruments," I told them. "They t

sun," said Olson. "They may be after getting the compass some night;

him on deck and then called him to one side, asking if he had seen anything out of the way or unusual during his trick on watch the night before. The fellow scratched his head a moment and said, "No," and then as though it was an afterthought, he told me that he had seen the girl i

the best of spirits. I took advantage of the absence of the men upon the deck to go below for my breakfast, which the cook was already preparing upon the electric stove. Lys,

ed the girl, determined to commence a probe

vitation, and together we sat down at

ell last nig

replied. "I am a

o surprise her into a betrayal of her guilt, I blurted out: "The chronometer and sextant were both destroyed last nigh

e Germans would be crazy to do it, for t

artyr themselves includes a willingness to sacrifice others, even those who love them. Women are much the sa

at I detected a very faint flush mounting her cheek. Seei

with him, could he prevent in no other way the falling of his vessel into enemy hands. He would sacr

walked quickly toward her room. I started to follow, for even believing what I did, I was sorry that I had hurt her. I reached the door to the crew's room just behind

leave my post in the conning tower, as both Olson and Bradley were sick. Finally I found that I must get a little rest, and so I looked about for some one to relieve me. Benson volunteered. He had not been sick, and assured me that h

o the west. The storm was still raging; nor did it abate its fury until the fourth day. We were all pretty well done up and looked forward to the time when we could go on deck and fill our lungs with fresh air. During the whole

hat time. For the season-it was now the middle of June-the storm was unusual; but being from southern California, I was accu

. What puzzled me most was the fact that for six days we had not sighted a single ship. It seemed remarkable that we could cross the Atlantic almost to the coast of the American co

deck anxiously awaiting the rising of the sun. My eyes were glued upon the impenetrable mist astern, for there in the east I should see the first glow of the rising sun that would assure me we were still up

," he said, an

Hurrying to the tower, I looked at the compass. It showed that we were holding steadily upon our westward cou

d, "we can't make another five hundred knots without oil; our provisions are

n to alter our course once more toward the west;

from the truth the result might be. It showed us to be about 20° north and 30° west-nearly twenty-five hundred miles off our course. In short, if our reading was anywhere near correct, we must have been trav

ned that no one had tampered with it during his tour of duty. Benson gave me a knowing smile, as

there in the middle of the Atlantic and starve to death if there was any way out of it. The sailing ship saw us while we were still a long way off, as was evidenced by her efforts to escape. There was scarcely any wind, however, and her case

mood for any such business. Turning toward Bradley, who was in the conning-tower, I snapped out: "Gun-service on deck! To the diving stations!" We had no opportunity for drill; but every man had been posted

ambered up the narrow ladder and at my direction trained their piece upon the

Olson and a couple of the Englishmen I boarded the ship, and from her cargo selected what we needed-oil, provisions and water. I gave the master of the Balmen a receipt for what we took, together with an affidavit signed by Bradley, Olson, and myself, s

fe. Now, too, we knew definitely where we were, and I determined to make for Geo

cended the ladder into the centrale. I was the last to come, and when I reached the bottom, I found myself looking into the muzzle of a pistol

s bunk, and taken his pistol from him, and then had found it an easy matter to disarm the cook and the remaining two Englishmen

next morning. Then he explained that the U-33 would cruise in these waters for a time, sinking neutral and ene

to me why he postponed the execution of my sentence. Instead he kept me ironed jus

r. I was surprised to note that von Schoenvorts often permitted Benson to take command; but I reconciled this by th

t I did not raise my head, and finally she passed on. Then one day came the word that we were about to round the Horn and that von Schoenvort

f God and the Kaiser

about this way. About eight bells of the forenoon watch I heard a hail from the deck, and presently the footsteps of the entire ship's company, from the am

footsteps sounded, approaching me. I knew whose they were, and I looked straight down at the flooring. The girl was coming almost at a run-she was at my side immediately. "Here!" she cried. "Quick!" And she slipped something into my hand. It was a key-the key to my irons. At m

er expression from you. Do not stand there looking at me. I have given you a chan

I could see it moving toward us filled with officers and men. The cruiser lay dead ahead. "My," I thought, "what a wonderful targ-" I stopped even thinking, so surprised and shocked was I by the boldness of my imagery. The girl was just below me

e bow compartment where the torpedo-tubes are built into the boat; here, too, were the torpedoes. The girl accompanied us, and when she saw the thing I had in mind, she stepped forward and lent a hand to the swinging of the great cylinder of death and

rose from the deck of our own craft: I saw the officers stand suddenly erect in the boat that was approaching us, and I heard loud cries and curses from the raider. Then I turned my attention to my own business. Most of the men on the submarine'

his pistol from its holster. Von Schoenvorts had recovered from his first surprise quickly and had turned toward the main hatch to investigate. I c

our men, and though some of the Germans saw and

nvorts was the worst-he was fairly frenzied with rage and chagrin, and he came charging for me like a mad bull, and as he came he discharged his pistol. If he'd stopped long enough to take aim, he might have gotten me; but his pace made him wild, so that not a shot

upon our deck, and afterward we had drawn away toward the north, leaving the survivors to the attention of the single boat which had been making its way toward us when Olson launched the torpedo. I suppose

her again in an effort to fathom her and her intentions, and so I made it a point to follow her up the ladder. It was a clear, cold, beautiful night. The sea was calm except for the white water at our bows and the two

re, and as I approached her, she half turned toward me to see

nd loyalty-you were magnificent. I am sorry that y

ice. "You practically accused me of aiding Ba

al of finality in bo

ions-after each of which some great damage was found done us in the morning. I didn't want to doubt you; but I carried all the responsibility of the lives o

with those great eyes of

Baron von Schoenvorts at night

replied, "but it came to me

Schoenvorts other than in your presence when first we came aboard the U-33. And ple

hat moment. I could feel the hot, red flush surging up my neck, across my cheeks, over my ears, clear to my sca

de Janeiro to Barcelona, sunk by a German raider sometime in June. A single survivor in an open boat