Avon Fantasy Reader No. 8 — page 95: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

¥ \d ie FPHE:TLEMPLE ‘ were not pleased at his punishment, but discipline was necessary. We also denied the request of a delegation headed by Seaman Zimmer, that the curious carved ivory head be cast into the sea. | : On June 20, Seamen Bohm and Schmidt, who had been ill the day be- fore, became violently insane. I regretted that no physician was included in . our complement of officers, since German lives are precious; but the constant ravings of the two concerning a terrible curse were most subversive of disci- pline, so drastic steps were taken. The crew accepted the event in a sullen fashion, but it seemed to quiet Miller, who thereafter gave us no trouble. In ‘the evening we released him, and he went about his duties silently. In the week that followed we were all very nervous, watching for the Dacia. The tension was aggravated by the disappearance of Miller and Zimmer, who _ undoubtedly committed suicidé as a result of the fears which had seemed to : harass them, though they were not observed in the act of jumping overboard. __ I was rather glad to be rid of Miiller, for even his silence had unfavorably affected the crew. Everyone seemed inclined to be silent now, as though hold- ing a secret fear. Many were ill; but none made a disturbance. Lieutenant Klenze chafed under the strain, and was annoyed by the merest trifles—such ° as the school of dolphins which gathered about the U-29 in increasing num- bers, and the growing intensity of that southward current which was not on our chart. It at length became apparent that we had missed the Dacia altogether. Such failures are not uncommon, and we were more pleased than disappointed; since our return to Wilhelmshaven was now in order. At noon June 28 we turned northeastward, and despite some rather comical entanglements with the unusual masses of dolphins were soon under way. The explosion in the engine room at two p. m. was wholly a surprise. No defect in the machinery or carelessness in the men had been noticed, yet with- out warning the ship was racked from end to end with 4 colossal shock. _ Lieutenant Klenze hurried to the engine room, finding the fuel-tank and most of the mechanism shattered, and Engineers Raabe and Schneider instantly killed. Our situation had suddenly become grave indeed; for though the chemical air regenerators were intact, and though we could use the devices for raising and submerging the ship and opening the hatches as long as com. pressed air and storage batteries might hold out, we were powerless to prope! _ or guide the submarine. To seek rescue in the lifeboats would be to deliver _ ourselves into the hands of.enemies unreasonably embittered against our great - German nation, and our wireless had failed ever since the Victory affair to | Put us in touch with a fellow U-boat of the Imperial Navy. ' From the hour of the accident till July 2 we drifted constantly to the south, - almost without plans and encountering no vessel. Dolphins still encircled the _ U29, a somewhat remarkable circumstance considering the distance we had _ coyered. On the morning of July 2 we sighted a warship flying American i * ‘5 sa : com Ebook S-COr : mae