The Riddle Of The Sands - Childers Robert Erskine ... - Cove Systems

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The Riddle of the Sands (1903) A record of Secret Service Recently Acheived Edited by Erskine Childers (1870-1922) Contents * Preface * 1 The Letter * 2 The Dulcibella * 3 Davies * 4 Retrospect * 5 Wanted, a North Wind * 6 Schlei Fiord * 7 The Missing Page * 8 The Theory * 9 I Sign Articles * 10 His Chance * 11 The Pathfinders * 12 My Initiation * 13 The Meaning of our Work * 14 The First Night in the Islands * 15 Bensersiel * 16 Commander von Brüning * 17 Clearing the Air * 18 Imperial Escort * 19 The Rubicon * 20 The Little Drab Book * 21 Blindfold to Memmert * 22 The
Quartette * 23 A Change of Tactics * 24 Finesse * 25 I Double Back * 26 The Seven Siels * 27 The Luck of the Stowaway * 28 We Achieve our Double Aim * Epilogue and Postscript Maps and Charts * Map A -- General Map * Chart A -- Stranding of the Dulcibella * Map B -- East Friesland * Chart B -- Juist, Memmert, Norderney * Sketch -- Memmert Salvage Depot
Page 1: The Riddle of the Sands Childers, E
Page 5 and 6: dignified incredulity, due in part,
Page 7 and 8: against this course, first, because
Page 9 and 10: The maps and charts are based on Br
Page 11 and 12: London in September. I say 'martyrd
Page 13 and 14: went abroad, for I found that such
Page 15 and 16: saying that Mr So-and-So was away a
Page 17 and 18: The usual preliminary scuffle on th
Page 19 and 20: epairs done here, and will have the
Page 21 and 22: Yachting in the Baltic at the end o
Page 23 and 24: mind on it at all, that the whole t
Page 25 and 26: 2 The 'Dulcibella' THAT two days la
Page 27 and 28: unattractive, and all the other dra
Page 29 and 30: Stores, instead of specializing in
Page 31 and 32: two disreputable brown-paper parcel
Page 33 and 34: through the calm channels of the Th
Page 35 and 36: yachtsman--no cool white ducks or n
Page 37 and 38: vacantly, and felt a little hurt);
Page 39 and 40: He seemed to be clinging timidly, b
Page 41 and 42: stores, and stowed the cargo as bes
Page 43 and 44: OTE In a moment he had jumped on de
Page 45 and 46: the ceiling, which seemed in the ha
Page 47 and 48: skylight gave additional cabin spac
Page 49 and 50: The absurdity of argument struck me
Page 51 and 52: uthless sense of humour which whisp
Page 53 and 54:
lew out the light from where he lay
Page 55 and 56:
3 Davies I DOZED but fitfully, with
Page 57 and 58:
should have come from Dover to the
Page 59 and 60:
two skins of teak, and thus had imm
Page 61 and 62:
that he scarcely noticed me, save a
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haze. Ahead, the scene was shut in
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stamped on every lineament. A deep
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where we are,' dabbing with a long
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esourceful, skilful, and alert, he
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We were following the inward trend
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attentive steward mocked me with pa
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'I think I'll go on deck,' I said.
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drenching brain and body in the swe
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you'll steer in that direction.' He
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slight traces of the day's news dis
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lock-dues, bumping against schuyts,
Page 85 and 86:
'We want another chart now,' and he
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feverishly--a habit of his when exc
Page 89 and 90:
'What does it look like?' I called
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the _German_ islands.' He pointed a
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acquaintance not yet enamoured of t
Page 95 and 96:
'If there are many places about her
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grasping a misty lantern of giganti
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heard that persuasive song the foam
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firm on the need for a walk, and go
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we shall ever fight her.' A little
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Sailing Directions, there were seve
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and a brisker tone pervaded the ent
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calling to Davies, and chaffing him
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detected at once as an uninterestin
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'You mean it's all very jolly about
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est. Backwards and forwards we tack
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'Let's get in as near as we can--yo
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gods knew naught of. On the followi
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He stammered on through a sentence
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thinking about. You're a brick to j
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greeted us with a hoarse roar of we
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lair, or perhaps it was chance; but
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7 The Missing Page I WOKE (on 1st O
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coffee. How's the Johannes? Was tha
Page 133 and 134:
excess of warmth which almost took
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This is all the conversation that I
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'Well, you're quite right, it was t
Page 139 and 140:
the night pretty near her. I meant
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it, offered me some wine, and began
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from this, sticking to it that I sh
Page 145 and 146:
last reef.' (Simple words, simply u
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very complicated, and ends in a mer
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'I kept dead in the wake of the Med
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flood, with two hours more of risin
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for the rudder had crocked up someh
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away, up a branch of the channel. I
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water, and we could get at her rudd
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what--of whom?' 'I'll tell you how
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'He doubled back into the northern
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hard. It was an easy game to play,
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'But the crew?' I said; 'what about
Page 167 and 168:
'Yes, that's what I mean. It was so
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'And if he was piloting you into th
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withheld me from pressing him too f
Page 173 and 174:
Scenting a faint clue, I felt the n
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armaments and speeds in which I cou
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sandbanks littered about all throug
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would be important, _sand and all._
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adjoins the estuaries, and would al
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Evidently, too, he wanted my help,
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ound. If my theory, as you call it,
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'For goodness' sake, don't apologiz
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'And, after all, hang it!' exclaime
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'Why, it's dark at seven!' 'Yes, bu
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I sat upon my portmanteau at Flensb
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guided us safely to the mouth of Ki
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at Cuxhaven, or inquired at the loc
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entered Kiel Fiord, and began a dea
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on the move in the confined fairway
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of our adventure never struck me mo
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The same evening we were taking our
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forces were at work. The inner gate
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mighty waterway that is the strateg
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our goal was his own beloved Hambur
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as this.' 'Oh, as long as I get it,
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'We're improving, aren't we?' 'Oh,
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commands her North Sea coast. And s
Page 219 and 220:
from the very wind and spray. He co
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'Oh, I know; she went on to Hamburg
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have missed them.' 'Think twice, ca
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anchor was down, instinctively leav
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This was a new light. 'What do you
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mouth; drab, dreary miles like the
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mighty dyke, that of some of its ho
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crowded half-hour we wormed ourselv
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painter, tumbled the kedge-anchor a
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need to tire the general reader wit
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saplings fixed in the sand to mark
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12 My Initiation THE yacht lay with
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that's a tricky bend there.' He too
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covered, the water can travel where
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channel hurrying and rising alongsi
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mauled in the _fracas_, that her te
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ound the outermost alley of the hid
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north. That's where I was nearly wr
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an hotel. Let's have dinner, and a
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'Of course we can,' said Davies, 'i
Page 259 and 260:
The ground sloped down, and a rushi
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it! Two good strokes. Ship your scu
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ampant in here, you see, in spite o
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13 The Meaning of our Work NOTHING
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any danger at all. But I think that
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tolerably alert. As a soldier learn
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See, too, how the strong invader ca
Page 273 and 274:
for defending our coasts in the way
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nothing that suggested a really ade
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14 The First Night in the Islands A
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touch of frost in the air. I lit a
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would be in the doorway lighting hi
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elit the riding-light, and carried
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'You've done jolly well, I think,'
Page 287 and 288:
person. Then there were the naval b
Page 289 and 290:
the Ems estuary and beyond that by
Page 291 and 292:
occasional word 'Bade-strand', sugg
Page 293 and 294:
'We may as well visit one or two, I
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15 Bensersiel [For this chapter see
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at her. Kormoran was on her stern;
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half-past four, when we were soundi
Page 301 and 302:
low hard too, though that is no gre
Page 303 and 304:
'When the banks uncovered we lay mo
Page 305 and 306:
the yacht, heard something snap bel
Page 307 and 308:
ound up properly and no time to low
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up through dark and mud to his cott
Page 311 and 312:
16 Commander von Brüning TO RESUME
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'Supposing he comes on board and as
Page 315 and 316:
'wreck-works' boat. It seemed that
Page 317 and 318:
place. We passed friend Grimm on th
Page 319 and 320:
'Yes,' said Davies, shortly. 'Well,
Page 321 and 322:
'A thousand pardons!' said von Brü
Page 323 and 324:
was very thick and squally--and she
Page 325 and 326:
'I wonder he brought you here last
Page 327 and 328:
'We never dreamed there would be th
Page 329 and 330:
ankrupt, and the wreck came into th
Page 331 and 332:
'Well, it's a romantic speculation,
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'Are there many like you in England
Page 335 and 336:
That was how the question of our fu
Page 337 and 338:
to shoot some ducks.' He was nervou
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probably call at Norderney. Come ab
Page 341 and 342:
foreigners, and young. You I take t
Page 343 and 344:
me; and the last hope of a bed in t
Page 345 and 346:
17 Clearing the Air 'HAS he gone to
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Such was Memmert, as I saw it on th
Page 349 and 350:
'There's the wreck, though.' 'Oh, h
Page 351 and 352:
Dollmann treated you badly--discour
Page 353 and 354:
said. 'At Schlei you spoke of "sett
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'Can't we _possibly_?' 'Of course n
Page 357 and 358:
mean?' 'No, no, not that. I'm not s
Page 359 and 360:
problem in the light of the morning
Page 361 and 362:
Memmert, gained precision and vigou
Page 363 and 364:
scoundrel at all, but it was explic
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shoals, and blocked in the centre b
Page 367 and 368:
Now Memmert was part of the outer r
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as this one was to quarrel with our
Page 371 and 372:
his perfectly frank explanation (wi
Page 373 and 374:
From the bank we could see all alon
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Nobody appeared to have taken the s
Page 377 and 378:
us ready for sea in their own confu
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Davies would be tempted to cut the
Page 381 and 382:
OTE 'Yes,' I said. 'But I should li
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first. Good-night.'
Page 385 and 386:
'Well, it's Norderney, isn't it? We
Page 387 and 388:
He loyally did his best to 'shove h
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another of a few moments, when Davi
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'Medusa's dinghy.' He handed, or ra
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'It's your affair this time,' I sai
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and I was scrubbing fruitlessly at
Page 397 and 398:
I held out my hand and swung her up
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We spent a few minutes on deck whil
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out, and led to some questions, whi
Page 403 and 404:
passing travellers.' 'You will stop
Page 405 and 406:
'Is the Medusa in harbour?' said Da
Page 407 and 408:
her. She was staring at Davies with
Page 409 and 410:
'Go on,' said Davies to me in Engli
Page 411 and 412:
'We can wait. We have several days
Page 413 and 414:
'He will understand. I know he will
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in small yachts. He had six or seve
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with a greyish beard.' 'By the shap
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'Was she never on board you in Sept
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_got_ to. The time to cut and run,
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'Oh! that settles it,' I answered,
Page 425 and 426:
'She didn't know you took the short
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'Now, what about her voyage back fr
Page 429 and 430:
even know he's English, or they may
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'At what time?' 'Your Bradshaw will
Page 433 and 434:
'I'll think about it,' said Davies.
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chivalry more suited to knights-err
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abandon the first and embrace the s
Page 439 and 440:
justification, fearlessly adopted a
Page 441 and 442:
21 Blindfold to Memmert 'HERE she c
Page 443 and 444:
coming,' I said; 'let's go below.'
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up, and the weedy waiter and two ma
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Davies agreed, and we both looked l
Page 449 and 450:
at leisure. 'What a waste of good d
Page 451 and 452:
shorewards slowly but surely. 'It d
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luck,' Davies .commented; 'we ought
Page 455 and 456:
minutes.' He whipped out the German
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'Leave that to me,' I said. 'You ge
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have stated in words all the pros a
Page 461 and 462:
sense (eyesight, in my case) fails
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fathom casts, till, just as suddenl
Page 465 and 466:
'Rest for three minutes now,' he sa
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starboard for the whole distance; o
Page 469 and 470:
alpenstock of a lunatic mountaineer
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over the side with the boat-hook. I
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the niceties of the course; during
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ut if he heard a long whistle he wa
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six feet, reached hard wet sand, an
Page 479 and 480:
in the air--voices, the rasp of a b
Page 481 and 482:
passing, dressed very like me, but
Page 483 and 484:
one with a gold signet-ring, rested
Page 485 and 486:
ack between Grimm and me, and then
Page 487 and 488:
conspirators? Was gold after all at
Page 489 and 490:
was a harsh croak, belonging to the
Page 491 and 492:
hopeless. I tried for a downward pu
Page 493 and 494:
The marlin-spike! Where the lower h
Page 495 and 496:
chance came when Böhme, reading ra
Page 497 and 498:
must wait for this,' I thought, and
Page 499 and 500:
and, as the lesser of two evils, bl
Page 501 and 502:
'One or two clues, and an invitatio
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eyes from the pool of light. 'Damn!
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'No.' 'Nothing about transports?' '
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'Steamer,' said Davies; 'going sout
Page 509 and 510:
He extinguished the lantern, lit a
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the dinghy were in deep shadow betw
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enough. Dollmann having seen the ya
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'Oh, thanks,' said Davies; 'we took
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The cabin was just as we had left i
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out as I thought it would. Von Brü
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think they), "we'll come too, and t
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'It may be anywhere from Emden to H
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were in the dinghy again. 'It's a c
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weakness, the game's up.' 'What are
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abstractedly. 'I can just do it in
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'Well, what's it to be?' I said. 'H
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24 Finesse THE door of a room on th
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sudden, mirthless laugh. I thought
Page 537 and 538:
ours, and under that implied condit
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he said, in his vile lingo. No one
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'By the way, Herr Davies,' he began
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and she dropped hers instantly, but
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'As long as usual. I visit the work
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Norderney, and find you have return
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'Ah! you remember that? (He remembe
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financial secrets.' 'I have done my
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the way it came about,' I pursued,
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the loudest share. 'I warned you, B
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Memmert?' 'What do you say, gentlem
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'You needn't pretend that you canno
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once delivered his soul, seemed to
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suggested to Davies, for I should h
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vulnerable; whom he feared most, us
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same conclusion, that I liked the m
Page 569 and 570:
25 I Double Back 'GOOD-BYE, old cha
Page 571 and 572:
into my pocket-book. 'Look at it in
Page 573 and 574:
e quickly sent to any threatened po
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no moment, but whose conversation i
Page 577 and 578:
me. Anxiety to reach London was swa
Page 579 and 580:
e recognized--possibly haled to jud
Page 581 and 582:
left my bag at the cloak-room, afte
Page 583 and 584:
others failed; for the present it m
Page 585 and 586:
shallow), were a very fair conjectu
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my journey. At Rheine 1 changed tra
Page 589 and 590:
which, alas! quickly cooled. From E
Page 591 and 592:
Bensersiel took its name. But it ar
Page 593 and 594:
It was between Dornum and Esens tha
Page 595 and 596:
these new-fangled schemes.' 'But it
Page 597 and 598:
more; there were gaunt heaps of coa
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y the side of the canal, till the q
Page 601 and 602:
making progress, but the wings of i
Page 603 and 604:
debouched, as at Bensersiel. From a
Page 605 and 606:
explored, I could pass on to Nesse,
Page 607 and 608:
myself involved in a tangle of impr
Page 609 and 610:
street. Perceiving that he was in l
Page 611 and 612:
my odious crimp was sober enough to
Page 613 and 614:
not so bad after all; it demanded n
Page 615 and 616:
willows. What little I learnt was i
Page 617 and 618:
opened, and a raucous voice shouted
Page 619 and 620:
follow them? These were nebulous qu
Page 621 and 622:
must inevitably accumulate at the b
Page 623 and 624:
The harbour itself looked exactly t
Page 625 and 626:
turning and backing down to a berth
Page 627 and 628:
skylight, and then joined his mate
Page 629 and 630:
landed and strutted off in high dud
Page 631 and 632:
I was abaft the wheel also, though
Page 633 and 634:
and least familiar was, I made out,
Page 635 and 636:
igid conditions of this cruise, whi
Page 637 and 638:
to clean planks and a warm cuddy. W
Page 639 and 640:
shores. Indulgent reader, you may b
Page 641 and 642:
Norderney beamed under transient mo
Page 643 and 644:
the Dulcibella, and swim the rest.
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no one could come, there being no d
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channel of a navigable breadth, at
Page 649 and 650:
of running aground had told me that
Page 651 and 652:
28 We Achieve our Double Aim WHEN,
Page 653 and 654:
'Is Dollmann at the villa?' 'Yes.'
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'I think so; by the Kormoran's men.
Page 657 and 658:
'Clara?' _ 'She's_ all right. By Jo
Page 659 and 660:
ironical laugh). 'You fools,' he sa
Page 661 and 662:
side! Böhme and the rest were deal
Page 663 and 664:
'What did you say about immunity, a
Page 665 and 666:
Dulcibella--now, at once.' She had
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tam-o'-shanter, was a miracle of co
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een lying in a sort of trance. A bo
Page 671 and 672:
it of beating between Rottum and Bo
Page 673 and 674:
Epilogue BY THE EDITOR [For this ch
Page 675 and 676:
command of the North Sea which woul
Page 677 and 678:
minute detail, but in the grasp of
Page 679 and 680:
mechanism, but for the study of riv
Page 681 and 682:
so secure. The only logical alterna
Page 683 and 684:
taken that anything that did do so
Page 685 and 686:
eyes of the curious. [Memmert, by t
Page 687 and 688:
positively that there exist (in a p
Page 689 and 690:
the essence of such an enterprise.
Page 691 and 692:
we may have it to-day and lose it f
Page 693 and 694:
Lastly, a Manning Committee has (am
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The Riddle Of The Sands - Childers Robert Erskine ... - Cove Systems

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