Cappy Ricks Retires by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne
page 30 of 447 (06%)
page 30 of 447 (06%)
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profits--and they say Brazil is rather friendly to the German cause.
We will assume, therefore, that the German secret agents in this country realize it is inevitable that Von Spee's fleet must be forced into the Atlantic; hence, in anticipation of that extremity, they are arranging for the delivery of coal to those harassed cruisers. The agent in Pernambuco is probably in constant communication with the fleet by wireless; the fleet will probably come ranging up the coast of South America, destroying British commerce, or some of the ships may cross over to the Indian Ocean and join the _Emden_, raiding in those waters. So the German secret agents charter our huge _Narcissus_, load her with ten thousand tons of coal--" Matt Peasley paused and bent a beetling glance, first at Cappy Ricks and then at Skinner. "Was she to carry soft coal or anthracite?" he demanded. "I don't know," Mr. Skinner quavered. "Search me!" Cappy Ricks piped up sourly. "I thought so. For the sake of argument we'll assume it's soft coal, because anthracite has not as yet become popular as steamship fuel. Well, we will assume our vessel gets to Pernambuco. If, in the meantime, the German admiral wirelesses his Pernambuco agent, 'Send a jag of coal into the Indian Ocean,' to the Indian Ocean goes the _Narcissus_, and presently she finds a German warship or two or three ranging along in her course. They pick her up, help themselves to her coal, give Mike Murphy a certificate of confiscation for her cargo, to be handed to the owners, who in this case will be good, loyal sons of |
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