The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1907-05-17
CHAPTER xxi.

The nameless ship bounded forward in
TO the night. and soon was not fifty yards
away from her opponent. Never have ]
known anything akin to the episode when
bullets rang upon our decks in hundreds.
and the dead and the living in the other
ship lay huddled together, in seethiRg,
ed fire upon her before such of her men
as could be spared had got below.
"Let 'em digest that. !" cried Black. as
he watched the havoc.
l, who had not ceased TO watch that
distant light which marked another war
ship on the horizon, knew that second
light had shone out as star away over
the sea; and now, when looked again,
/ saw third light. We were being sur
rounded. The searchlights of the distant
ships were clearer to my view every mo-
ment. Black saw them, and took sight
from the glass.
Boy" he said, lyon should have told
me Of this. | see three lights. and that
means feet"
Are you going to run for H?' asked.
Run for it, with two engines, yes:
but it's q poor business. And we'll have
TO fight r.
I saw the foremost ironclad but two
miles away from US, and the others were
sweeping round to cut US of IL we at
tempted flight. We lay with but two en-
gines working, and speed of sixteen
knots at the best. Nor did we know from
minute to minute when another engine
would break down. AT that moment there
came horrible sound of grating and
tearing from the engine room, and 1t was
succeeded By q moment of dead mad chill
ing silence.
.-The second engines gone." said a
man above. qaite calmly.
We found the crew sullen and mutter-
ing. but Friedrich, the engineers eldest
son, sat at the top Of the engine room lad
der, and tears rolled down his face. The
great ship s,lll trembled under the shock
OF the breakdown and was not showing
ten knots. The foremost ironclad crept
up minute by minute: and before we had
realized the whole extent of the mishap.
she was within gunshot of rs: but her
colleagues were some miles away, she out
pacing them all through it.
.She signals TO US to let her come
aboard" said .Four-Eyes."
Answer that we'll see In chips frst,"
said Black, and he called for Karl and
made signs to HIM.
Those on the battleship made quite sure
Of US now, for they steamed on and came
within three hundred yards Of us. Black
watched them as a beast watches the un-
suspecting prey. He stood. his face knit
In savage lines, his hand upon the bell.
looked from the glass, and saw that no
man was visible upon our decks. that our
engines had ceased To move. We were
netionless. Then In q second the bells
grating and tearing In the engine room.
The nameless ship came roand to her
helm with a mighty sweep; she foamed
and plunged In the seas: sne turned her
ram straight at the other; and, groaning
a. a great stricken wounded beast. she
roared onward 10 the voyage of death.
knew then the fearful truth: Black meant
10 sink the cruiser with his ram. I shall
never forget that moment Of terror, that
grinding Of heated steel. that plunss into
the seas. / waited for the crash, and In
the suspense hours seemed TO pass. A
last there was under the sea mighty clap
Of Submarine thunder. Dashed headlong
from my post. lay bruised AND wounded
upon the door OF steel. The roof above
me rocked: the walls shock and were
benz; my ears rang with the deafening
roar 10 them: seas OF foam mounted
shrieks and the sound Of awful rending
and tearing drowned other shouts of men
going 10 their death. And through al
Tss the hystericai yelling Of Black. bis
defiance, his citation.