The Washington herald., 1915-11-24

the chart-hung office six and q half
cables south. fifteen east OF something
or other. Mark 1t well. and tell them to
work up from there" Ii the order.
Another mine exploded"
Yes. and we heard that too" says
the office. What about the submarine?''
Elizabeth Higgins reports"
Elizabeth's scandal must be fairly high
favored. for a torpedo boat of immoral
aspect sings herself out of the harbor
and hastens to share il. II Elizabeth has
not spoken the truth. there may be words
between the parties. For the present a
pencilled suggestion seems to cover the
case. together with a demand as far as
one can make out for more common
sweepers." Chey will be forthcoming
very shortly. Those at work have got
the run of the mines now and are busily
hawking them up.
trawIer skipper wishes to speak to
the office. They have ordered him
the quay at the present time. and yell
remember. it's the same wi my formast
an my port rigging. sir
The office does not precisely remember.
but II boilder and foremost are on the
quay the rest of the ship had better
stay alongside. The skipper falls away
relieved. He scraped a tramp a few
nights ago In a bit OF sea
Monitor Mothered by Lighters.
There is little mutter OF gun-fre
somewhere across the still water where
a fleet is at work. 4 monitor. as broad
as she is long. comes back from wher-
ever the trouble is. slips through the
harbor mouth, all wreathed with signals.
is received by two motherly lighters and.
to all Appearances, goes to sleep between
them.
The office does not even look up: for
that is not in their department They
have found a trawler to relieve the
one. Her name Is slipped in
to the rack. The immoral torpedo boat
founces back to her moorings. Evident
ly what Elizabeth Higgins said was not
evidence.
The messages and replies begin again
as the day closes.
Return now to the inner harbor. At
twilight there was a slit among the
hacked craft like the separation OF dried
tea leaves in water. The swing bridge
across the basin shuts against us A
ship shot out Of the jam. took the
narrow exit at fair seven knots ana
into the outer harbor with ali
the pomp of a flagship which was eN-
actly what she was. Others followed
brea king away from every quarter in ST.
lence. Boat after boat fell into line
gears slowed away; spars and buoys In
order on thier clean decks. guns cast
loose and ready: wheelhouse windows
darkened and everything in order for a
day or a week or a month out. There
was no word anywhere.
The Night Patrol Goes Out.
The interrupted foot traffic stared at
them as they slid past below. A wo-
man beside me waved a hand to a man
on one of them and I saw her face light
rs he waved back. The boat where they
had demonstrated for me with matches
was the last Her skipper hadn't thought
it worth while to tell me that he was
going that evening. Then the line
up and stood out to sea.
You never told me this was going to
happen" said reproachfully to the
A. b.
NO more. 1 did" said he. It's the
night patrol going out. Fact is, I'm so
used to the bloomin' evolution that it
never struck me to mention 1t as you
might say
Next morning I went to service on
board a man-o'-war and even as we
came to the prayer that the navy might
BE a safeguard to such as pass on the
sea on their lawful occasions" l saw the
long procession OF traffic resuming up
and down the Channel-six ships to the
hour. II had been hung up for a bit.
they said.