dvice you will, within a month or six weeks at the utmost, bring proud
England to her knees."

There was an assurance in my voice which arrested the attention of the
King.

"You seem self-confident, Captain Sirius."

"I have no doubt at all, Sire."

"What then would you advise?"

"I would advise, Sire, that the whole fleet be gathered under the forts
of Blankenberg and be protected from attack by booms and piles. There
they can stay till the war is over. The eight submarines, however, you
will leave in my charge to use as I think fit."

"Ah, you would attack the English battleships with submarines?"

"Sire, I would never go near an English battleship."

"And why not?"

"Because they might injure me, Sire."

"What, a sailor and afraid?"

"My life belongs to the country, Sire. It is nothing. But these eight
ships--everything depends upon them. I could not risk them. Nothing
would induce me to fight."

"Then what will you do?"

"I will tell you, Sire." And I did so. For half an hour I spoke. I was
clear and strong and definite, for many an hour on a lonely watch I had
spent in thinking out every detail. I held them enthralled. The King
never took his eyes from my face. The Minister sat as if turned to
stone.

"Are you sure of all this?"

"Perfectly, Sire."

The King rose from the table.

"Send no answer to the ultimatum," said he. "Announce in both houses
that we stand firm in the face of menace. Admiral Horli, you will in all
respects carry out that which Captain Sirius may demand in furtherance of
his plan. Captain Sirius, the field is clear. Go forth and do as you
have said. A grateful King will know how to reward you."

I need not trouble you by telling you the measures which were taken at
Blankenberg, since, as you are aware, the fortress and the entire fleet
were destroyed by the British within a week of the declaration of war. I
will confine myself to my own plans, which had so glorious and final a
result.

The fame of my eight submarines, _Alpha_, _Beta_, _Gamma_, _Theta_,
_Delta_, _Epsilon_, _Iota_, and _Kappa_, have spread through the world to
such an extent that people have begun to think that there was something
peculiar in their form and capabilities. This is not so. Four of them,
the _Delta_, _Epsilon_, _Iota_, and _Kappa_, were, it is true, of the
very latest model, but had their equals (though not their superiors) in
the navies of all the great Powers. As to _A