Part 17 (1/2)

On the way back to the saloon a further truth began to dawn upon Ruxton. Nor did he lose a moment in challenging his host when they reached the luxurious apartment.

”You have brought those cylinders away. May I ask why?” he enquired.

The Prince had seated himself, and was in the act of lighting a cigar.

He desisted, and held his case out towards his guest. Ruxton helped himself and waited.

The other stared thoughtfully at the cigar which remained poised in his lean fingers. Then he raised his brilliant eyes, and the Englishman realized that the moment of lightness, of almost schoolboyish delight at the sense of danger had entirely pa.s.sed. The eyes shone pa.s.sionately, and reminded him sharply of the expressive eyes of the woman who had appealed for humanity with him on the brink of the Yorks.h.i.+re cliffs.

”Why? Because I have convinced you of my submersible. Because for that reason I have determined to deprive the German Government of the use of my U-rays for an indefinite period. Perhaps forever. Listen, there is only one man knows that I have an installation of that light on my s.h.i.+p besides ourselves, and that man is--Ludovic. I have installed it with my own hands. The installation on the submersible dreadnought which you saw was the first effort in that direction, and the Government believe it to be purely experimental. Well, the experiment has--failed. That is all.” He shrugged.

”But you will be forced to try again.”

”And it will fail--again. Ach, so! I would rather uns.h.i.+p my plant, and fling my models to the bottom of the sea, where they may help to light up the world of crabs, than that my Government should acquire one single added threat against humanity.”

The next few moments were silently occupied in lighting their cigars.

Ruxton had no words with which to answer him. He was thinking deeply, comparing this man's att.i.tude towards the country which claimed him with his own feelings for his island home. He wondered what his att.i.tude would have been had their positions been reversed; if he, as an Englishman, had been such a power, through his discoveries, for aiding his country. To his shame he was forced to the conclusion that this white-haired Pole was a greater man than he could ever hope to be.

The difference between them lay in the difference between a perfervid patriotism, and the Prince's overwhelming love of humanity inspired by the abyss of horror into which a blind devotion to his country had flung him. This man had pa.s.sed the great dividing line where the uplifted spirit renounces the claims of earthly pa.s.sion in favor of the call of the voice of the soul. The cause of humanity now dominated every other emotion. Somehow his own fervor of patriotism suffered severely by the comparison, and so he found himself with no words in which to answer.

The old man rose from his chair and pa.s.sed into his private stateroom.

A few moments later he returned with two rolls of papers, neatly secured by tapes and seals.

He had closed the door. He was about to cross over to his guest. But in a moment he was held rigid where he stood. A dull boom roared out somewhere overhead and vibrated down the entire length of the vessel.

His eyes were wide and attentive. But there was no fear in them. Ruxton started up from the lounge on which he had been sitting. A thrilling excitement shone in his eyes.

”Is it a--mine?” he cried sharply.

The Prince shook his head.

”There would be nothing of us left at this moment,” he said. ”Wait! You can feel the steady throb of the engines. No, it was a gun. It was a bursting sh.e.l.l from one of the silent guns. They can see our periscope, and are firing across us--to heave to. Hark! There goes another.”

Again came a terrific detonation. But the vessel ploughed on.

”Presently they will fire to hit our periscope and make us rise to the surface. Von Salzinger has gone further than I had dared to hope.”

”Hope?”

”He will pay for this with his position.”

”But if they hit our periscope?”

The Prince shrugged.

”It will make no difference. We shall not rise till it suits us. We have the light. Already we must be nearly through the mine-field. Once we are through the mines Ludovic could make the journey seawards blindfold.”

The Prince crossed over to his chair, and laid the sealed rolls on the table beside him. He did not speak. He was obviously listening.

Presently another sharp explosion sounded overhead, and his eyes lit.

”Ah, I thought Von Salzinger would not resist it. You see, he is a Prussian.” He smiled, but his eyes had lost their humor. ”That was shrapnel,” he went on. ”Its bursting is unmistakable. But he will not hit the periscope.”