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The career of the raider Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, a fast converted liner, was ended by the British ship Highflyer, a cruiser, near the Cape Verde Islands, on August 27, 1914, after the former had sunk the merchantman Hyades and had stopped the mail steamer Galician. The greater speed of the German vessel was of no advantage to her, for she had been caught in the act of coaling.
"Ha! there goes a shot from the liner," cried Seymour, as a puff of smoke broke out from the lee side followed by the dull boom of a cannon over the water, and then the flags rippled bravely out from the mastheads. "Well, we did not need that sort of an introduction. Aft there!" cried the captain, with his powerful voice. "Sir." "Show a British flag at the gaff.
The surface of the sea was almost as smooth as glass, though rising and falling slowly, with a long, rolling motion. The Ark rode steadily, shivering, like an ocean liner, under the impulse of its engines, and the sudden silence, succeeding the ceaseless roar of the downpour, which had never been out of their ears from the start of the voyage, seemed supernatural.
It was just habit the habit of never letting a chance go, or the detail of a chance that on the fourth morning carried him the length of the liner, to engage in talk with the fresh-coloured young third officer busy on the high deck forward. 'A young man, exposed as you are, ought to insure himself, said Mr Markham.
Where it came from no one seems to know, but many merchant ships have been sunk by this raider. It is understood that she has citizens of allied countries aboard to the number of several hundred." "Must be a big ship, sir," said Frank. "So it is. It is probably a converted liner." "Well, why haven't some of our cruisers picked it up, sir?" Jack wanted to know.
It is worthy of record, in the light of after events, that at the beginning of their visit it was the general opinion of the guests gathered together at Blandings Castle that the place was dull. The house party had that air of torpor which one sees in the saloon passengers of an Atlantic liner that appearance of resignation to an enforced idleness and a monotony to be broken only by meals.
In the harbour, between the liner and the palms, as the huge ship's passengers came up from dinner, at moonrise, each in his canoe, Ali Kareeb Ahash and Boob Aheera passed within knife thrust.
Somebody on the liner sang it out. Instantly there was a rush of passengers to the side. From the schooner a boat was being lowered and manned. "I see him. He's swimming this way. I believe he's trying to escape," one slender young woman cried. "Nonsense, Alice! He fell overboard and he's probably so frightened he doesn't know which way he is swimming."
"He had a talk with Governor Hardy last night and this morning he took the jet liner back to Earth. Special orders from Commander Walters." "Well, blast my jets!" exclaimed Astro. "Wonder what's up?" "I don't know," said Tom. "But it must be something more important than the Roald project for him to pull out now!" "It might have something to do with the project, Tom," suggested Roger.
Clark, the third man up, was the surest batter on the Bellville team. He looked dangerous. He had made the only hit so far to the credit of his team. Wayne tried to work him on a high, fast ball close in. Clark swung freely and cracked a ripping liner to left. Half the crowd roared, and then groaned, for the beautiful hit went foul by several yards.