Subsequent investigation and examination elicited that the boatman had agreed to deliver the parcel personally to Herr K. von S---- at a certain place, and at a certain hour in the evening, for which he had received a generous sum of money. The advisability of remaining in the alcove until dark to prevent the military from holding him up, or prying into his parcel, had been suggested to him by his employer, who was quite a stranger to him. He had never seen him until two hours before he had arranged to bring the parcel along; he had assured him it was all right. It was only an act of kindness to a sick man. There could be no harm done by it. A thin story indeed, but the fishermen of northern seas are a confiding, unsuspecting, innocent race. The letter proved to be written in Prussian or High German. It required a good magnifying glass to decipher it. It was highly technical in its terms, and was evidently composed by a thoroughly expert _garrison artillery officer_. It ran somewhat as follows: 1. You say we can now communicate with you through more open channels but we doubt this and fear taking any avoidable risk. 2. On the plans you sent us you omitted to mark the ranges of the guns numbered 1, 5, and 7. 3. The exact location of the magazine was not clearly defined. 4. What are the reliefs? Give exact detail. 5. Ascertain exact amounts of ammunition at present stored, with full capacity for added reserves. 6. Advise estimated sum to cover wireless operators' requirements for a year. 7........................................ 8........................................ 9........................................ 10. Next time cut a larger portion off the dorsal fin, as your last message was nearly missed through difficulty in identification. The boatman, who was a local man and innocent enough, was lectured and frightened half out of his wits, and finally permitted to go. Captain Karl von S---- with his wife and family were given twelve short hours to clear the country, once and for all, with peremptory orders never to set foot in it again. Probably he is wondering to this day what earthly reason could have instigated such a decisive and unmistakably severe command. The inhabitants on the island cannot yet understand why no live fish of any description, nor dead fish which had not been split open from head to tail, were permitted to be imported or exported, whether destined for private consumption or for other uses. Many miles away from the island in question a telegraph official a few days later in a small town carefully scrutinised an innocently worded message which was handed in at his office shortly after these stirring events had occurred. It was, however, permitted to pass and in due course its recipient, my headquarters department, interpreted its hidden meaning. It ran: