CHAPTER IX
The Midnight Landing
The sanguine spirits of the German reservists had the effect of cheering up the crew of the Pelikan. To confirm their assertions the former produced copies of newspapers printed under Teutonic auspices for the benefit of the South American republics.
Taking advantage of the information concerning the dispositions of the British cruisers the kapitan of the Pelikan stopped another collier at a distance of four hundred miles east of Buenos Ayres. For eighteen hours the two vessels lay side by side while the coal was being transhipped to the almost empty bunkers of the raider.
For certain reasons von Riesser did not sink the tramp after having depleted her cargo. Perhaps it was because the crew had offered no resistance; but it was just possible that the kapitan of the Pelikan had sufficient humanity to see that the turning adrift of a couple of boat-loads in the desolate South Atlantic meant practically slow and certain death.
From the time of the arrival of the German reservists von Riesser's demeanour towards Denbigh and O'Hara underwent a marked change. Rarely did he enter into conversation with them. He treated them with aloofness. This the subs minded but little; it was the restrictions placed upon their movements that riled them. They were now allowed only two periods of exercise on deck during the day—from ten till noon and from two till five—and kept within strict limits. A sentry was posted to see that they remained within boundaries specified, and orders had been given for none of the reservists, many of whom spoke English, to enter into conversation with them.
On the fifth day after falling in with the San Matias the ship's course was changed to S.S.E. This she held until further progress was barred by the presence of a large field of pack ice. Von Riesser, in order to avoid any possible chance of meeting any of the Cape Squadron, had elected to go south into the vast and desolate Antarctic before entering the Indian Ocean.
At length came the welcome order to steer north. Gradually the temperature rose as the Pelikan left the frozen seas astern.
Maintaining a steady progress the ship reached the vicinity of Mauritius, keeping well to the eastward of that island.