Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

Via Wireless (PATHE) SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS. George Durant. the great gunmaker, known as "The American Krupp," is touring the Philippines in his yacht Irvessa, partly for pleasure and partly to advise in the matter of island defense. With him are his daughter Frances and his right-hand man, Etherington Pinckney, who is teaching Frances to use the yacht's "wireless." One morning Pinckney forbids Frances to use the apparatus. He also warns her against Lieutenant Sommers, who is trying to send the yacht a wireless message, telling her that Sommers is a scoundrel. As a joke, Frances talks with Sommers by wireless, but won't tell him where the Irvessa is. Pinckne.v lands at Bagol, and is attacked by natives. Frances refuses to go below when the yacht is fired on. She uses the wire to summon rescue. Pinckney meets a gun designer named Marsh, who claims to be the inventor of a Rheinstrum gun which Durant has contracted to buy. Pinckney promises to help him. When the yacht lands at a government post. Frances meets Sommers. and is much attracted by him. Sommers has invented a gun whose plans Pinckney studies, and declares to Durant are worthless. He also gets Marsh to agree to aid in making the test of Sommers' gun a failure. Durant. Frances, ana Pinckney set out on the yacht for the Philippines again. There they receive the news over the wireless that Sommers' gun has exploded, killing three men and wounding four. When they land at Manila, Durant learns that Sommers is wanted in Washington on a charge of selling plans for his gun to foreign powers. Durant and Pinckney tell Prances of the charge, and. as there is no transport returning to the United States, the Mongolian, which just left, being the last for several weeks, she induces her father to stop on his way back, at Bagol, where Sommers has been lighting, and take the lieutenant back to clear himself. On their way to the United States, with Sommers on board, a terrific storm comes up and drives them on a reef, after blowing them ahead of it for three days. They have lost their bearings. Pinckney, at the wireless, gets into communication with the Mongolian. On the Mongolian, Harling, the wireless operator, can make no sense from Pinckney's frantic call, because of the fear with which Pinckney is sending them. The Irvessa's passengers take to the boats, with the exception of Lieutenant Sommers. who takes charge of the wireless. He informs the Mongolian of all that has taken place, and explains by location of lightning the situation of the Irvessa, and tells where the boats are. Sommers will not tell who he is. "How many stayed with you !" asked Harling by the wireless, and Sommers answered, "One." By Edwin Balmer (A Serial Story— Conclusion) CHAPTER X— (Continued). \I7HOareyou? Keep signaling. Are * " altering our resistance, prove distance from you and directness approach. Keep signaling. Who are you?" "Irvessa; owner, George Durant; skipper, Adrian." Harling read monotonously, as the tapper spelled with patient obedience. "From Manila to San Francisco, with Pinckney, Durant, Miss Durant, Sommers, and crew, twentysix. Caught this storm two days ago, just beyond Marshall Islands. Been out of reckoning since we struck submerged reef, bow on. Heavy sea driving ; almost immediately sea pounded off stern, swinging rest broadside, but both lifeboats got away safely. Have pointed searchlight your direction, and believe them trying to make for you." "Who are you?" The Mongolian repeated its question patiently. "Answer. Do you get this?" "Get you," the tapper replied at once. "Second storm seems gathering southwest here," the answer continued, and more rapidly, but as evenly. The Mongolian, too, felt the storm in the southwest gathering fresh head. "Be upon us in a moment. The nature of the tapping told well why the sender had no time now for personalities. "-We probably shall not last it, but the boats should. They are now over mile due east here. Look for them both on line, due east you make this position ; but don't expect them together. Farther now, almost two miles off ; other seems trying stay near, I believe, to pick us up ; but is being driven far off. New storm head now almost directly over .us. Remember, boats due east have lanterns only." The tapping had come to an ordered end. In the sudden lull which goes before the bursting of the storm the young operator and the captain looked at each other helplessly. Far off on his black reef, the man who had been speaking to them so steadily and impassionately through his danger, had now said his last plain, practical words, and had closed his key before he turned to face his death. The boy's lips twitched as he sat at his useless key. The captain had turned away, and was gazing out ahead where the new storm was gathering itself for its irresistible swoop. The boy picked up the tape which he had dropped. Then, reaching quietly to his key, he touched it assuredly. "Sommers !" His recognition flashed simply, convincingly, over the sea. "Sommers!" He strained forward tensely, for the other was acknowledging the call. "First boat shows three lanterns" — it was merely the forgotten but essential detail which came — "the second, one. Three lanterns, mile and half east ; slightly north, one lantern. Women in first with Pinckney, but in confusion. She — Miss Durant may be in second boat. Crew was evenly divi " In the midst of the word the record ceased, and the tape of the automatic register unrolled blank. That was all. "Cr-rash !" The Mongolian's spark roared as Harling struck the key. "Cr-rash! Irvessa! Sommers! Sommers! Sommers! Irvessa!" But from the swirling, black hell where the storm had broken anew, the wild blasts beat back the futile little coil currents, played with them, tangled and destroyed them. The captain had sprung to his bridge. Harling felt the great Mongolian shudder and falter beneath him, and suddenly gather herself again and spring at the waves. For an instant, as she leaped, the jarring vibration told that the screws had broken spray at the stern and that the engines were racing. Then her stern sank deep again and caught the sea, and she pushed sturdily forward. Harling caught his breath, and settled back, but quickly he was panting again and arose in his seat. "Tap, ta-ap" his resonator was sounding. "Tap !" He recognized the touch