"Wasn't it you the _Wyvern_ was wanting?"
"I fancied so. Be very careful aboard this boat, sir. Half the crew and most of the stewards are German."
But as he walked slowly away he realized rather uneasily what an object of interest he had become to the personnel of the ship since the _Wyvern_ had honoured him by her wireless inquiries concerning him.
He went straight to the writing-room. Only one or two of his fellow-passengers were up, and he had the place to himself.
W. A. Churchill, Esquire, British Consulate, Plantage Middenlaan 20, Amsterdam, Holland
The following items of information should be immediately transmitted to your home Government. The importance of the matters in question admit of no delay.
1st. It has come to my knowledge that German spies in England have discovered the whereabouts of a British fleet--presumably the first line battle fleet--and have attempted to communicate the intelligence to Berlin. One document in cipher embodying this intelligence has been intercepted and translated. But other communications in cipher may get through.
2d. Another document of the same sort advises the Berlin Government to send from Cuxhaven a cruiser (parent ship) as convoy to three submarines for the purpose of attacking the British armoured ships.
The rendezvous of the British ships, as given in the cipher message, is Lough Swilly, North Irish coast.
The route suggested for the German cruiser and submarines is around the north coast of Scotland.
3d. Still a third document in cipher informs the German Government that the light cruiser, _Schmetterling_, at or off Valparaiso, is being pursued by the Japanese ship _Geisha_ and the French gunboat _Eventail_.
4th. The fourth and last item of information to be transmitted to your Government concerns an actuality witnessed by myself and by the majority of the passengers of this steamer, now docking at Rotterdam.
Last night, somewhere between eleven o'clock and midnight, and somewhere off the Belgian coast, H. M. S. _Wyvern_ was blown up, whether by mine or torpedo or by a bomb from some unseen air-craft I do not know. She was using her searchlight on the clouds at the time.
The ship was tilted out of the water at an odd angle when the red glare that suddenly enveloped her made her visible. It appears to me as though some submarine convulsion had heaved her up out of the sea.