The Professor drew in a chair and sat down. He only wanted a light lunch and if they would allow him he would break in just where they were. He was full of excitement over the German successes on sea and on land.
“On land?” said Raeder. “Well, I should not radiate too freely about their land successes. What about the Marne?”
“The Marne!” said Schaefer in hot contempt. “The Marne—strategy—strategy, my dear sir. But wait. Wait a few days. If we could only get that boasted British navy to venture out from their holes, then the war would be over. Mark what happens in the Pacific. Scientific gunnery, three salvos, two hundred minutes from the first gun. It is all over. Two British ships sunk to the bottom. That is the German way. They would force war upon Germany. Now they have it. In spite of all the Kaiser's peace efforts, they drove Germany into the war.”
“The Kaiser!” exclaimed Larry, unable any longer to contain his fury. “The Kaiser's peace efforts! The only efforts that the Kaiser has made for the last few years are efforts to bully Europe into submission to his will. The great peace-maker of Europe of this and of the last century was not the Kaiser, but King Edward VII. All the world knows that.”
“King Edward VII!” sputtered Schaefer in a fury of contempt. “King Edward VII a peacemaker! A ——!” calling him a vile name. “And his son is like him!”
The foul word was like a flame to powder with Larry. His hand closed upon his glass of water. “You are a liar,” he said, leaning over and thrusting his face close up to the German. “You are a slanderous liar.” He flung his glass of water full into Schaefer's face, sprang quickly to his feet, and as the German rose, swung with his open hand and struck hard upon the German's face, first on one cheek and then on the other.
With a roar Schaefer flung himself at him, but Larry in a cold fury was waiting for him. With a stiff, full-armed blow, which carried the whole weight of his body, he caught him on the chin. The professor was lifted clear over his chair. Crashing back upon the floor, he lay there still.
“Good boy, Larry,” shouted Dean. “Great God! You did something that time.”
Silent, white, cold, rigid, Larry stood waiting. More than any of them he was amazed at what he had done. Some friends of the Professor rushed toward them.
“Stand clear, gentlemen,” said Raeder. “We are perfectly able to handle this. This man offered my friend a deadly insult. My friend simply anticipated what I myself would gladly have done. Let me say this to you, gentlemen, for some time he and those of his kind have made themselves offensive. Every man is entitled to his opinion, but I have made up my mind that if any German insults my friends the Allies in my presence, I shall treat him as this man has been treated.”