The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

kept on her course. That was asains
the wind. and the sharpie could no,
compete with steam against the wind
but Benito was heading out seaward
of TO the northeast. farther and far.
| ther away from the schooner.
When he was full three miles out
| from shore again. and perhaps eight
miles from the Dart. he set of an.
other red light. giving it. as before. a
long fuse. He was hardly fifty fee,
away from il when there came an
other crash from the cruiser-a deep
] boom this time from one of her heavy
| guns. followed by shower of bullets
from the Gatling. The red light had
not even begun TO burn yet. the cruis-
er's watchful men had seen the spark
burning at the end of the fuse.
Benito stood in for the shore again.
still beating to the eastward. and
when the fuses spark blazed up into
bright red light the cruiser was
head ding toward it
a little careful about showing this
light: that's what I'll have to be-a
little careful" he said to himself as
he struck a match to set off his second
green light close to shore. He kept
the sharpie between the spark Of fuse
and the cutters lights as long as he
could to hide the fire. and then stood
out seaward to the northeast again.
AS the green light blazed up he
turned his head a moment TO look at
it. and in that instant a strange thing
happened. When he looked toward
the cruiser again she had disappeared,
Save for the green fire burning. there
was not a spark Of light on all that
black sea.
Il thought she'd do that" Benito
exclaimed. She's trying my own game.
and has put out all her lights. Well.
I'll give her a white light in a few
and that will be something new
for her to think about"
He was still running out seaward and
eastward. and the sharpie was bending
down to her work, and cutting the waves
like knife. when suddenly he heard the |
t'.robbing of an engine and the splash Of
a propeller. Before he had time to think |
a great black wall of iron. looming |
twenty feet above his head was right |
on top Of him.
The cruiser was accidentally running /
him down in the darkness, His first i'm
pulse was to cry out: out he shut his
:eeth tight and waited for the blow.
But the blow did not come. The mex.
instant the black mass was shooting
past him, her iron side hardly six feet
rom the sharpies stern.
Good sharpe. Good old girl" he ex-
claimed: and in the excitement he patted
he boat on the gunwale. IF you hadn't
,een a fier. we'd been goners that time"
Benitos heart was in his throat for
few minutes: he would not pretend to
eny that. But no wonder. for no boat
ver had a narrower escape. He ran out
everal miles more and burned his white
Ight. which said to the schooner:
Land your men. nave the cruiser
usy.'' Ii
Then he put the sharpi. about, and
eaded her for Ginser Key. His nights ,
'ork was done. Before he had gone I
ar he saw lights on the cruiser again,
nd they showed her to be nearly where ,
lilies from the schooner. and by that 1
me the men were all or shore. In
Next day Benito was on Ginger Key as /
sual; but 1t was not till nearly a month I
tier that passing schooner carried 4
, the key a letter with an Havana post '
ark. addressed to Benito Bastian. The a
tier was only few lines. without any Il
gnature, but 1t enclosed Spanish draft t
n $500 Z
We landed safely. and are with | v
lends" the letter said. I'VE have made | d
p this little testimonial for brave boy G
. know"
tCoryrisht By Hsrper 4 Brcs)