The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-08
(contin7ed from yesterday. }

-4ANN6 A4ASt
"Metgurne, twelfth Duke OF, created
1851, Herbert George Alan" Here fol
lowed q number Of other titles. the In
formation that the son and heir was
Marquis of Thaxted and belonged to
the diplomatic service; that Lord Met
gurne was Il. NJ. secretary of state for
royal dependencies; finally list Of
residences md clubs. She put down
the book and resumed the letter.
II think ought to have told you
that when reach st. Petersburg l
shall be as anxious to avoid my cousin
Thaxted as / am to steer clear Of his
father in London. So sat in my club
and read the papers. Dear me, this
is evidently going to be a very long
letter. hope you won't. mind. /
think perhaps you may be interested
in learning how they do things over
here.
After two or three days Of anxious
waiting there came a crushing COM
munication from tne admiralty which
confirmed my worst fears and set me
at crossing the bridge again. was or
dered TO report next morning at IL at
committee room In the admiralty and
bring with me full particulars pertain
ing to the firing Of gun number so-and-
SO OF the Consternation's equipment on
such date. wonder since that did
not take to drink. We have every ia
cillty for that sort of thing in this club.
However, at IL next day present
ed myself at the committee room and
found in session the grimmest looking
i've men have ever yet been called
upon to face. Collectively they were
about ten times worse in appearance
than the courtmartial had previously
encountered. Four of the men l did
not know, but the fifth l recognized ut
once, having often seen his portrait.
He is Admiral Sir John Pendergest,
popularity known in the service as
old Crouch, blue terror who knows
absolutely nothing of mercy. The lads
In the service say he looks so disagree
able because he is sorry he was not
born u hanging judge. Picture a face
as Clearly cut as that of some severe
old Roman senator, u face as hard as
marble, quite as cold and nearly as
white, rescued from the appearance Of
death mask by pair of piercing
eyes that glitter ike steel. When look
ing at him 1t is quite impossible to
believe that such parsonage has ever
been boy who played pranks on his
masters. Indeed, Admiral Sir John
Pendergest seems to haT sprung, fully
uniformed and forbldd1ng, from the
earth, like those soldiers Of mythology.
was so taken aback at confronting
such man that l never noticed my
old friend, Billy Richardson, seated at
the table as one OF the minor officials
OF the committee. Billy tells me 1
looked rather white about the lips
when | realized what was ahead of
me, and dare say he was right. My
consolation ls that l didn't get red, as
Is my dlsconcerting habit l was &C.
commOdated with chair, and then a
ferrety faced little man began asking
me questions, consulting every now
and then a .oolscap sheet OF paper
which was before him. Others were
ready to note down the answers.
"'When did you FIRE the new gun
from the CONSERVATION In the Baltic?
"Dear Miss .Amhurst, have confess
ed to you tina: am not brilliant, and,
indeed, such confession was quite I'M
necessary. for you must speedily have
recognized the fact, but here let me
boast for line or two of my one ac-
compllshment, which is mathematical
accuracy. When make experiments
/ don't note the result by rule OF
thumb. Ny answer to the ferret faced
man was prompt and complete.
cat twenty-three minutes, seven
teen seconds past 10 a. M, on May
the Sd OF this year. was my reply.
''The five high officials remained per-
fectly impassive, but the two stenog-
raphers seemed somewhat taken by
surprise. and one of them whispered,
Did you say fifteen seconds, sirY
"'He said seventeen growled Sir
John Pendergest in voice that seem
ed to come out of sepulcher.
"Who sighted the gum
az did, sir
why did not the regular gunner
do thatr
ne, did. sir, but also took obser-
vations and raised the muzzle .OOo327
of an inch
WAS your gunner inaccurate, then,
to that extenty
"'No, sir; but 1 had weighed the ann
munition and found It short by two
ounces and thirty-seven grains
81 must not borle you with all the
questions and ANSWERS. / merely give
these as samples. heyl questioned me
about the recoll, tha ACTON of the gun,
the state of this. tlna' and the other
after firing, aud lud Aaly was able to
answer to dot every query put to
me. At the finish lone of the judges
asked me to give I'M my own words my
opinion Of the gum Admiral Sir John
.glared at him as BE put this question,
for Of course to a1EIy expert the answers