I questioned both Olson and Benson closely in the matter of the

compass; but each stoutly maintained that no one had tampered

with it during his tour of duty. Benson gave me a knowing smile,

as much as to say: "Well, you and I know who did this." Yet I

could not believe that it was the girl.

We kept to our westerly course for several hours when the

lookout's cry announced a sail. I ordered the U-33's course

altered, and we bore down upon the stranger, for I had come to

a decision which was the result of necessity. We could not lie

there in the middle of the Atlantic and starve to death if there

was any way out of it. The sailing ship saw us while we were

still a long way off, as was evidenced by her efforts to escape.

There was scarcely any wind, however, and her case was hopeless;

so when we drew near and signaled her to stop, she came into the

wind and lay there with her sails flapping idly. We moved in

quite close to her. She was the Balmen of Halmstad, Sweden, with

a general cargo from Brazil for Spain.

I explained our circumstances to her skipper and asked for food,

water and oil; but when he found that we were not German, he

became very angry and abusive and started to draw away from us;

but I was in no mood for any such business. Turning toward

Bradley, who was in the conning-tower, I snapped out:

"Gun-service on deck! To the diving stations!" We had no

opportunity for drill; but every man had been posted as to

his duties, and the German members of the crew understood that

it was obedience or death for them, as each was accompanied by

a man with a pistol. Most of them, though, were only too glad

to obey me.

Bradley passed the order down into the ship and a moment later

the gun-crew clambered up the narrow ladder and at my direction

trained their piece upon the slow-moving Swede. "Fire a shot

across her bow," I instructed the gun-captain.

Accept it from me, it didn't take that Swede long to see the

error of his way and get the red and white pennant signifying

"I understand" to the masthead. Once again the sails flapped

idly, and then I ordered him to lower a boat and come after me.

With Olson and a couple of the Englishmen I boarded the ship,

and from her cargo selected what we needed--oil, provisions

and water. I gave the master of the Balmen a receipt for what

we took, together with an affidavit signed by Bradley, Olson, and