E Phillips Oppenheim

The Illustrious Prince E Phillips Oppenheim

There was a little murmur of regret amongst the five hundred and eighty-seven saloonpassengers on board the steamship Lusitania, mingled, perhaps, with a few expressions of amore violent character. After several hours of doubt, the final verdict had at last beenpronounced. They had missed the tide, and no attempt was to be made to land passengersthat night. Already the engines had ceased to throb, the period of unnatural quietness hadcommenced. Slowly, and without noticeable motion, the great liner swung round a little inthe river. A small tug, which had been hovering about for some time, came screaming alongside. There was a hiss from its wave-splashed deck, and a rocket with a blue light flashed up intothe sky. A man who had formed one of the long line of passengers, leaning over the rail, watching the tug since it had come into sight, now turned away and walked briskly to thesteps leading to the bridge. As it happened, the captain himself was in the act of descending. The passenger accosted him, and held out what seemed to be a letter."Captain Goodfellow," he said, "I should be glad if you would glance at the contents ofthat note."The captain, who had just finished a long discussion with the pilot and was not in thebest of humor, looked a little surprised."What, now?" he asked."If you please," was the quiet answer. "The matter is urgent.""Who are you?" the captain asked