Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-29
CHAPTER xxXII-Continued.

little S w OF Beachy Head the fleet
sas Joined by the fast private yacht OF a
gentleman who was acting as scout He
went on board the Hirosaki. and was con-
tucted before Hardy.
| The Japanese fleet. he said, were on the
way between the Sorume mouth and the
Sussex coast, but very much spread out,
not apparently expecting serious opposi-
HON, and steaming at the rate of perhaps
-FOUR or five knots a vast breadth of chan
pei was parterred for league on league with
PASSES of barge-li craft, which, If one
|pgfght conjecture, were concentrating to-
ward the narrow part OF the strait. Their
5prugress was very slow. but some were by
how certainly not more than nine or ten
miles from the Kent coast. The gentleman
had passed so near to one mass as TO see
1EroAgh his glass distribution OF some
sort OF green pottage in one barge. and
What looked like a fight between two China
.neu in another He had not been fired at.
frhe boats were incredibly overcrowded.
Die had heard he said with smile. that
bout 20. 600 men were rnassed upon Hast
3ngs. and that forty MaXlms were in posi-
Hon on the sea-front.
Shortly before scout of the enemy
directed from beyond effective range the
bays Of two searchlights upon the British
|hnd at once hasted back TO eastward.
BY half past, the British made out
great bank of cloud to eastward The
ettT gale from the northwest For the first
tims for a week hurrying dark clouds
ebove We're visible athwart gloom of twi-
Eight. The sea was curling into fore
cunning hollows before the British stems,
Ike backing pages. who. with bows and
braces. usher In the visitor.
John Hardy's brain, and heart. and life,
BIAS in his eyes He giared through his
glass like g. famished wolf
The bank OF smoke quickly cleared: he
Fould discern forms of ships-eight miles
l,,~oo and -frgsy
WAS clear. rapidly Legion was their name.
lis eyes started and stared; he muttered
with his lips
lie gazed for two minutes. crafty, hun
Hired eyed, then he started, and Missed
EwifJ by Cod Then be flew TO the COM
publications.
| To he slgnaled to the fleet;
Keep speed and formation. Use no tor
3rcdues In combat"
= his own engine room.
"EuI speed aheadi''
| The engines Of the Hirosahi instantly
5ur4 clzened their throb and complex turmoil.
Sac forged forward Her best speed was
.nearly nineteen knots. She was like an
.ugly. stout island In hurry.
| The wondering question went pervading
bis heet--was he about TO fight the entire
hayv of Japan alone? Was he not rush
tng like the demenIed whom the gods de-
.stroy into the very mouth of hell2
The Hirosaki. we have said, was un-
|aoubtedly the best engine OF war that was
ever devised and built. She was armored
with Harveyed nickel steel. and her belt.
which extended from stem to stern, was
owes eight feet in depth. and nine inches
thick throughout engine. boiler and maya
zine spaces. Now, above this belt. her side
no the height of the main deck was COW
cred with 0-inch arnlor for length of some
.r50 feet, inclosing two barbettes; while at
leach end of the belt there was a curved
|bulkhead fourteen inches thick between the
{armored and main decks; so that q quite
|compiets citadel, ESQ feet long, was formed
Her gun classmates, moreover, were
shielded both on the inner and outer sides,
so that their crews worked under protec-
|tion almost ideal; while her barbettes, cir
|cular In plan. We're protected with 14-ineh
|armer, rising to height OF feet above
Ithe upper deck.
With such tool OF war something might
BE dared Nearer she went, blowing in inn
pressive. squat haste straight towards the