The Firefly of France

w days. The weather was bad. We plowed forward monotonously, flagless, running between dark-gray water and a lowering, leaden sky. Screws throbb

sfactory theories, asking myself what was her need of secrecy, what the item she wanted hidden, what the errand that had made her sail on the vessel a week after the spectacular torpedoing

reservist Pietro Ricci,-a very good sort of fellow,-and I were herded together beyond escape. Also, a foursome at bridge seemed div

ty, profession, and social grade. But he was baffling; reticent, but self-assured, authoritative even, and, in a quiet way, watchful. He smoked a good cigar, mixed a

ke wandering ghosts down a dim corridor, and dined by the faint rays of candles thrust into bottles and placed at intervals along the festive board. I went on deck afterward to find the ship plunging through blackness

color, the dark, rich, Mediterranean blue. Ascending late, I saw gulls flying round us and seaweed dri

eve me, I'll sell something hereafter that I can sell on land. I'm a crackerjack of a salesman, if I do say it myself. Once I got started talki

k a turn or two. In the ship's library he had discovered a manual entitled "How t

us, chilly in temperature, and countless fathoms deep. "Oh, what's the use? What the blue blazes does it matter?" he cried hysterically. "I tell you that U-boat that sank the

Africa, on the other the Moorish country, both shrouded in a soft haze and edged with snowy foam. Down below the soldiers of Italy were singing. A merchantman of

en I turned to find Va

ather shortly. I don't like peopl

a while. I didn't want to disturb you, but th

icient-looking man. Take, for instance, his present manner, half self

I said briefly as

w how you will take it, but I'll chance it just the same. If I don't give you a hint, you don

ly irrelevant-and yet where had I

s where he likes-the United States, England, France, Russia-and always gets away safe. You'd think he was a conjurer to read what he does sometimes. A whole country will be looking for him, and

ite a monologue with which he was favoring me. It was dark now; our lights we

lot about this fellow," I

it would have made my fortune, too. But he slipped through my fingers at the l

to star

States servi

es

n the boards, he was yet, I fancied, a good example of the ruck of his profession, those who did the every-day detective work which in such a business must be done. But-Franz v

g on now is one the spies use quite a bit. They used to go to London straight or else to Bordeaux and Paris; but the English and French got a pretty strict watch going, and now it's easier for them to slip into France through Italy, by Modane. They sail for Naples mostly, d

ts, too, shot out like swords, focused on us, and swept us as we crept forward between dimly visible, anchored craft. The throbbing of our engines ceased. A launch chugged

n this line to watch for one of

to talking, a steward comes snooping round? Well, I suppose you wouldn't, it not being your business; but I have. We're watched all the time; and if we're wise, we'll mind our step. Take you, for instance. You're a good American, eh? And yet some spy might fool you

pt me must have startled him. I could feel my face flushin

t?" I demanded sh

entleman from a spy; but if an officer had seen it, the thing wouldn't have been a joke. Suppose we put it this way. There's a person on board I think I

n't say your motives are bad,-you may think this is a favor,-but I call

hurt and

get in bad? But maybe I was too vague about it; you just listen to a few facts. I'll tell

of me, and how it had contained a full account of Franz von Blenheim, the kaiser's man. "The youn

ile catamounts, a steward relieved the t

, he forthwith informed us, and were demanding, in accordance with the martial law now reign