and swam rapidly away, but a few minutes later they were picked up by a
launch and taken back, the captain having suddenly begun to suspect,
they said, that the story of the bomb was untrue. They were again made
to walk up the ladder, under which lay the explosives. It was then 6.28.
The ladder was crowded with sailors who were also returning to their
ship. "Run, run for your lives," shouted Paolucci. At last his foot
touched the deck, and then he and Rossetti ran as fast as they could to
the stern. Hardly had they got there than a terrific explosion rent the
air, and a column of water shot three hundred feet straight up into the
sky. Paolucci and Rossetti were again in the water, and looking back
they saw a man scramble up the side of the vessel, which had now turned
completely over, with her keel uppermost. There on the keel stood this
man, with folded arms. It was Vukovi['c], who had insisted on going down
with his ship. About fifty other men were killed.

When Koch came out of his house, feeling that there must be no more
delay in sending the radiogram to President Wilson, a young Italian
Socialist ran up to him in the street and told him of the fate of the
flagship. As the news spread everyone thought it must be the work of
some Austrian officers. It was feared that they would explode the
arsenal, and that would have meant the destruction of the whole town.
Amid the uproar and chaos, Koch had placards distributed, saying that
the _Viribus Unitis_ had been torpedoed by two Italians, who were in
custody. And then the wireless was sent to Paris.

The two officers were taken to the Admiralty and then placed on the
dreadnought _Prince Eugene_, it being rumoured that the Italians of Pola
intended to rescue them. Subsequently Koch and other officers, together
with Dr. Stani['c], President of the Italian National Council, went out
to see the prisoners. Stani['c] was left alone with them for as long as
he wished. And when Koch saw them--he did not then shake hands--and
asked if they knew what they had done, "I know it," replied Rossetti
rather arrogantly. Paolucci's demeanour was more modest.

"I was your friend all through the War," said Koch, "and now you sink
our ships. I can only assume that you were ignorant of what had taken
place."

They said that that was so.

"But if you had known," said the Admiral to Rossetti, "would you have
done this?"

"Yes," he answered. "I am an officer. I had my orders to blow up the