"Tut! Tut!" exclaimed the German commander. "I have no time to quarrel
with you now. But when the war is over, it will give me much pleasure to
put an end to one of your ilk."

"I shall remember that!" exclaimed Lord Hastings. "You shall answer to
me, sir."

"When the war is over, I shall be very much at your service," was the
quiet rejoinder. "But now to business. Prisoners, you may all stand up
together. Your name?" he demanded of Jack.

"Templeton, sir," replied the lad quietly.

"And yours, sir?" demanded the German of Frank.

"Chadwick, sir."

The German turned to Davis.

"Davis, sir," replied the man before the German could propound the
question.

"Have any of you prisoners anything to say in extenuation of your
actions?"

There was no reply.

"No reason why the death sentence should not be passed upon you?"
continued the German.

Still there was no reply.

The German commander then explained what he knew of the three and called
for a vote.

"Commander Derndorff?"

"Death!" was the response.

"Commander Hellwig?"

"Death!"

"Commander Berne?"

"Death!"

"Commander Blough?"

"Death!"

"Commander Bernstorff?"

Lord Hastings' response was louder than the rest and he smiled evilly as
he cried:

"Death!"

The German commander who had captured the lads made a grimace but said
nothing.

He paused a moment and then declared quietly:

"My verdict also is death!"

Lord Hastings, apparently, could restrain his impatience no longer.

"Good! Good!" he cried.

"The sentence of this court martial," continued the German commander
unheeding Lord Hastings, "is that the prisoners all be shot at sunrise
tomorrow. Commander Bernstorff, since you are so eager to perform the
disagreeable duty, you may command the execution; and that your men may
think the less of you, as president of this court martial, I order you
to choose the firing squad from among your own crew."

Lord Hastings beamed on him.

"It shall be done with pleasure," he declared eagerly.

"And," continued the president of the court martial, "you shall take the
prisoners aboard your own vessel and you shall be held responsible for
them. I could almost hope they would escape, so that you should suffer,"
he added to himself.

"Good, sir. Good!" cried Lord Hastings. "I shall remove them at once,
sir."

"One thing more," said the commander sharply. "They must not be
ill-treated. Understand?"

Lord Hastings' face fell in wel