The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-08-13
CHAPTER XVII.-Continued.

And what a difference there was
between this fleet and those to which
the men aboard were accustomed, On
those battleships of the seas were
magnificent forces of men trained to
fight, which were numbered by thou
sands; but here each crew consisted
of bare half-dozen. In the hulls OF
those vessels of the sea strove a
small army, watching over and
driving huge engines, and supplying
them with steam; here were only one
man and an assistant standing be.
fore levers, switches and buttons,
which did their work simultaneously
and with no noise. In those destroy
ers of the waters throbbed mighty
engines considered the modern tri-
umph of speed; here was craft that
by fingers pressure could almost
run abreast the sun. Those ships
bristled with mighty guns; here were
no frOwning muzzles or unwieldy tur-
rets. Science was bringing an end to
brute force, and the last battle against
barbarism was at hand.
For the first time since its birth
the great plant was silent and idle
and the men who had created it and
by its means built this new feet of the
air were at rest. They had done all
they could, and now gathered silently
round the radioplanes, which stood in
orderly array with portlike doors
yawning wide to receive their crews.
Fighting" Bevins stood by his flag
craft, the Norma, and looked at the
force under his command. Captains
who had handled hundreds of men
and driven their great floating crafts
of steel, and engineers who had
learned new callings waited attentive
ly for his last instructions.
The battle-scarred veteran ad-
dressed them in voice that needed
no high pitch to be audible to all
his hearers. Gentlemen" he said, 81
have nothing more to say to you. You
are going out to fight what will prob
ably be the last great battle in his
tory. You are active participants in
the final chapter of international war.
The time is approaching when our pro-
fession will be useless, and l for one
shall gladly turn to ways of peace"
Norma, who had left the bedside of
the sleeping inventor, joined the Of
ficers, and Bevins stopped and sa-
luted her.
With u.s." he continued, lis a girl
who has laid all her talents on the
altar of country, and is now prepared
to jeopardize her life for victory. We
can do no less 1t may be that some
OF us will not return-the hazards
of war can never be foreseen. You
have been put in a strange position
and are even robbed of the sailors
right to send a last message to your
homes: but that, too, has been for the
country's good. To my personal knowl.
edge you have all passed your lives in
trying to do what was right. and have
given the best that was in you to the
flag. You will do no less now"
In the glare of the arc lights he
took one last look at his comrades in
arms, and then, as if once more at sea.
loudly ordered: Board ship, ALL"
He uncovered and stood aside in an
attitude of the greatest respect while
Norma passed and entered the flag
ship bearing her name. With steady
precision the other officers saluted
took possession of their radioplanes,
and as the doors changed shut behind
them a mighty cheer burst from those
outside. Before it had subsidized the
dynamos in the strange collection
were humming and droning with I'm.
leashed energy, and the unshuttered
ports stared out into the gloom like
eyes of fire suddenly opened from
sleep.
From the Norma there shot I'D into
the sky swiftly alternating streaks of
red, white and blue, the night signal
asking if all was ready. From the
other monsters came flashing answers
OF acQuiescence. There was an in
stant's pause. The flagship gave a
slight upward shock and lifted slowly
Into the air. Immediately behind in