Part 48 (1/2)

Once, twice, three times the three heads appeared on the surface and a spectator could have seen that Harris retained his grip. Then the three sank from sight.

And so pa.s.sed the former pugilistic champion of the British fleet, brave in death as he had been in life. The waves washed over the spot where he had gone down.

CHAPTER x.x.x

THE UNKNOWN UNMASKS

With the coming of dawn the three figures in the little motor boat gazed back in the direction from whence they had come. There they could still make out the distant shape of the _Bismarck_. She rode quietly in the water, and there was nothing about her appearance to tell the three in the motor boat of the terrible struggle that was raging even at that moment.

”Poor Harris,” said Jack. ”I hope that in some manner he is able to escape.”

”Certainly I hope so, too,” declared Frank.

”He's a brave man,” said von Ludwig.

Jack drew the fateful deck of cards from his pocket.

”These,” he said, ”I shall keep.”

He ran through the deck several times, playing with them. Unconsciously he counted them.

There was something wrong. Jack counted the cards again. The result was the same.

”Sir!” he called to von Ludwig.

”Well?” ”How did you chance to have this pack of cards?”

”I play solitaire considerably,” was the reply.

”You couldn't have played solitaire with this deck,” said Jack.

”Why not?”

”All the cards are not here. There are but fifty-one.”

”There were fifty-two when I put them in my pocket,” said von Ludwig, ”because I counted them.”

Again Jack ran through the deck There were but fifty-one cards.

Suddenly the lad gave a start. He spread the cards out in the bottom of the boat, making four piles all suits together. He counted the hearts.

They were all there, thirteen of them. He counted the clubs. They were all there, too. Next he counted the spades. All were there. Last he counted the diamonds. There were but twelve. Jack arranged them in order.

There was one card shy. Jack found what it was a moment later. There was no six of diamonds in the deck. For some moments Jack sat silent, staring at the cards before him. He had been struck with a great light.

”So!” he said to himself at last, ”Harris cheated.”

”What's that?” said Frank, who had heard Jack's muttered words, but had not caught their import.

”I said,” replied Jack, slowly, ”that Harris cheated.”

Frank was surprised. A moment later he said: ”Well, even if he did, he lost anyhow.”