The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04

~ knot breeze on deck, there
was really no wind. The sea
lay smooth save where the W bow
waves-billows OF phosphorcsCent
foam where they began-stretchcd
away to s%tarboard and port like twin
tails to a comet and wnerc tho water
thrown up by the screws swirlcd and
twisted astern in currents of liquid
flame.
On each side, betws<n the bow wave
ana the wake. and keeping pace with
the ship. was a moving oiiow fiecked
with dots and %scrpentine tines of light
miniature considerations In an in
verted liquid armament. but there
were no stars. and a thick haze hid
the Manchurian coast. close at hand,
to the east. So. as rs usual on such
nights. lookouts peered keenly ahead.
Something Of the weird beauty of
the night got into the restless brain
of the young Fourth Lieutenant and
made him unusually waHeful. He re-
manned on deck long arter being re-
lieved at midnight. smoking and medi-
tating. Drifting aft through the SUI
perstructure to the quarterback. where
he had no business to pe. lie passed
the two ~lifebuoy lookouts and stepped
to the taffrail. where huns the patent
log. its twisting line stretching far be-
yO0d the swirling currents of the wake
to the rotator that spun off the mile
age. deep In quiet water.
There was an Irish pennant"-a
clinging ropeyarn-on the log line
about five feet abaft the taffrail. 1t
did not interfere with tne spinning
Of the line, but 1t annoyed him, lie
could have pulled In the line. removed
the yar and again SACKED II off:
or, as an officer. he could nave dele
gated the trivial job to n of the
lfebuoy men within call, but,the IN
rest Of the night was on him and
he did neither. He ClimDed over and
down to the small gallery extending
around the stern. where he had less
business than on n quarterback,
climbed over the railing and, holding
on with his right hanc. extended his
left upward and outward toward the
rope yarn.
At this moment, before he had
reached II. something came into his
circle Of vision that made him lower
his eyes. 1t was a sparkling cluster
OF points in the water over to port,
distinct and brilliant, and speeding to-
ward the ship with amazing velocity,
~ though caused by bursting bubbles
that rose from some huge, swiftly
swimming fish. But MA fish could
make such speed? What but?
The p%aralyzing thought hardly took
form in his brain.
He was startled at a critical mo-
mont; his right hand slipped its hold
and he fell. plunging headhrst and
backward into the sea. He struck his
head on something hard when far
down and was so nearly stunned by
m impact that when he found him
self on the surface. padding weakly.
he had not energy to 0lll out.
The ship was a full length away
from him. a dim and dwindling blur In
h darkness. Its lookouts were look
ing ahead, and no one was aware that
Lieut.. Halpin had fallen overheard.
He was young, strong, and a swim
mer. The sea was smooth and the
coast to the east but two miles away.
Floating on his back and resting after
his first frantic efforts. he drew COM
fort from the rising full moon. Until
1t had reached the meridian it would
guide him east. With some difficulty
he shed his shoes and outer clothing;
then, outstanding his strength. he be-
gan what promised to be a four hour
swim.
But 1t ended in an hour, Just about
n time the moon ceased to be a guide
and before the coast was in sight
through the haze. A long, dark object
appeared ahead of him. At first II
locke like an overturned boat, but as
he swan closer it resolved itself into
q partly submerged cylinder Of steel,
n end round and blunt, the other
an elongated cone His professional
knowledge enabled him to IDENTIFY il
on sight, and the unborn. paralyzing
thought that had followed his first
glimpse OF the speeding points of light
o found birth and expression.
ITS a Whitehead torpedo" he ex-
claimed.
Then came other thoughts, as he felt
OF the bump on his head.
TT made the bubbles. I fell right
In its a 1t was sent at the ship
n 1t missed, b%ut-what sent IL?
Something out Of sight in the haze?
How far? I've swan at least a mile
and that's as far as these things travel"
Additional speculations as TO the i'm
probability Of n Graf. %torpedoing a
cruiser Of the United States did not
enter his mind-he was still a little
dazed by the shock of the fall and the
blow. But, swimming to the blunt
nose. he unscrewed the little propcller
wheel that brought the firing pin 10
place: then, knowing hat the 200
pounds of explosive was safe from
defamation, he mounted the mechanical
sea horse, which. with s~ixty-nine
pounds Of compressed air expended,
was now buoyant enough to zeal him
waist high out of water.
Familiar with the mechanism of the
terrible weapon. he investigated in the
darkness and found the starting lever
up. automatically locking the engine,
n the water tripper, which gave full
speed to the air engine within, fat
down on the curved steel hull. Re-
versing both, the latter first, he found
that the tandem screws in the stern
revolved slowly.
Satisfcd that there was sim COM
pressed air in the chamber and that the
torpedo could carry him shoreward no
waited for the moon overhead again TO
become "A guide, But by the time il
had reached a definite westerly posi-.
finn thn hn1, I,.l ,y,,,N .,I -lt.. ,