Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force

there was little to fear from the attacks of U-boats, for up to the present these craft had not appeared south of the Equator, mines had been laid by disguised German ships right in the are

tion, but the possibilities of the raider making a sudden dash during the hours of

aking voyages in war-time. Their faith in the "big canoes" of King George was so firm that, sea-sickness notwithstanding, they had no doubts or fears

eck. Men were running hither and thither carrying out a series of orders shouted in stentorian tones. The Zung

e same time

" he enquir

. "I can hear Spofforth and Danvers g

donned their great coats over their pyjamas, slipped

ctly. Silhouetted against the slanting beams was the escorting cruiser, which was pelting along at full speed and overhauling the Zungeru han

would bring them within sight of Table Bay. Less than a cable's length on the starboard column's beam wa

Less than a mile away was a large steamer, which had just steadied

d a major of one of the Zunge

signalled to know what's her little game. She's just replied that she's the steamsh

ry to return to their bunks, for the night air was warm and fragrant,

up her position on the beam of the starboard line. Presently in obedience to a signal the ships altered helm and settled down on their forme

As he passed Wilmshurst stopped him, en

there is a Hun scuttling around, so he's signalled for permission to tail on to us. The cruiser offered no ob

axdale. "I say, old man, let's turn

ouch, was gazing fixedly at the tramp. The mercantile officer and Laxdale bot

oat stowed amidships on the P

n raider,"

ilor hurriedly, as if to confi

lmshurst, and rep

n a few moments the signal was passed on to the Tompion by means of a flashl

the cruiser's r

was flashed in to the convoy. "In

s were concerned, but from the Ponto came a signal: "Am doing my m

ght," remarked Laxdale. "We'll wait and see t

y, I should imagine," replied Wilmshurst. "By Jove, it's

truth of Dudley's remark. Armed with field glasses, marine-glasses, and telescopes the office

miles, but was still maintaining a course parallel to that of the convoy, while th

ore she shaped a course exactly opposite to that of the convoy, signalling the while to the

es launched home the cruiser flung about until she was bows on to the ste

ed Ponto was-ported helm, her speed increasing rapidly. Almost at the same time a six-i

the poop. The after six-inch gun, which had been concealed under a dummy deck-house, was blown from its mountings, the heavy we

withholding her fire. The Ponto would then "crack on speed," for in spite of her alleged maximum of eleven knots she was capable of working up to twenty-eight, or a knot more

irected towards their men, for the Haussas, on hearing the gun-fire, impetuously made a rush on deck-not by reason of panic but out of

f her officers and crew were prisoners of war on board the Tompion, and a hundred and twenty British subjects, mostly th

amouflaged, had contrived to escape the cordon of patrol-boats in the North Atlantic. For three months she had followed her piratical occupation, re-provisioning and re-coaling from the ves

the impression that the convoy consisted of unescorted merchantmen the Porfurst steamed athwart

vessel's name as Ponto, the real craft having been sunk by the raider only two days previously. The Hun stood a chance of dropping astern and slipping away but for the furtive an

. The kapitan of the Porfurst was no exception to the usual run of Germans. It was the possibility of capture-which had developed into a certainty-that had influenced him in his treatment of the crews of the sunk ships.

rth, while wireless orders were received for the Tompion to escort the homeward bound ships a

of the sunk ships and to land them at Table Bay. Although wondering why the men should be set ashore at the Cape instead of being

ce and asked the purser's clerk to let him have a look at the list of supernumeraries. There was a ch

he type-written list back to the purser's clerk when he noticed a few names written in red ink-thr

That's the name of Rupert's chum. Wonder if it's the same man? There may be doze

pointed out to Dudley by the third mat

had a decided auburn hue. In the absence of any description of Rupert's chum, Dudley had no idea of

hurst. "I believe your n

question, merely nodded. A man who has lived practically alon

Rupert Wilmshurst?" continued Dudley. "He's my br

regor slowly. "He w