The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-15
Bred l. The Bone.

u. S. A. dispatch boat Speedy sighted
and spoke Admiral Brainerds mos
westerly scout, the Denver, protected
cruiser; and the cruisers were the las
American eyes that she was ever K
see. In the northeast, leagues away
from San Domingo, the American lib
Grafton Of which from continual inter
necine strife had caused the European
Alliance to declare war against the
States, Brainerd was feeling for tho
enemy's powerful fleet, hoping to di-
vert it's attention from the u. S. A
flying squadron swooping down to dew
astate the western COASTS of the main
land of Europe, and also secure the
Windward passage against it's ap-
proach on Domingo and Cuba. That
afternoon, acting on information &C
curately supplied by the captain of the
r. M. S. company's mailboat the ad-
miral had flung out his scouts, one
after the other down into the south
east, and detailed the understanding
Speedy for Santiago with dispatches,
and to speak the westerly scouts, when
encountered, with orders to rejoin the
main body of the fleet.
Her acting lieutenant, getting the ut
most out of her fine engines and
sweaty-brow engineers and firemen,
sighed contentedly when he looked at
the speed dial. Another four hours at
Is IL knots should see him in the har-
Dor He also found relief in the
thought that Lieutenant Durey would
then be in hospital.
Poor fellow" he muttered, as he
wiped the wet off his night binoculars.
Better a shell in ones innerds, and
end up in scatter, than have his COM
plant"
Below, in the little cramped ward
room, Durey was writing in a fresh
attack of agony. A suffocating sob
burst from him; he dug his elbows
into his knees. With his face sup
ported between his hands he let him
self swing like an automaton to the
vessels jobbling. So excrusiating were
the flames of pain within his breast
raw, vibrant, and exposed, were being
plucked out by their roots. He gritted
his teeth together to hinder himself
from shrieking. Sweat beaded his
heavily-lined brows and tricKled down
over the twitching, ashen-gray cheeks.
Gasping thickly, he threw himself back,
shut his eyes, and stiffened his mus
cles.
Then suddenly his anguish fled away
For a minute or two he sat there,
painting with exhaustion, his body limp
and shaking, but lurch and weather
roll made him secure himself in a SAT-
er position beside the table. He Won
dered with fear when the next attack
would recur; then the jump, tumbling
movements of the hurrying boat di-
verted his thoughts
AS the boat, carefully nursed through
the Caicos passage by her tired officer,
hurled herself up the dark. seething
slopes flashing dimly with kindling
heaved herself across the
widening troughs and smashed down
d SlONlnS VI oOeb ohO Jehl AOu 1Ab
groaned and quivered in every inch of
her rigid hull. But Durey was oblivi
Gus to the many-voiced turmoil. With
in his brain jostling thoughts were
noisier hubbub, He sat
there looking duly at the shielded
his squarish head sunk be-
tween the even shoulders, and his thin,
hands gripping the 'fid-
die"
Lieutenant Durey was of slender
build, untitled for much hardship or
stress. Nothing but his high
spirited nature had enabled him to
withstand the pungent seasoning of the
gunroom. However, his sea faring
ancestry had bestowed on him tenn
permanent fearless of the elements; to
him at sea it came as mere routine to
cope with and bear the weight of the
greatest elemental danger. From the
female side of his family stock was
the faint developed in him-his inerad-
icable adherence of physical suffering.
At school his cowardice of Gaming
Ildu SdIu6u IuO SOlitOhipI VI OCllCI slI'I
hardy lads However, as years had
passed and his physique improved he
had partly lost this squeamish nicely of
feeling, and through his profession had
become hardened to the thought of
possibly experiencing it some day.
Nevertheless. this blemish was not
wholly eradicated, and, making him
look constantly ahead to a state of
war. it had covertiy inspired his with
drawal from the service.
However, when the rumor Of war
spread in the land, Durey had offered
his services again. He was comforta-
III, rnarriod NV thiS time with