From the bridge of the Buresk came frantic protests:
Buresk already overcrowded. Have scant room for more prisoners, especially female, who will clearly need cabin to herself. Where can I put her? Also have insufficient provision to accommodate more. Klopper.
Lauterbach could understand Klopper's embarrassment of space. Admittedly Caroline Grey's presence on board the Buresk would pose a problem. But so far as the provisions went, Lauterbach snorted. Whenever a ship was boarded, there was always a foraging crew from the Buresk close behind—a set of accomplished rascals, who never returned to their ship empty-handed. In Lauterbach's opinion, an opinion shared by every man on board the Emden, they fared well in the Buresk —very well, indeed. In fact, it was generally believed that they lived better on board the Buresk than they did on the cruiser.
However, the pause that followed indicated that Kapitan von Mueller did not altogether discount the validity of the protest. Captain Russell was clearly distraught. Then presently a message came back from the Emden:
In view crowded conditions in Buresk, Troilus, follow Emden in custody. Passengers and crew remain on board until ordered to abandon. Oberleutnant Lauterbach to command. Prize crew remain on board. Reassure female passenger. Von Mueller, Kapt.
"What the devil does that mean?" growled Russell.
"It means, Kapitan," Lauterbach told him, "that for the moment, at least, your ship is not to be sunk. For the time being you have a reprieve. When Kapitan von Mueller decides what is to be done, he will let us know."
"Reprieve, but no pardon, eh?" Russell snorted. "Well, it's easy to make war on helpless civilians!"
"Not so easy as you suppose, Captain," Lauterbach retorted stiffly. "I can assure you that there is not one of us who would not rather be given some other duty, more appropriate to our training. But someone must do this dirty work, and since we have been given the task we must do it the best way we can. Now, sir, I shall have to ask you to withdraw to your cabin and leave the bridge to Leutnant von Guerard and myself."
Captain Russell's face turned a mottled red, and the veins stood out in his neck and temples. For a moment Lauterbach thought he might either have a stroke or launch into a furious attack. Strangely, the German felt honestly sympathetic.
"I'm sorry, Captain," he said. "I'd feel the same in your place. But you can see that there is nothing else we can do."
For an instant longer the Englishman glowered. Then without further words he turned on his heel and stalked below. It took Lauterbach a little time to set proper orders and see the helm manned by his own quartermaster. When it was done, he summoned von Guerard to the bridge. "You saw the passengers, Anton," he said. "You recognize! the woman of
"The Fraulein Grey, of course-yes!" he exclaimed. "Do you suppose—does Helmuth know she is here?"
Agam Lauterbach felt that cold, sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. They all seemed to assume that he had no feeling whatever in the matter. But he controlled his expression and shook by head. "No, he does not," he replied. "She especially asked that I say nothing about her for the moment and I am going to ask you to do the same, Anton."
rh,r h'Tu ^'-"• Y°u ^"""''^ ^'^^ P"^^^^^- "^^T^^t good win that do? He might be able to help her'"
"In what way?" Lauterbach smiled wryly. "Neither you nor I nor anyone else aboard the Emden would let harm
doTor^h ' '''M K '^' "^''^ ' ''""^^^^- ^^ '^^' he might do for her would be to endanger himself-don't you see? That is what she wants to avoid. She has trusted us that far let us-you and I-prove the trust is not misplaced." he saTd " ^"^^''^ ^°"^^"^ "^-^ suppose you're right,"
"Of course I'm right," Lauterbach insisted. "Moreover she wants to spare his feelings. Whatever comes of this k
^ ' Rorrl'n^ his place, If you were put in such a position?" righ^." '' ''°" '"''^' "Absolutely rotten! You are
ry^Z""— '''^ Lauterbach, "I must make sure that everything IS in order below. You take charge here. Maintain the present course and interval. I'll be up to relieve you pres^
He slid down the handrails and checked the guard points
mmt' /T '"' P"T ^"' ^ ^^^ ^"^^^- ^--' then returned to the promenade, where he found Caroline leaning on the rail, staring forward at the distant Emden.
I thought you'd be along presently," she said as he came to lean on the rail beside her. "What will happen to us now?"
"I can't answer that in any detail," he replied. "But I can repeat what I said before—that no harm will come to you. The inconvenience may be great. But there will be no danger. You see, I do not know exactly what Kapitan von Mueller has in mind."
"But you can guess," she told him.
"I can guess, but that is all. My guess is that Kapitan von Mueller is gambling."
"Gambling?" She looked surprised.
"Is that so reprehensible?" He laughed. "You see, I know that Kapitan von Mueller wishes to keep the Buresk with us. I believe he is gambling that sometime in the next few hours he will intercept some other vessel which he can use as a dump.'"
"A dump?" she looked blank.
" A dump.' That is our word for a ship in which we put all captives and send them, under a flag of truce, to the nearest port friendly to them—a 'cartel,' I believe, is the usual word."
"And the Troilus?" she asked. "What will become of her?" "She will be sunk," he told her.
"She's such a proud ship!" she protested. "And poor Captain Russell!"
"It would be the same, you know," he reminded her, "if this were the Kratke and that were an English cruiser." He nodded toward the Emden.
"I know," she replied, then abruptly switched the topic. "Conrad—Herr Lauterbach—Helmuth, you are sure he is— well?"
"He is well, Caroline," he smiled. "We are all well. The Stabsarzt, Doktor Luther, has little to do except play solitaire. The sick bay is empty, and we have only one ailing among us—Leutnant Stoffers, one of our marine engineers. He has been suffering from a lung ailment since before we left Tsingtao."
"Does he—does he speak of me?" she asked. "One does not speak of what brings pain," he replied. "He worries about you. I know that. I can tell from his expression when Tsingtao is mentioned. But he does not cry on anyone's shoulder." He almost added "especially mine," but caught himself in time.
"Then you can understand why I would rather he did not know that I am here," she said earnestly. "Don't you see? To be so close, and yet unable even to speak—to know that we are even within sight of one another and then to be snatched apart again—that would be too cruel!"
"It is cruel to you, too, Caroline," he said soberly. "That is only because it has happened this way," she replied somberly. "I know where he is. He does not know where I am. At least I can spare him that pain." "I understand," he told her. "I will do my best." "When we are gone, tell him," she said. "He'll hate my guts for that."
"Not if you make him understand that I wanted it that way for him."
"A man in love is not always so logical." He smiled gently. "He will be," she assured him.
"Let us hope so. By the way, how did you leave Tsingtao?"
"Scarcely in a festive mood," she said. "Perhaps you know that your Captain von Mueller put in a word for me to the Governor, asking him to help me get the necessary passes. Even so, it was not easy. Everyone who could was trying to get away—or nearly everyone. The trains were crowded, and one had to wait one's turn. Perhaps if I had tried sooner, it would have been easier."
"Tried sooner?" he asked curiously. "What delayed you?" Her smile was wry. "I kept hoping to persuade the Australian girl—what was her name? Gertrude Voss?—to come with me, at least as far as Shanghai. But she was having too much fun with the officers from the Kaiserin Elizabeth —" "The Kaiserin!" Lauterbach v.ied. "Was she still there?" "So far as I know, she still is—blockaded there by the siege—"