Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-01-13
CHAPTER NNIlI.

THE battle is on" said O'Neill. In
The small boat. TO Elizabeth, "and |
am not there. o God. give us a little
breeze" he cried. In anticipation he
swung the oars inboard. stepped the
mast once more. letting the sail hang,
and then resumed his place by her
side.
God is good TO me" she said at last.
He will not let you be there to be
killed. You have had trouble enough
and have run enough risks. He wishes
to keep you for me-
He shook his head.
My place Is there. My duty is on
yonder deck. Would that ! had re-
turned to the ship without going up
TO the castle!'
why, then" she said reproachfully,
you would not have seen me-"
Il know" he replied but then !
would be in my rightful place, fig t-
ing where should be. Coventry would
be honored in doing his duty. The
admiral would be happy. Your mar
riage would take place.
And you" she cried. womanlike.
placing him in the balance as opposed
10 all the rest, would you have been
happy?"
Happiness has nothing to do with
that" he answered impatiently. 1t is
Il question of duty. l have been a
fool"
Has the fool been rewarded in ac-
cordance with his folly?" she asked
him. Nay, look at me before you re-
ply" she cried inperiously. turning
his head until his eyes looked into her
own. In the face OF that girl, in the
limpid light Of her magic glance, in
that mystic night. there was but one
answer to be made.
Il say no more" he replied. kissing
her softly. You are right. have
you. You are worth II all. will try
to be a philosopher about all the rest. ="
Meanwhile the intermittent reports
had been succeeded by steady roar Of
ARTILLERY which reverberated and rolled
along the surface Of the water. The
Scarborough. some distance from the
Scraps and the Richard to the north
west, was apparently holly engaged
with the Pallas, while the Alliance
seemed to be sailing back and forth
between the two groups Of combatants,
pouring In a random fire upon friend
and foe alike. Great clouds Of smoke,
punctured by vivid flashes OF light,
overhung the ships.
The feelings of the young officer can
be- imagined. Adrift In that little boat,
Watching the awful combat, not even
the presence of the woman he loved
could compensate him for his absence,
Ia spite of his attempted philosophy.
The fever OF the conflict possessed him.
His breath came hard. The sweat
stood on his forehead. He prayed as
never before for a breeze to take him
TO the fight. He murmured incOherent
words which told to the tender lis
tcner something Of the terrible strug-
gle which ragged within his bosom. So
the long hours wore away.
Toward IL o'clock they heard ter
iiHC cApIoSloH, anu tHtH Tue TOdT VI
the battle slackened and finally died
away. When the smoke drifted off the
two ships were lying side by side. Far
ther off, almost huh down, were the
Scarborough and the PallaS, which
had ceased their fight some time be-
fore. The battle was over. Who had
won?
But II was late, and the breeze so
long wished for now sprung up once
more, and the little boat gathered way
and began to slip through the water
again. The sky have become overcast.
II grew very dark, The wind fresh
ened steadily and finally blew so strong
that it required all the skill and adj
dress OF which O'Neil was possessed
to keep his unsteady little craft from
capsizing. Finally he was forced to
drop the sail and take to the oars TO
keep afloat at all. About o'clock In
the mornig squall of rain came down,
and they lost sight of the ships. To-