The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-17

watch.
IN half an hour" said he. calmly
turning To the secretary of war, I'VE
will know the end. 1t was at that
He closed the case of the watch with
snap. and picked up an evening paper
which lay on the table.
III.
The end has come. The vanguard of
the enemy were well in toward the
mouth Of the narrOws, paying no heed
to the fire from the forts that thanked
the moving line on either side. Those
who watched from the shore had seen
one of the foremost ships suddenly dart
back, had seen Il great mass of Seeth-
ing water and spray rise from the sur
face of the sea and the iron sides of
the cruiser rent apart as though It's
plates had been of pasteboard, but the
rest of the line kept its course. There
had come more commissions from the
deep, IL second Il third ship had been
rent by the great tOrpedOes, 800 sailors
had been killed but the line yet pressed
on: as the admiral of the Frenchman
had said to the head of the government
at home: What matters it if half the
ships he blown up if we gain the prize
for which we seek? And so, sullenly,
their sides ailame, the line of warships
now stretched ont in single file. moved
onward. Between it and the prize hOv-
cred the little fleet of American vessels
hastily gathered to oppose the invading
host. The multitude gathered upon the
surrounding nights watched the advance
of the brilliant tricolor of France, and
the proud standards of Castle and Ara
gon, with much the same feelings that
the lsraelitets of old must have expert
enced when they saw the giant Goliath
bearing down upon their youthful cham
plon But this modern David had no re-
sources that were not oyermatchcd by
those of his antagonist. and many of the
crowd turned to leave rather than re
main to view spectacle which they had
not the heart to look upon-that of their
own downfall and humiliation
a few of the more observing however,
intending most of those familiar with
the harbor, had turned their gaze from
the approaching fleet to view Il. new
wonder. Throughout the day the stiff
breeze mad churned the waters of the
bay into foam7hecked, choppy waves,
but now line of calm appeared, begin
ming 4 little within the Narrows. ner
A'"pH O. HuttAt1A VI al ulllt dUedu OF the
spot where the American fleet was wait
ing and spreading across almost from
shore to shore. 1t was as though some
giant hand had Smoothed out the fur
rows of the angry deep and some omni-
potent voice had said: Peace, be still +"
But what did it all mean? Was Il an
omen of good for the defenders or q pra-
paration for the triumphal entry of the
foe? No man could answer that oues-
ton, but in their interest in Watching tbe
strange PHENOMENON many of the ON
lockers forgot that the destiny of n nation
was likely to be decided within the next
few moments
The line of calm crept on, turning the
SURFACE OF the waves into a CLASSY
green and borne outward toward the
approaching fleet by the tide which
had begun TO flow seward again. From
lhe nagShips of the invading SQUADRON
me foreign admirals saw and wondered
aC IT. but no thought of staying. their
course crossed their mind. And still the
lips OF those frowning guns that looked
from the bulwarks of the American ves
sells were sealed. A murmer that deem
ehed INTO roar went up from the
watchers on the heights. 1T was tho
same sound that had been heard from
the crowd before on that day--a growl Of
disapproval at the inaction of their de-
Tenders. As though i'll answer To II
there came the first hostile dcmonstro-
ton from the American fleet A nuff