THE MYSTERY OF THE “U-13”

“Ahoy!” his hail rang out over the waters. “Send another boat aboard us. I will transfer the crew of this vessel!”

“Yes, you will!” scornfully replied Jimmie. “You’ll do a lot, you will. We have something to say about that!”

“I am more astonished than I can say,” the officer replied as he gazed at the lad. “I had supposed that Boy Scouts would not under any circumstances lend themselves to a project of an unworthy character.”

“Well, who has done all that?” bristled Jimmie, wrinkling a freckled nose at the man. “You’re taking a lot for granted, I must say! Who are you, anyhow?”

“You’ll find out quickly enough!” was the answer.

Turning at the sound of approaching oars, the officer quickly issued a few short commands.

In obedience to his orders, the boys were required to enter the small boat without even an opportunity of going below.

“Dodson,” ordered the officer, “take a couple of men and search the vessel for others. We were informed there were but five, but they may have confederates.”

Wonderingly the lads sat in the boat as they were rowed across the intervening distance to the steamer. Scarcely had they set foot on deck before a line was passed to the submarine and the vessel was under way, towing their recent habitation.

An orderly conducted the lads directly to the cabin, where they were greeted by an officer seated at the head of a table. He arose as they entered and extended a hand to each.

Motioning to seats, the officer again busied himself with some papers on the table. For some time the boys glanced expectantly at each other, waiting for the officer to open the anticipated conversation.

Impatiently the boys waited, listening to the regular throbbing of the steamer’s propellers that told they were again under way.

At length the silence was broken by the arrival of an orderly. Saluting, he reported briefly to the officer. A nod dismissed him.

“Boys,” began the officer in a kindly tone, “we find ourselves rather puzzled by some mysterious circumstances which we hope you can explain. Will you assist us?”

“I assume from the looks of things aboard that you are English,” answered Ned. “Am I correct?”

“You are. This is a scout vessel doing patrol duty along the coast. In common with others, we have been on the sharp lookout for a submarine named ‘U-13,’ which has been doing considerable damage to our shipping. We capture it without difficulty, to find it manned by Boy Scouts instead of Germans, as we had expected. Can you explain that?”

“Yes!” laughed Ned. “That is easy. The boat you have captured is owned by a private individual named Mackinder, who has been amusing himself in a perfectly innocent pastime. He, like ourselves, is neutral, but unfortunately has gotten into rather compromising situations.”

“Mackinder?” repeated the officer, wonderingly.

“Yes, sir,” continued Ned. “He rescued us from our disabled submarine. He is now aboard his vessel with a broken leg.”

“We had him brought aboard this vessel, and find that his leg is really broken,” explained the officer. “But,” he continued, “you have not quite explained your presence on a submarine.”

“That is easy—” began Ned. He was interrupted by a sign from the officer.

“Just a moment,” the other said. “We will have Mackinder in here, and perhaps he can explain a little of the mystery himself.”

At a command from the man two orderlies approached. In a few moments the boys observed four sailors bearing a mattress upon which lay their late host.

At the same moment a group approached from the after part of the cabin. Glancing from one group to the other, the boys rose to their feet with exclamations of surprise.

“Well, Great Frozen Hot Boxes!” cried Jimmie. “How did you get here, Mackinder?”

A man from the small group behind the officer stepped forward, smiling.

“I was picked up by the fishing boat you probably saw when I swam away from the submarine you captured. They transferred me to this craft. We have since been looking for you.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you, anyway,” returned the lad. “But you couldn’t prevent our leaving Holland, even if you did try good and hard. Have you found that package yet?”

The smile quickly faded from the face of the other.

“No, I haven’t,” he answered in a low voice. “I find that you boys have gotten me into a lot of trouble, too.”

“Trouble?” puzzled Ned. “How have we done that?”

“By secreting that package,” explained Mackinder. “You see, I was detailed to duty on the Holland frontier. When I saw that package, and knew that you had recently come from the German lines, I assumed, of course, that it contained information for the German submarine that has been causing so much havoc amongst the English shipping. Without waiting for orders, I tried to follow you and gain possession of the object. Now it seems I am disobeying regulations by absenting myself from my post of duty without leave. Further, I was seen aboard or coming from a German vessel. Hence circumstances look bad for me. I’m due for a court martial as soon as we land at Margate, which must be close aboard by now.”

All were startled to hear a groan escape the man lying upon the mattress. He had raised himself upon one elbow.

“Oh, Robert!” he cried. “Not that!”

“Tom!” gasped Mackinder. Soon the two men were shaking hands at a great rate, tears in their eyes.

“Boys,” Mackinder announced at length, “I must introduce my brother Tom.”

“We have had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman,” stated Ned. “In fact, we owe our lives to his kindness.”

“But, see here,” demanded Jimmie, stepping forward, “this needs an explanation. Which one of you fellows was at the little cabin on the Holland border?”

Tom Mackinder smiled, in spite of the pain of his crushed leg. He turned his glance toward his brother, whose hand he held.

“We both were there, Jimmie,” he said. “I took the package from the window. You see,” he continued, “it contained plans of my submarine, with which you are familiar. I tried to sell the plans to Germany, but found they had beaten me. So upon my return trip I slipped the package into your baggage, thinking to escape search and detention at the border. I have it here now.”

As he ceased speaking he drew from his pocket the same flat package the boys had seen before.

“Hurrah!” cried Jimmie. “Now we can explain how your brother came to be captured by the Germans, and how under his direction we stole the other ‘U-13’ and escaped from Helgoland.”

“If what you say is true, young man,” put in the officer, “the anticipated court martial may never convene.”

“We can prove it!” protested Jimmie vigorously.

“Then we have solved the Mystery of the ‘U-13’!” declared the officer, with evident relief.

“And now we’ll head for the little old U. S. A. and peaceful neutrality!” was Jimmie’s joyful comment.

“But you’ll first arrange to care for your share of the cargo aboard my boat,” interposed the injured Mackinder.

He would not entertain any of the objections raised by the boys, but insisted that they share in the treasure which had been recovered from the ocean’s grasp.

A few days later as the boys watched the chalk cliffs of Dover slip away into the eastern horizon Jimmie turned from the rail of the steamer upon which they had taken passage.

“Good by, England, and good by the Mackinders,” he said. “I’m glad we are out of the war zone at last and that we solved the Mystery of the ‘U-13’.”

THE END

The Aeroplane Series

By John Luther Langworthy

1. The Aeroplane Boys; or, The Young Pilots First Air Voyage 2. The Aeroplane Boys on the Wing; or, Aeroplane Chums in the Tropics 3. The Aeroplane Boys Among the Clouds; or, Young Aviators in a Wreck 4. The Aeroplane Boys’ Flights; or, A Hydroplane Round-up 5. The Aeroplane Boys on a Cattle Ranch

The Girl Aviator Series

By Margaret Burnham

Just the type of books that delight and fascinate the wide awake girls of the present day who are between the ages of eight and fourteen years. The great author of these books regards them as the best products of her pen. Printed from large clear type on a superior quality of paper; attractive multi-color jacket wrapper around each book. Bound in cloth.

1. The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship 2. The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings 3. The Girl Aviators’ Sky Cruise 4. The Girl Aviators’ Motor Butterfly

For sale by all book-sellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 75c.

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701-733 S. DEARBORN STREET :: CHICAGO

SELECT

READING SERIES

Only the most popular of children’s books are included in this series. Each title is complete and unabridged. Printed from large, clear type. Each wrapped in a colored jacket.

1.Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Carroll
2.Andersen’s Fairy Tales Andersen
3.Black Beauty Sewell
4.Dog of Flanders Ouida
5.Elsie Dinsmore Finley
6.Grimms Fairy Tales Grimms
7.Hans Brinker Dodge
8.Heidi Spyri
9.Helen’s Babies Habberton
10.Little Lame Prince Mulock
11.Pinocchio Collodi
12.Treasure Island Stevenson

For sale by all book-sellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of 40 cents.

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Boy Inventors’ Series

The author knows these subjects from a practical standpoint. Each book is printed from new plates on a good quality of paper and bound in cloth. Each book wrapped in a jacket printed in colors.

Price 60c each

1....Boy Inventors’ Wireless Triumph 2....Boy Inventors and the Vanishing Sun 3....Boy Inventors’ Diving Torpedo Set 4....Boy Inventors’ Flying Ship 5....Boy Inventors’ Electric Ship 6....Boy Inventors’ Radio Telephone

The “How-to-do-it” Books

These books teach the use of tools; how to sharpen them; to design and layout work. Printed from new plates and bound in cloth. Profusely illustrated. Each book is wrapped in a printed jacket.

Price $1.00 each

1....Carpentry for Boys 2....Electricity for Boys 3....Practical Mechanics for Boys

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the above price.

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BOY SCOUT SERIES

By

G. HARVEY RALPHSON

Just the type of books that delight and fascinate the wide awake boys of today. Clean, wholesome and interesting; full of mystery and adventure. Each title is complete and unabridged. Printed on a good quality of paper from large, clear type and bound in cloth. Each book is wrapped in a special multi-colored jacket.

1....Boy Scouts in Mexico; or, On Guard with Uncle Sam 2....Boy Scouts in the Canal Zone; or, the Plot against Uncle Sam 3....Boy Scouts in the Philippines; or, the Key to the Treaty Box 4....Boy Scouts in the Northwest; or, Fighting Forest Fires 5....Boy Scouts in a Motor Boat; or Adventures on Columbia River 6....Boy Scouts in an Airship; or, the Warning from the Sky 7....Boy Scouts in a Submarine; or, Searching an Ocean Floor 8....Boy Scouts on Motorcycles; or, With the Flying Squadron 9....Boy Scouts beyond the Arctic Circle; or, the Lost Expedition 10....Boy Scout Camera Club; or, the Confessions of a Photograph 11....Boy Scout Electricians; or, the Hidden Dynamo 12....Boy Scouts in California; or, the Flag on the Cliff 13....Boy Scouts on Hudson Bay; or, the Disappearing Fleet 14....Boy Scouts in Death Valley; or, the City in the Sky 15....Boy Scouts on Open Plains; or, the Round-up not Ordered 16....Boy Scouts in Southern Waters; or the Spanish Treasure Chest 17....Boy Scouts in Belgium; or, Imperiled in a Trap 18....Boy Scouts in the North Sea; or, the Mystery of a Sub 19....Boy Scouts Mysterious Signal or Perils of the Black Bear Patrol 20....Boy Scouts with the Cossacks; or, a Guilty Secret

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BOYS

PRIZE LIBRARY

A desirable assortment of boys’ books. All books in this series are copyrighted. Printed on a good quality of paper from large clear type. Cloth bound. Jacket printed in colors.

1.At Whispering Pine Lodge Leslie
2.Boy Inventors’ Diving Torpedo Boat Bonner
3.Boy Inventors’ Flying Ship Bonner
4.Chums of the Campfire Leslie
5.Jack Winter’s Campmates Overton
6.Jack Winter’s Gridiron Chums Overton
7.Motor Boat Boys Mississippi Cruise Arundel
8.Phil Bradley’s Winning Way Boone
9.Radio Boy’s Cronies Whipple
10.Rivals of the Trail Leslie
11.Young Oarsman of Lake View Bonehill
12.Young Hunters in Porto Rico Bonehill

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VICTORY

ALGER SERIES

A select assortment of books by Horatio Alger, Jr. Printed on a good quality of paper and bound in cloth. Each book wrapped in a decorative jacket printed in colors.

1. Adrift in New York; or, Tom and Florence Braving the World 2. Andy Grant’s Pluck and How He Won Out 3. Driven from Home; or, Carl Crawford’s Experience 4. In a New World; or, Among the Gold Fields of Australia 5. Jed, the Poorhouse Boy; or, From Poverty to Title 6. Luke Walton; or, the Chicago Newsboy 7. Risen from the Ranks; or, Harry Walton’s Success 8. Shifting for Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson’s Fortune 9. Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond’s Resolve 10. Store Boy; or, the Fortunes of Ben Barclay 11. Tony, the Tramp, or, Right is Might 12. Young Explorer; or, Among the Sierras

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