Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-08-01

| piled with crazy kind Of bullet proof
coat that he has had patented. Had a
model Of the thing with him too. Lot
of big steel spangles like, sewed on
thick felt. Something on the idea Of
old chain armor, only Todds' variety Of
| it looked more like fish scales than any
thing else. It's true enough, as he says,
that the men about the superstructure
are well nigh unprotected, but how on
earth can You ask the enemy to fire
only small arms at that particular
spot? And TOdds is just about the if
teenth today so far! One Of the gun
ners mates proposed kind of an
augcr arrangement that was to be fit
ted upon the head of the shell, so that
it would drill clean and clear right
through one side Of a ship and out the
| other. And then there has been Brown
son with wild and weird species of
vernier for the range finders, and Lo-
| pincourt with something else. Any
body would think that was the assist
ant secretary of the navy by the way
| they come after me-"
And Lieutenant Mortimer discreetly
kept in his pocket the diagram of
new and marvellous fleet evolution
which he had spent the night hours Of
many weeks in formulating and con-
versed upon strictly nonprofessionai
topics with his chief.
Now, the specific order Of the navy
department had so decreed that the
gallant United States battleship Rhode
Island should be one Of fleet dis
patched to contest the enemy's pas
sage After many weary days OF
watchful cruising one Of the fast little
dispatch boats came scurryinG back to
the main body with the news that there
was big bank of smoke to windwaru.
Almost Immediately strings of colored
flags began going up and down upon
the signal halyards Of the American
vessels, tall black arms wiSwaggcd
from the bridges like inspired scare
crows and little steam launches darted
hither and thither through the fleet.
The rather struggling procession OF
warshps lined up with much greater
accuracy of interval and It's course
changed so as to head directly toward
the suspicious bank Of smoke.
Some little while after another small
craft, an unprotected cruiser this
time, came back to report the enemy
us actually close ut hand. The dimin-
utive warship's flag signals were
scarcely necessary to establish this
last fact, however, for one OF her tive
stubby masts was among the missing,
and portion of her superstructure
had been cleared away with all the
nicely of which chance shot at long
range is capable.
The percentage of shattering as
against incised wounds will be very
large" argued Hughes in glceful
tone of voice. with one or two good
eases involving the complete severance
of the carotid artery, T. To judge
from their conversation at the mess
table one might almost imagine that
the chief surgeon and his assistant re-
garded the coming action as one espe-
cially designed to increase their store
of professional knowledge.
did you see Hutton when you were
aboard the Midget this morning"
queried Mortimer Of Lopincourt as he
passed the latter desired sauce cruet.
Yes" replied the one addressed.
Poor chap looked awfully white
around the gills, and SO were all of his
people, in fact"
"Seasick, l suppose?" interrogated
the otner.
"Yes," answered Lopincourt. Those
beastly little torpedo craft just throw
themselves about like snappers upon
the tail Of a kite. 1t was all l could do
to hold on, calm as it is today. Hut
ton has lost one Of his men already.
Thrown against the edge Of the gun
shield. Horrible! Another poor fel-
low was so battered up that took him
with Inc to the flagship for treatment.
Whatever possessed Hutton to give
up his comfortable berth with us and
apply for that commando"
"He always was torpedo enthusi-
asst, even when we were ut Annapolis
together" replied Mortimer.
"By the bye, somebody told me that
he was married on the very day we
sailed?" queried Lopincourt curiously.
rs 1t true:'
"Yes," replied the other, somewhat
stiffiy. "The date had been fixed be-
fore hostilitios were reckoned upon,
and il was carried out accordingly.
was his best man. He married my
cousin, Lily Rodman."
"You don't say so!" calculated Lopin-
court. Cad! How romantic! l remem-
ber having seen Miss Rodman that was
They must make fine looking couple,
for she certainly Is devilish hand
some girl"
The well trained stewards fitted
noiselessly about supplying the wants
of their uniformed superiOrs, for 1t was
now twilight, and no battle could well
be fought until the morrow.
1t Is good to see men eat heartily at
any time. 1t Is especially good to see
leaders Of other men eat heartily just
before coming dangers. The account
Of 1t, passed along from the steward Of
the officers mess to the marine corpo-
raj, and so from boatswain's mate to
able seaman and loblolly boy, will have
almost as much effect upon the COM
mon enemy as the great armor plerc-
ing projectiles now repOsing so peace
fully in their castings far down below
the water line.
Il heard an awfully good story when
l was west last summer" began Smith
ers in his usual inane fashion. 1T
seems-er-that there had been a cy-
clone quite recently. Most astounding
things, those cyclones. Er-I was as
sured by any number of reputable citi-
zens-er- But I'll tell you the story
Grand you can judge for yourselves.
You see
"What weight of broadside per min
ute do you figure that the enemy can
actually throw, slr?" querled Brown
son in portentous tone of voice.
Brownson, it may be remembered, was
the same individual who believed that
he could give lessons regarding the