ca. She needed but to
multiply the story of Belgium, of Serbia, of prostrate Russia. The
Kaiser had put in the shop-window of the world samples enough of the
future as it would be made by Germany.

And in the mood of that day, with defeatism rife in Europe, and
pessimism miasmatic in America, there was reason enough for Nicky to
believe in his prophecy and to inspire belief in its possibility. The
only impossible thing about it was that the world should ever endure
the dominance of Germany. Death would seem better to almost everybody
than life in such a civilization as she promised.

Mamise feared the Teutonic might, but she could not for a moment
consent to accept it. There was only one thing for her to do, and that
was to learn what plans she could, and thwart them. Here within her
grasp was the long-sought opportunity to pay off the debt she had
incurred. She could be a soldier now, at last. There was no price that
Nicky might have demanded too great, too costly, too shameful for her
to pay. To denounce him or defy him would be a criminal waste of
opportunity.

She said: "I understand. You are right, of course. Let me help in any
way I can. I only wish there were something big for me to do."

Nicky was overjoyed. He had triumphed both as patriot and as lover.

"There is a big think for you to do," he said. "You can all you
vill."

"Tell me," she pleaded.

"You are in shipyard. This man Davidge goes on building ships. I gave
him fair warning. I sinked one ship for him, but he makes more."

"You sank his ship?" Mamise gasped.

"Sure! The _Clara_, he called her. I find where she goes to take
cargo. I go myself. I row up behind the ship in little boat, and I
fasten by the rudder-post under the water, where no one sees, a bomb.
It is all innocent till ship moves. Then every time the rudder turns a
little screw turns in the machine.

"It turns for two, three days; then--_boom_! It makes explosion, tears
ship to pieces, and down she goes. And so goes all the next ships if
you help again."

"Again? What do you mean by again?"

"It is you, Marie Louise, who sinks the _Clara_."

Her laugh of incredulity was hardly more than a shiver of dread.

"_Ja wohl!_ You did told Chake Nuttle vat Davidge tells you. Chake
Nuttle tells me. I go and make sink the ship!"

"Jake Nuddle! It was Jake that told you!" Mamise faltered, seeing her
first vague suspicions damnably confirmed.

"Sure! Chake Nuttle is my _Leutnant_.