Evening star., 1904-03-19

over confident. The four succeeding shots
were comparatively poor. Not a word was
spoken. but the gun crew seowled.
There came an interval In the firing. The
target swung ahead. Then small CUR
up IN the fore top began sputtering nerv-
ously. the reports rolling above us like
thunder All the officers on the bridge
were gazing intently at the target through
binoculars. A circle of angry white foam
appeared about It,
From the other Side
The ships course was describing a huge
figure eight. AS the target swung around
on the other beam. another slx-inch gun
on that side opened fire. After each firing
the men slipped back the breech block
pulled out the empty brass shell. and Slip
ped in loaded one with the regularity OF
automatons. There was not a trace OF
their repressed excitement in their move
nents. Only their faces showing the keen
rivalry between the men who manned tbs,
different guns. Sometimes they gave that
muffied cheer, or again. their obliQue eye
brows became more oblique still. and the
corners of their mouths went down
Again the target swung ahead and again
came the thunderouS of the smaller
quick firing guns. The white wings of the
target almost disappeared in a boiling circle
of milky foam. lnstinctively my hands
went up and covered my ears-the atmos-
| phere seemed to crystallize and break up
into powdered bits. A big gun in some
=
| at regular intervals that set the big ship
| trembling
| We were coming closer to the target now
and the firing increased. Slowly we passed
: 1t. Those gun crews not engaged i'm firing
stood Stolidly by their guns staring fiNedIy
| at the target. Their excitement had pass
ed-their faces Were as expressionless a
| that of the average Chinaman when he
! overcharges for the wash
| suddenly the firing ceased. The engines
DeioW We're STILL we were drifting up
| toward the target. A boat was lowered
| and pulled toward x, paying out a line the
/ end of which was fastened to the buoy
| The boat returned, was noiselesslv hojsted
| then winch licked and pulled in the
buoy, hosting it aboard aft It's white
sails were much torn and bedraggled, and
| the steel buoy seemed not to have escaped
either.
Firing a Salute
| Again the engines began throbbing and
| the green hills about the harbor mouth
rose on both bows. In half an hour the
Yashima's anchor cable was rafting out
and she swung around with the tide A
| launch with the imperial Japanese flag ap-
preached from shore Again the bos N S
whistles piped the men to quarters 4 sa-
| lutte was to be fired.
On the ford bridge the captain stood on
| the port side. He gave a barely audible
| command A gun in a turret below him
| fired. Then he turned and walked leisure
| ly across the bridge to the starboard side
as though counting his steps. When he
| reached the other end of the bridge he
| barely stopped again, another command
and gun on the starboard side fired
| Thus he paced his bridge, to aud fro and
each time he reached the end of a turn n
| gun below him belched out a fiery salute
to the parsonage approaching in the
| launch. Thus the captain timed the inter
| walls between each shot by the PAGES he
| took on the bridge.
l suppose the little chap with the thin
hpa arA Nvnn nh nd
rear admiral stationed ashore, but the GER
| emonial reception given him would have
sufficed for the mikado himself. While he
| marched up one gangway | crept down an
| other, with the message for my captain in
my pocket, addressed in neat handwriting
and in English.