Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24

her seventeen thousand tons of steel through
the water at nineteen knots speed; the katori,
but little smaller and almost as fast; the Asahi,
the Mikasa, the Asama, the Tokiwa, and others
which were dear to the heart and pride of
Nippon gallant navy, carefully planned,
well constructed, and of invincible size and
strength. No squadron that breasted the
waves might cause it to hesitate.
In the stiffness of the morning there came a
| sudden sharp exclamation from the man on
| the lookout, an excited call to the bridge, and
the quick step of an officer in answer to the
summons. Almost instantly he was followed
by another, who brought with him pair OF
powerful binoculars, through which he gazed in
the direction indicated by the sailor. There
in the irnmeasurable void of the upper air,
high above that it f1oated in the broader light,
scared covey OF gigantic objects unpctured
in the lore of flight. Onward it came till
| almost above, when it stopped and majestically
lowered over them, and seemed to be watching
and waiting for some ray of broader light. The
pallid blue of those far floating bodies rendered
them almost indistlngulshable, save when now
and then they swung broadside to in deploylng,
resumed their speed and swept round iii cir
cles
Puzzled and amazed, the officer handed the
glasses to his companion and watched his face
attentively, if hoping to read from its ex
preston some solution of this mysterious vista:
ton from the immense unClouded space above.
The glasses were lowered and the two men
with the superstition of ages behind them
turned to each other with paid faces, fearing
the supernatural or the unknown. Again they
looked and saw that the flying specks travelled
with incredible rapidity and were apparently
observing them, after which, they watched,
they saw them come to an abrupt stop. 1t
was enough. Whatever they were, their
presence would be made known.
The officers sprang to the alarms, and in an
instant thunderous voeys beloved out across
the waters, awakening the other vessels. Shrill
pipings, the staccato blare of bugles and the
| sound of running feet told the story of excite
| ment and that well drilled crews were answer
ing the call. The hour was early for the per-
feet of flag signals; from one warship
to another flashed the searchlight warnings,
and wireless operators in their cabins licked
frantic messages to outlying members of the
fleet to close in for action. Admirals and Cap
tains who had fought successfully in other
wars and counted their service as valuable
adjuncts in any engagement stood upon the
bridges the tanks of the great turrets and
stared spellbound at this apparition which
had come upon them in the night. There it
was, silent fleet of the air, sinister and menaC
ing, lowering over them as if waiting oppor-
tunlty or hiding its time to strike.
A sudden evolution brought one OF those
terrible adversaries to the outer edge of the
aerial formation, and through their glasses
they saw thrown out to the winds of the morn
ing, whipping and writhing, the flag of the
nation they had come to conquer,-the old
est banner in the world, and the one they had
been taught through months of consideration
to despise. Stars on a field of blue fit emblem
for warriors of the clouds And then ere the
first flag had Strengthened out its heavy folds,
the colors f1uttered from each birdlike craft,
challenge to battle in which the odds were
against them.
Aloft in that fleet of the air, where all was
quiet there was sudden call of excitement.
For hours they had watched and waited for
the appearance of the enemy, and when he
was sighted far below in the murk of the dawn
each man took his post without words; but
the martial spirit which sends men to battle
burned clear and high. The supreme test was
at hand, and the wait and preparation
at end. The issue was in the lap of the gods.
The Norma had been the first to descry the
oncoming fleet, and Fighting" Bevins with
his own hand had signaled his followers to re-
duce speed. Now he stood at the transparent
ports, heard the sudden booming alarm wit
messed the excitement on the decks, and
smiled with grim joy. By his side stood Norma,
and not even he, trained to strife and accus-
toned from early manhood to scenes of car
| mage, was more cool or determined. He looked
at her questioningly wondering whether no
| he should read in her ewes a sign of regret or
weakness, and turned from her with glow of
admiration.
Who is going to handle herr" he queried,
glancing at the hood
Il am she replied as quietly as if answer
| ing query of no moment
He held out his hand and shook hers warmly.