Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-19
CHAPTER vIII-Continued.

Was he too latey He knew now that to
reach the Mars he must perish. Certainly
he could never return TO the Jupiter. But
he held on his way. He was full OF
great JOY Now he knew verify for what
he was born; it was for thistle mixed
and multituhnous roar of cannon sounding
over the sea-England's sea-his sea. Some
thing in his heart, in his life's blood, ana
In his very SOULS soul, answered to 1t, was
akin to it. Never had he been really glad
till this night. He held on his rash and
desperate way.
His eyes were aIght with battle.
Suddenly he said under his breath
Bravo
The lights of the Mars had gone out into
darkness.
Her captain Captain Henderson-had
noted, first, the exttnguishing of the Jup'-
ters lights, and had been puzzled; then
the going out into darkness of the Victo-
rious. lie had stood with knit brows for two
minutes, and had understood. A few sec
onds later the Mars too, was invisible.
At once John Hardy put his helm to
starboard, running about northeast, to re-
gain the Jupiter He was now hurrying
into the very region of the starbOard limb
of the enemy's fleet, and by the time he
engaged with two of the enemy. In an
other half minute the sea around these
three was a white tempest Of thrashed and
squirting spray as when thronging hail
flogs stingingly upon a lake. and the Sky
about them was a vague domed cavern of
COppery flame. Never did sailor in so
small a craft run the gauntlet of more
ucklish peril passing through sea
crowded with torpedoes and cracking
shells and balls of fire. But the picket boat
never so much as swerVed; straight onward
she thrObbed, through the region of lurid
half-lsht, at her stern-post the union jack;
then once more into darkness. John Hardy
sprang up the side of the dark Jupiter and
ran to the coming tower.
You have done it. then. John?" cried
Captain Macleod; II congratulate you
from my SOUL
Thank you, sir. Now. perhaps, I think
we may See these fellows banged a ltt-
tie
I'VE may John, we may-thanks to you,
boy. Wait, wait-Iet us see"
1t did not take long to see.
In very few minutes the condition OF
the battle was this Two French ships,
one on each side OF her, were bate ing the
Magnificent (A) into shambles; two more,
one on each side of her were making
wreck of the Prince George "a; two more
were tackling the Repulse Co; the Jupiter
was not fighting, the Victorious was not
lighting, the Mars was not hghtng-the
allies being unconscious at the moment OF
their presence in their then unsupported po-
SitiOn: one German ship was in collision
with a French on the starhoard side of the
Resolution Co; one French ship was ram
ming another French ship between the
Resolution and the Mars ID; another
French ship was blowing a German ship
out of the water at a point a long way TO
the west Of the British fleet and two Ger
man ships were cruising q bout in the same
longitude, searching In VAN for two enc
mics which should have been there, and
were not.
Thus, of the fourteen allied battleshlps,
six only We're engaged In actual conflict
with three British vessels, while a fourth
British vessel Co was pouring a tempest
OF barbette, quiCk-firing and machine shot
into the ships in collision on her star
board, and watching the sinking OF
French ship rammed by a French on her
port side. How this complexity of tragedy
overwhelmed the enemy will be readily
seen by the following plan, published III
every London newspaper the next morning.
Black squares and small letters stand for
allied ships, circles and capitals for British,
the three British which put out their lights
being printed black.