The daily sentinel., 1913-09-08

SHOCK OF the explosion. but none
came.
As matter Of fact. Captain
Morales, having gained the informa-
tion he sought as to the character of
his antagonist, had prudsntly shut or
hA Lights as he checked his vessels
downward ruah. and now the two,
Alike shrondsd IN darkness, stood on
an even footing.
Ten minutes feeling around for an
pnseen enemy sufficed for. Rerford,
however, and, fearing the prey might
escape, he ordered the Rappahan-
nocfs great search lights turned on
shs vas equipped with four OF these
tn bow. tho stern. zenith, and bot
tomhEhts-And instead of whipping
the heavens with beams turned hither
and thithsr at random, was able to
nulios each Light over q siven sec
fon, % that no two tutersected, and
me greatest efficiency was therefore
secufed, while the bow and stern
hghts could also be concentrated
either b port or starboard. In
rnofnsn the forward light picked up
the PSador and focussd on her, and
N another moment Ireton had the
two starboard qufck-hrers pumping
Shells at her as she advanced to ram
pespses tle fr4shtfui speed Of the two
boats. The guns were well served-
Not for nothing had the old man
BUNDLED himself before congression-
al committees 10 secure the where
w,thal for gun practice. Shell after
shell chains Of Them, pumped
through the tough skin Of the Plea
dor. and, exploding within, presently
changed her mind as to the advis-
ability OF chose quarters.
She swerved and her own guns be-
UpD x-frirxrys ffor. o.J kar. No
superiority of the Rappahannock be-
came apparent Few OF the Picador's
missiles touched her; Of these few,
only small percentage succeeded In
penetrating her rubberoid arrnsr;
and such as did win through had no
power to inture her In any vital part.
They burst, II Is true. and the frag-
ments rang villainously upon the
steel buikheads. but no single part of
her mechanism suffered, and one gum
ner with n torn scalp was the sum
total Of casualties.
Meanwhile the two sailed round
each other, liRe twin stars about a
common center Of mass. and the
powerful searchlights OF Che Rap
pahannock clung On concentrated
beams upon the Pisldor. try as she
would to dodge and escape.
The American shells were making a
bitN0 VI hcT. anu, DuTsllng INSIDE,
threatened fnomentarily to put her
working parts out of commission.
Her propellers and rudder had al
ready suffered grievously. and any
minute a lucky projectile might PEN
citrate the armor surrounding that
heart of an sir-ship. her lift-machine.
In this emergency Captain Morales.
realizing apparently that his gunners
were too much for their opponents.
changed his tactics and, with sud-
den thrust OF his Ift-control lever.
shot his vessel upward. 1t was no
gradual ascent, but leap. that flung
his own men prone on the gum
deck.
For moment the search lights lost
her, and the minute of hesitation be-
fore the zenith light picked her UP
again was near losing the Rappahan-
mock the battle then and there. The
plying lights of the latter boat made
her position perfectly clear, and the
Picadors captain, having snatched
his vessel te the plane above, sent her
humming at the best speed she had,
with her wrenched and battered
screws, to gain a position directly
above the American. She gained 1t,
and actually launched torpedo, but
not quite In time.