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COUNT LUCKNER
THE SEA DEVIL
Copyright by By LOWELL THOMAS
Doubleday, Doran & Co.
CHAPTER XI
—15—
Shipwrecked in Southern Seas
We amused ourselves by playing
with the sharks. The landlubber cun
scarcely imagine The hatred the sailor
feels for those bloodthirsty monsters.
We hud a particular grievance
against them. A swim now and then
would have provided us with needed
baths and would have been a pleasant
and vigorous diversion from the end¬
less monotony of cabin and deck, our
wooden prison. Many a time 1 looked
down into the cool, refreshing ele¬
ment, and a shark would idle beneath
my gaze, as though waiting for me
there. The sailors passed the time
by angling for the voracious mon¬
sters. They would catch a couple, tie
their tails together and throw them
buck into the water. The sharks, un¬
able to agree on the direction of their
mutual movement, would have a great
tug of war. Tite sailors thought the
plight of their loathed enemies quite
comical.
Or they would take a large shark,
tie an empty and water-tight barrel
to his tail, and heave him over. Ttie
fish would dart downward, but the
barrel would stay relentless at the
surface. Now would ensue a desper¬
ate struggle which we could follow by
watching the gyrations of ihe barrel.
The sharks displayed an excellent eye
for chunks of bacon with hand gre¬
nades in them. When the bomb went
otf in the creature’s stomach, pieces
of shark would go (lying in all direc¬
tions.
We had been in the Pacific for five
months now, and had sailed 35.000
miles. With our stale water and the
lack of fresh food, scurvy was break¬
ing out among our men, and then beri
tteri, which “turns the blood to water."
Limbs and Joints were swelling. We
imperatively needed fresh water and
food and a rest on shore. Hut where
could we go? All the islands of the
Pacific were in the hands of the
French, British and Japanese. We
certainly felt it keenly, now that the
whole world was against us. There
•was no inhabited place that would
•welcome us. It made us feel very
lonely.
•‘Well,” 1 said to my boys, "we will
pick out some nice deserted island
where there will be no hand raised
■against us and no wireless to call the
cruisers, and we will get water and
•some kind of vegetables and maybe
shoot some game and have a fine
■shore leave. Then, after we have rest¬
ed up, what ho, boys, and away for
more adventure." tt
Buccaneering in the Pacific, wltb
only three ships sunk in five months,
seemed much too »unprofitable. 1
planned that, after a brief sojourn oo
some peaceful South Sea isle, we
would sail for the Antipodes. Then
we would destroy the English whaling
station and oil tanks at South Georgia,
sink a few ships, capture one on which
to ship our prisoners, and, if we got
away safely, continue our cruise in
the prosperous waters of the Atlantic.
Our first plan was to sail direct to
one of the larger Cook Islands. But
we gave that up for fear of finding a
wireless station there that might give
us away. We did not want to move
east of our present longitude, for that
would have taken us against the trade
wind and compelled ns to use our mo¬
tor. It was necessary to save the en¬
gine as much as possible and not have
it wear out on us. We hoped we would
need it for further captures and es¬
capes.
Mopelia, one of the Society islands
<some geographies include It in the
Scilly Isles), seemed about right for
our purpose. It was a French pos¬
session, and, so far as we knew, unin¬
habited. It was one of those Isles of
the South Seas so fantastically beau¬
tiful and so awkward for the sailor to
approach. Only seldom does he find
one with a decent anchorage, and no¬
where in the world are the winds and
currents more treacherous.
On the morning of July 29, we sight¬
ed Mopelia, and steered toward it.
Words fail me when I try to describe
its beauties. From the blue ocean rises
a mass of green palms. The sunlight
glows in the green. It somehow even
seems to turn the sunlight green.
Against the dark blue of the sea and
the light-blue of the sky, the sunlight
seems to be drawing the green Island
out of the water, and the soft south
wind carries the scent of flowers far
out to sea. It is the greeting of the
island, and we inhale it deeply.
Bere was a typical coral atoll—the
kind you dream about. A circular
reef studded with waving palms and
within the reef a lovely, placid la¬
goon. The coral shore was snow
white, and, with the sun’s rays re¬
flecting from it, it looked like a spark¬
ling jewel set in an alabaster ring,
like emeralds set in ivory. There
were coral terraces below the water.
The shallower ones were white or
pale green, and as you peered deep¬
er into the water you saw every con¬
ceivable tiat of greeD and blue, sea
green, emerald green, blue green,
azure blue, sapphire blue, navy blue,
violet.
As we sailed nearer and nearer that
alluring so/ai shore, we saw flowers
among the palms, flowers of all colors
and immense numbers of orchids. The
hues of the flowers were reflected iu
the water over the white coral that
deepened and turned green. Within
the circular reef the lagoon seemed
fully asjieep as the sea outside, only
at perfect peace and smooth like a
mirror, it would have made a perfect
anchorage for us, save that it had one
entrance so narrow that only a small
boat could pass through it.
A strong current ran through the
opening. We cast our anchor on the
coral and tethered our ship to it with
a long cable. The pull of the current
kept her far enough offshore. 1 was
afraid, for a while, that a shift of the
wind might blow her on the reef, but
we saw, after a while, that she had
dragged anchor. If the current were
strong enough for that, why surely
it would be strong enough to keep her
from blowing ashore. Leaving sev¬
eral men aboard as a watch, we went
on land for a glorious shore leave,
sailors, officers, prisoners, and all.
What would we find? We wanted
water and fresh food. When we got
inside of the lagoon, we found to our
astonishment that it was n breeding
place for turtles. There were hun¬
dreds of them in the water and on the
Mopel ia
X Observation Point
tong. \b°>\b' 5. Lat. isj'j'tV.
Steadier 1
■'<®?TrovtSion / Island
Main
rsland
y ‘Rocks
.................
nautical milm
*?aims —Path
tOtherTrtes —Reef
v Bush sTerra firma
Map of Mopelia Atoll.
shore, huge fellows weighing two or
three hundred pounds. The water was
full of beautiful fish. There was big
lobsters without claws that promised
to be the best of food. The atoll was
alive with birds, hundreds of thou¬
sands of them, with nests and eggs
everywhere. They were so tame that
one of my boys whom I sent to collect
enough eggs for an omelette returned,
saying:
“I didn’t get an egg. The birds were
so tame and trusting that I hadn’t the
heart to disturb them and take their
eggs.”
Nor was the Island without human
Inhabitants. We found three Kanakas,
Polynesians who had been left there
by a French firm to catch turtles.
They were greatly frightened when
they found that we were Germans.
The French had told them frightful
tales about the Boehes. We, however,
quickly made friends with them. They
were much relieved when they found
that we did not intend to injure them,
and when we made amicable over¬
tures, they were only too glad to re¬
spond.
First, my boys ran hither and
thither to satisfy their curios¬
ity about tills strange island. Then
they quickly settled down to useful
occupations. Some set about catching
fish and lobsters. Others gathered
birds’ eggs. A few brought armfuls
of coconuts. Three boys turned a big
turtle on its back and pulled it along
with a rope. There were wild pigs on
the island. We shot a couple. Soon
the boat put out to the ship loaded
deeply with a hug4 collection of epi-
;
j
Ants by the Millions Used to Worry Beetles
“Without Black Ants No Cocoa,"
reads a sign posted at the entrance
of a great plantation in Central Java.
It does not go unheeded, either, for
the natives hand In some 4.000,000
nests of these little creatures every
year, and receive payment in return.
These black ants live upon trees in¬
fested by the white cocoa louse.
Neither the louse nor the ants In¬
jure the trees. The real enem/ is a
certain beetle whose name is Helo
peltis, which also attacks the tea
plant. It has fceen found that when
the black ants are present the Helo
peltis fails to injure the trees. Ap¬
parently this sap-sucking pest is dis
Have Definite Purpose
Every-day folks may lack the ele¬
ment of greatness that is necessary
for great world movements, but how
much better it is to choose a purpose
within one’s powers and accomplish
It than it is to drift down the river
of Life, arriving nowhere and doing
nothing.—Exchange.
CLEVELAND COURIER
curean delicacies. That night the
mess was fit for the table of a royal
palace—turtle soup with turtle eggs,
broiled lobster, omelettes of gulls’
eggs, roast pork, aud for dessert, fresh
coconut.
For days we lived a delightful po¬
etic life, dining in a way that million¬
aires could not afford. We smoked
quantities of fish and pork and stowed
it away. We found fresh water od
the island and refilled our tanks. Our
traces of scurvy and beri-beri disap¬
peared, and we were rapidly getting
ready to continue our cruise and work
of havoc iu Auntraiian waters.
Ou the second of August, we made
ready to leave the ship for another
day ashore. At nine-thirty I noticed
a strange bulge on the eastern rim of
the sea. L called my officers’ attention
to it. At first we thought it a mirage.
But it kept growing larger. It came
toward us. Then we recognized it—
a tidal wave such as is caused by sub¬
marine earthquake and volcanic dis¬
turbances. The danger was only too
clear. We lay between the island aud
tbo wave.
“Cut the anchor cable. Clear the
motor. All hands on deck.”
We dared not raise sail, for then
the wind would drive us on the reef.
So our only hope of getting clear of
the island was our motor. The huge
swell of the tidal wave was rushing
toward us with breakneck speed.
Tiie motor didn’t stir. The mechan¬
ics were working frantically. They
pumped compressed air into the en¬
gine. We waited in vain for tha
sound of the ignition. Now, right at
the critical moment, our motor had
failed us, just as it had so often failed
us before. By this time, the tidal
wave was only a few hundred yards
away. We were lost. To our fright¬
ened eyes it looked like a whole moun¬
tain range of water. It must have
been thirty or forty feet high. It catne
rushing with a roar that drowned out
our voices.
A gigantic, violent hand seemed to
grasp the ship. The wave swung her
on high and threw her forward. It
flung us crashing on the coral reef.
Our masts and rigging went over,
broken like matchsticks. The shatter¬
ing impact of the ship smashed the
coral, and pieces flew in ail directions
like shrapnel from an exploding shell.
The swirling water seized great pieces
of coral and whipped them around,
heating them against the ship. The
Seeadier had heeled over until her
deck was almost perpendicular. The
water swept over the deck, and the
swirling eddies bombarded us with
chunks of coral. I clung to an iron
post near the lower rail. The rail
saved me from the tons of shattered
coral that were hurled up by the blow
of the falling ship. In a moment, the
wave had ebbed away, leaving us high
and dry. It hod passed over the cir¬
cling reef and the lagoon, though not
over the main part of the island. And
on Its way it had swept hundreds of
thousands of birds’ nests into the la¬
goon.
1 arose, scarcely knowing whether 1
was alive or dead, and stood alone
with one foot on ray slanting deck and
the other on the rail. For a moment.
I thought I was the only one saved.
“Boys, where are you?” I shouted
weakly.
“Here,” came the reply, “still stand¬
ing like an oak.”
My men and the prisoners had tak¬
en refuge in the bow, and had been
sheltered by the rail, as 1 had been.
Not a one was Injured. For that at
least we could he thankful. For that
and not much else. The Seeadier was
a total wreck. The jagged coral was
rammed deep into our hull.
We stand like an oak 1 I adopted
the reply of my sailors as our motto
henceforth. We were castaways on
this coral atoll in one of the loneliest
and least-visited reaches of the Soutli
Pacific. Everything lost, but “we stand
like an oak.”
(TO BE CONTINUED.) 1
turbed by the activity of the ants, foi j
the latter do not attack the beetle. i
This is why the black ants I
are pro¬ !
tected. Food is provided for them by
picking the white cocoa louse from |
the shells of the fruit, where they
congregate, and placing them on the
cocoa trees to attract the ants and
disturb the beetles.
Bottlea Drift Far
Bottled paper, thrown overboard at 1
sea to study ocean drift, is printed |
at the navy hydrographic office fn |
eight languages. This paper is placed
in a bottle, sealed, and thrown over¬
board and has been known to drift
from 5 to 5,000 miles, having been j
in the water from six days to six i
years. One bottle was thrown iD tha
water at Cape Good Hope, Africa, and i
recovered on the west coast of Chile, I
South America, having drifted 8,800 I
miles. Another was thrown overboard
off Cape Horn, southernmost point of j
drifted the South New American Zealand, mainland, distance and of j |
to a
about 10,250 miles.
BUNCO ARTIST
SELLS VICTIM
A STREET CAR
New York Swindlers Have
Nothing on Brethren of
Rio de Janeiro..
Rio de Janeiro.—Bunco artists in
New York may sell the city hall and
tiie Brooklyn bridge, but down here in
this capital it’s the street car business
which furnishes the traditional best
example of the “army game.”
Brazilians are always joking about
the Portuguese immigrant who came
to Rio de Janeiro and was persuaded
to invest his money in buying a street
car, with is cash register which con¬
tinually registered receipts, and never
disbursements. But whether or not
that story is legendary, if you’ll come
to Rio and visit tiie Sixteenth district
police station you’ll find on its records
all about a street car sold ir. A. D,
1929.
Thriving Business.
Jose Pestana da Silva, far from his
native state of Minas Geraes on a visit
to he Brazilian capital, happened to
find himself in the congested suburb
of Villa izabel. Street cars with
trailers, filled to capacity plus the
rush hour straphangers, came to a
stop, unloaded, and were quickly
loaded again.
“Amazing,” Jose said, out loud, un¬
consciously.
“Yes, it’s a thriving business,” a
bystander told him. “I happen to own
some street cars, and they make about
$1,240 a trip. They average about 30
trips a day, so that it’s a thriving
business.”
The Mineiro was enthusiastic.
“The only trouble,” continued the
bystander, “is that I have street cars
all over town, and it keeps me on tiie
run io handle the business.”
Pays Cash for It.
"If only the street cars weren’t so
expensive . . said Jose.
“Why, they’re dirt cheap for what
“It’s Your Tramway.”
they bring in. I’d be able to sell you
one for as little ns $1,800.”
“That’s too much.”
"How about $1,400?”
“That’s fine.”
“It’s your tramway. Go ahead and
take charge of it.”
JoHe paid cash. He jumped in the
car, sat down by tiie register, and
watched the fares ns they were rung
up. When tiie conductor came around,
Jose considered it impertinent to be
asked to pay to ride in his own car.
In fact, lie demanded the conductor’s
money. The discussion between the
two lasted the entire length of the
journey. Only at the city’s terminal
point was Jose convinced that his
Investment was too good to he true.
Flyer Loses Engine 600
Feet Up; Finds Safety
Philadelphia.—Fast thinking saveu
the lives of two navy air men when
the engine and propeller of their plane
broke from its moorings and dropped
to the ground when the craft was
more than 600 feet above Mustin field
at tiie Philadelphia navy yard.
Chief Radio Electrician O. E. Wil¬
liams, realizing the predicament of
the pilot, jumped from the plane with
a parachute to permit Commander O.
\$. Erickson, chief inspector at the
naval aircraft factory to bring it safe¬
ty to tiie ground. Neither flyer suf¬
fered injury.
Williams’ leap from the plane
lightened its rear section to such an
extent that Erickson was enabled to
control the downward spin of the
engineless plane.
Indian Girl With Baby
Attacks Bear With Ax
Franz, Can.—While attending some
traps and hampered by a papoose,
which she carried on her back,
Frances Zuckigesiek, an Indian girl, oi
this place, was attacked by a female
bear that had two cubs. The girl had
apparently surprised the bear in the
bush.
The only weapon the Indian girl
carried was a small hand ax, but she
fearlessly gave battle to the animal
and at last succeeded in killing it.
Bolt Kill. Two
Junchitepee, Mexico.—While carry¬
ing the body of a man killed by a
bolt of lightning, Maximo Tapia and
Trinidad Martinez were killed by a
second bolt, near here.
Improved Uniform International
SiindaySchool Lesson T
T
(By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D.D., Dean
Moody Bible Institute of ChtcaKO.)
(©. 1921) Western Newspaper Union.)
Lesson for August 25
REBUILDING THE TEMPLE
LESSON TEXT—Ezra 3:10-13; 6:14-
16; Psalms S4; 1 -4.
GOLDEN TEXT—1 was glad when
they said unto me, let us go unto the
house of the Lord.
PRIMARY TOPIC—Rebuilding God’s
House. God's
JUNIOR TOPIC—Rebuilding
House.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP-
1C—Building God’s House.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
1C—Builders of God's House.
After becoming settled In the town»
surrounding Jerusalem, the people
were called together for tiie purpose
of establishing tiie worship of the
Lord God. Tiie leaders in this move¬
ment were .Teshtu and the priests
and Zerrubahel, the governor. lc
view of the fact that the clearing
away of the debris of the old city and
temple and the erection of the new
temple would take a long time, at*
altar was erected where sacrifice
might be offered at once unto God,
Upon this newly erected altar were
offered the regular sacrifices com¬
manded by Moses, including those of
the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezra.
3:1-7).
I. The Foundation of the Temple
Laid (3:8-13).
This was an auspicious occasion
and was celebrated with most impres¬
sive ceremonies.
1. The priests’ apparel (v. 10). These
garments symbolized their consecra¬
tion to tiie Lord’s service.
2. The priests with trumpets (v.
10). Tiie trumpets were used in call¬
ing together the people.
3. The Levites with cymbals (v,
10). This was according lc the ar¬
rangement made by David (1 Cliron.
15:16-21).
4. They sang together by course
(v. 11). This means that they sang to
one another responsively. The one
company sang, “The Lord is good," the
other responded, "For His mercy en
dureth forever.”
5. Mingled weeping and sighing (vv,
12, 13). Some of the older men who
had seen tiie magnificent temple of
Solomon, which had been destroyed,
wept much when they saw how fat
short the present foundation came of
the former temple. Others were glad
of the favor of God which had brought
them back, and that a beginning was
made In the new house of worship.
II. The Building of the Temple
Hindered (ch. 4).
The leading adversaries were the
Samaritans, a mongrel people—the off
spring of the poor Jews who were left
In Palestine and the foreign people
who were sent into Palestine after
the Jews were taken captive. The
three perils which delayed the build¬
ing of the temple for about fourteen
years revealed the persistent methods
which tiie enemy uses to hinder the
program of God’s people in every age.
1. An unintelligent pessimism (3;
12 ).
Under the circumstances, a giorioui
beginning had been made. Many to¬
day, because things are not quite
what they should be, do not go for¬
ward with a constructive program, but
even hinder those who have the hope¬
ful outlook. In spite of all the evil
forces at work to thwart the purpose
of God, the Christian church should
push forward Its program of evan¬
gelization.
2. Wordly compromise (4:2, 3)
“Let us build with you, for we seek
your God.” This is Satan’s most com¬
mon and effective method. God’s chil¬
dren should not seek the world’s pat¬
ronage in building churches and carry¬
ing on His work. The leaders should
declare with Zerubbabel, “Ye have
nothing to do with us to build an
house unto our God.”
3. Opposition by word (4:4-24).
When refused a part In the work
intimidation and political scheming
were used by the enemies to defeat
the building plan of God’s people.
III. The Temple Finished (5:1-6).
Through the ministry of the proph
ets Haggal and Zechariah, people
were encouraged to resume enthusi¬
astically the work jof building the
temple. When the temple was finished,
it was dedicated to God.
IV. The Blessedness of Dwelling In
God’s House (I’s. 84:1-4).
1. ’The longing of the soul for God’s
house (vv. 1, 2).
It is refreshing when people long to
meet God in His house.
2. The sparrow and swallow find
protection in the sacred precincts of
God’s house (v. 3).
3. Dwelling in God’s house (v. 4).
Those who have a heart for God
find their chief delight in dwelling in
His house.
Keep Going
Our new science of flying teaches us
that a plane will not go down as long
as it can go on. The birds have long
known this and they fly. Keep going,
believing, hoping, loving, and you can¬
not go under!
What Will the Master Say?
Will it matter at last whether you
have been rich or just lived from
hand to mouth? What will the Master
say? Ah! that Is the question.—Dr.
J. B. Shaw.
GEORGIA
LEGISLATIVE
NEWS
Appropriation Passes
—Atlanta, Ga.
PASSAGE the house by overwhelming votes la
of the general appropria¬
tions bill as originally returned by the
committee, carrying appropriations of
$25,000,000 for two years, and the Key
gross income tax bill almost exactly
as rejected previously, were the two
outstanding developments of the busi ¬
est house meeting of the session. The
appropriations bill, as reconsidered,
was passed by a vote of 148 to 22. The
Key gross income tax bill was passed
by a vote of 115 to 66, and both meas¬
ures were immediately transmitted to
the senate.
As a third major development, the
house, sitting as a committee of the
whole house, voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the passage of the Western
and Atlantic bill providing for the cre ¬
ating of a special commission to lease
the Union depot site in Atlanta to a
Chicago eopany to be used for the
erection of a 17-story office building.
Bill Wins Easily
’T'HE general appropriations bill won
A easily after the passage of the Key
bill. There was little debate over the
measure which carries appropriations
as recommended by the committee in
its original bill and which are about
equal to the present appropriations,
the average being $12,500,000 for eacli
of the years 1930 and 1931.
Passage of the Key bill came after
a long- debate.
6 CENTS GASOLINE TAX
rpHE state senate, by an overwhelm-
1 ing majority passed the hill al¬
ready adopted by the house of rep¬
resentatives to increase the state tax
on gasoline from 4 cents to 6 cents
per gallon and augment the revenue
of the state highway department and
the equalization fund of the common
schools. The final vote was 42 to 6.
Those who voted for passage of the
gas tax bill were: Senators Adams, Al¬
len, Alston, Atkinson, Barrett, Bird,
Brewer, Cook, Dame, Davis, Dorsey,
Fletcher, Ford, Garrison, Goode, Ham,
Harris, Hyman, Kidd, King, Lane, Lo
key, Mashburn, Matthews, McElmur
ray, Nichols, Paulk, Peek, Peebles,
Pickering, Pitner, Platt, Sibley, Smith,
Terrell, Tyson, Vandevierre, Vaughn,
Whaley, Williams, of the Sixteenth ;
Wright and Zellers.
Those voting against the measure
were Senators Lankford, Lawson,
Mickle, Myrick, Redwine and Williams,
of the Twenty-seventh.
The senate adopted two amendments
to the house bill, which will necessi¬
tate the concurrence of the lower body
in the amendments, but, as they were
intended ,to strengthen the bill and
were supported by its advocates in the
senate, it is deemed as certain that the
house will concur promptly.
Senator John Andy Smith secured
unanimous consent to have the gas
tax measure immediately transmitted
to the house of representatives for the
concurrence of that body in the sen¬
ate amendments.
Counties and Cities Must Pay
/"VNE of the amendments was of-.
LA fered by Senator Broadus Zellars,
of Hartwell, and adopted by a vote of
thirty-three to two. It would require
counties and municipalities to pay the
tax on gasoline they consume and is
expected to add $500,000 to the reve¬
nues produced by the bill.
Anther amendment adopted was of¬
fered by Senators Myrick, of the First
district, and Pitner, of the Fiftieth dis¬
trict, with an amendment to their
amendment by Senator Dorsey, of the
Forty-eighth district. This amended
amendment provides that in the event
the allocation to the school equaliza¬
tion fund is found to be unavailable
for any reason, then the amount in¬
volved will go into the general com¬
mon school fund, in- addition to all
other school appropriations, and, in
the event the county allocation is un¬
available, it will go to the state high¬
way department. Senators Zellars,
Terrell and Smith, who were the floor
leaders for the gas tax measure, ail
approved this amendment, as well as
the one by Senator Zellars.
House Passes Annexing Plan
/CREATION of a new city government
Li for greater Atlanta, uniting the
present municipality, the suburban cit¬
ies of East Point, College Parka, Hape
ville, Decatur and Avondale, and a con¬
siderable amount of unincorporated
territory, with each division to be
known as a borough, was approved
by the house of representatives
through unanimous passage of a bill
substituted for the original Atlanta an¬
nexation measure.
Adoption of the bill by the senate
Is expected by a number of prominent
members of the assembly.
Many property owners have agitated
this subject over a period of year, and
it now seems near consummation. At¬
lanta is the pride of Georgia, and its
growth would stimulate trade.
This would place Atlanta among tho
the largest cities of the world. The
ratio would be as follows:
Atlanta .............................. 114,560 acres
Los Angeles ...................... 282,036 acres
New York .............. 191,360 acres
Chicago .............................. 125,430 acres
New Orleans .................... 113,920 acres
Detroit ............................... 88,960 acres
Philadelphia ........ *83,017 acre3
