came quickly to the rescue and picked up
the swimming and struggling sailors. When all had been saved, I turned
our prow toward the sailing ship, which was now lying absolutely still,
and fired our first torpedo.

Poor Schweckerle! There it goes, but it heads straight, Schweckerle,
true as an arrow. Bravo, Schweckerle! The French in the lifeboats, who
had approached us where they believed themselves safest, yelled in
terror when the detonation followed and the water spout was thrown high
above the mastheads.

"Oh, mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! Notre pauvre vaisseau!"

"Poor devils," I thought. "I understand how you feel over your
beautiful, fine ship, but why didn't you stay at home? Why do you go to
sea when you know what threatens? Why do you or your governments force
us to destroy your ships wherever we can find them? Do you think we are
going to wait until our own women and children starve and let you keep
your bread baskets full before we defend ourselves? You have started it.
You are responsible for the consequences. If you would discontinue your
inhuman way of carrying on the war, then we would let your sailing ships
and steamers pass unmolested, when they do not carry contraband. You
have wanted war to the knife. Good, we have accepted your challenge."

The sailing ship sank rapidly by the stern, turning over on her side
until the yard arms touched the water and the red bottom could be seen.
And, at last, when the pressure burst the forward cargo hatch, there was
a shower of corn, and the proud ship, with a dying gurgle, disappeared
into the deep.

The captain came aboard us. He never lost for a minute his personality
as a polite Frenchman with elegant manners. He swung himself into the
conning tower, smiled with the pleasantry of a boulevardier, and, with a
gracious bow, handed his ship's papers to "mon capitaine." In the most
polite and courteous German, I offered him a cigarette, for which he
thanked me with a smile, as if we had been the best of friends for
years. We questioned him. From where was he coming and where bound? He
answered frankly and showed us without requesting it what a valuable
catch we had made. It impressed him greatly how we were traveling about
in our little shell, and there was no doubt he had an inclination to go
along with us on our sea-robbing voyage, if he could have done it.

When I asked him why he had not obeyed our signals to stop, he acted as
innocent as a new-born baby, and assur