CHAPTER IV
THE RAIDER
Word of the United States' declaration of war upon Germany was flashedto the Algonquin on the fourth day out. It brought a thrill to Frankand to Captain Stoneman, an American himself.
Mrs. Wheaton, however, was the only person aboard who did any braggingas a result of it. She declared that now the United States had come tothe rescue of the world, she had no fear of German raiders or Germansin any other shape or form.
The Algonquin was still two days out from Buenos Ayres. It was night.Came a hail from the lookout forward,
"Ship, sir!" he sang out.
"Where away?" demanded Captain Stoneman from the bridge.
"Dead ahead, sir!"
Half an hour later the light of an approaching vessel became visible toall on deck.
"The raider, do you suppose?" asked Frank, who stood near the captain.
"How do I know?" demanded the captain angrily. "It may be and it maynot be."
A moment later the searchlight of the approaching vessel picked theAlgonquin out of the darkness.
"Drat those searchlights!" shouted the angry captain. "If it wasn'tfor those things a man would have a chance."
The wireless operator hurried up.
"Message, sir," he exclaimed.
"Well, why don't you give it to me. What are you standing there for?"
"Vessel orders us to heave to or she'll put a shell into us, sir," saidthe operator, paying no attention to the captain's anger.
"She will, eh? What right has a bloodthirsty pirate like that to tellme what I can do? I won't do it."
Nevertheless Captain Stoneman gave the command to heave to.
"What's he sign himself?" he demanded of the wireless operator.
"He doesn't sign himself at all," was the reply.
"Drat him!" exclaimed the captain again. "Oh, well, we'll see whathappens."
Half an hour later a small boat from the vessel that had accosted themscraped alongside the Algonquin.
"Throw over a ladder," came a voice in English. "I'm coming aboardyou."
The captain of the Algonquin growled again but he gave the necessaryorder.
A moment later three figures scrambled on deck. At sight of the firstman, Captain Stoneman's frown changed to a smile and he stepped quicklyforward.
"Dash me if it isn't Lansing!" he exclaimed. "When did you get intothe service, old man?"
The man in the uniform of a naval officer looked at the captain closelya moment, then extended a hand.
"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "If it isn't Stoneman. Where youbound, Captain?"
"Buenos Ayres. What ship are you?"
"American cruiser Pioneer, Stoneman. I'm the first officer."
"Good for you, son," exclaimed the captain. "First I took you for thatGerman raider they say is sailing about in these parts."
"That's what I took you to be," declared the lieutenant. "I know thereis no need searching your ship, Captain. You're true blue, but I'llhave to have a look at your papers."
"Perfectly proper," said Captain Stoneman. "Come below."
The two disappeared below, but returned on deck a few moments later.
"Who are your passengers, Captain?" asked the American officer.
Captain Stoneman explained.
"Guess I'd better have a look at them anyhow, if it's no trouble," saidthe lieutenant.
"No trouble at all, Bo's'n," he called, "summon all passengers ondeck."
Frank and Jack were already there, and approached. The Americanofficer asked them a few questions, and then waved them away.
"All right," he said.
Mrs. Wheaton and her daughter appeared a few moments later. The formerwas angry. She approached the lieutenant.
"What do you mean by holding us up in this high-handed fashion?" shedemanded.
"Necessity of war, madam," said the lieutenant with a bow.
"Necessity fiddlesticks," was the reply. "Who are you, anyhow?"
"I'm Lieutenant Lansing, American cruiser Pioneer, madam," came thereply.
Mrs. Wheaton's manner underwent an immediate change. "You'll pardonme, Lieutenant," she exclaimed. "Of course, I know you must do yourduty."
After a few words with Mrs. Wheaton and her daughter, LieutenantLansing turned again to Captain Stoneman.
"All right, Captain," he said, "you may proceed. If leave you now justa word, though. Look out for that raider. She's around here someplace. If you sight her, fire your guns, and if I'm within hearingI'll come up. Work your wireless, too. I'm here to nail that fellow."
"Very good," said Captain Stoneman. "You can count on me, Lansing."
The two men shook hands and the American naval officer, followed by hismen, disappeared over the side. Captain Stoneman gave a signal and theAlgonquin moved on again.
"Didn't take the United States very long to get started, did it?" saidFrank, as they descended below.
"I should say not," was Jack's reply. "Still, I am afraid Americancruisers will have no more success in nabbing the raider than haveBritish vessels."
"Don't forget we're on the job," said Frank, with a smile.
"I'm not forgetting it," said Jack. "The sooner we come up with thatfellow the better it will please me."
"Same here."
"Well, guess we may as well turn in," said Jack.
"Probably will be nothing doing tonight."
Five minutes later the lads were asleep.
Morning dawned clear and bright and Captain Stoneman congratulatedhimself that he was fast nearing his destination.
"Tomorrow morning at this time and we will be safe," he said at thebreakfast table.
"Pooh," said Mrs. Wheaton. "What is there to be afraid of? Don't youknow that the American cruiser Pioneer is in these waters?"
"But she is not in sight, mother," said her daughter.
"I'd like to know what difference that makes. Lieutenant Lansing knowsthat there are Americans aboard the Algonquin. He will not desert us."
"I am afraid," said Frank, "that Lieutenant Lansing has more importantduties just now than seeing that the Algonquin reaches port safely."
"And what can be more important, I'd like to know?" demanded Mrs.Wheaton.
"Well, there are a whole lot of things," said Frank, "one of which isto nab this German raider, and I'll venture to say that the Pioneer ispaying more attention to the raider right now than it is to theAlgonquin."
"Young man," said Mrs. Wheaton, "it is perfectly plain to me that youdo not know what you are talking about."
Frank flushed, and was about to reply. But he caught the eye of MissWheaton and remained silent. A few moments later he excused himselfand left the table.
Fifteen minutes later Elizabeth Wheaton approached him on deck.
"Don't mind mother," she said with a smile. "It is just her way. Shemeans no harm."
"Probably not," agreed Frank with a smile, "but you will admit that itis rather annoying."
Before the girl could reply, there came a hail from the lookoutforward.
"Ship, sir!"
"Where away?" called the first officer, who held the bridge.
"Dead ahead!" came the reply.
Indeed, a ship was plainly visible to all on deck at that moment.
It came to the first officer in a flash that this vessel bearing downon the Algonquin was in all probability the German raider.
He summoned the captain.
Captain Stoneman came jumping on deck.
He gave one look at the approaching vessel, and then cried angrily,forgetting his grammar absolutely as he did so. "That's her! That'sher as sure as I'm a foot high."
Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers Page 4