The Irish standard., 1916-08-26

"You feel that is sure, sir?"
The older officer referred to the 9TH
ers. "Who questions it now?"
No one questioned, so after putting
to sea Barrett had steered his course
to the east. The first day showed him
nothing to stir him further, but at
sunrise Of the second day he had sight
ed great biplane in the clouds. In
stantly lie flashed the news back to the
shore by wireless. The official reply to
him said that the presence of air craft
could now be Of no significance. What
was the Salem doing in the position
from which 1t signaled? The admins
tration particularly desired the pres
ence of Messrs. Banland and Gordon
at Port au Prince as soon as possible.
Barrett, with the code communica-
ton in his hand, turned quietly to the
quartermaster.
Follow the plane as long as it is in
sight, and when it disappears continue
in Its direction" He went himself to
the telephone to the engine room.
"Can you give us any more, Mr. Han
lon?" he questioned the chief engineer.
"l'll try, SIR"
Within the hour the biplane had dis
appeared, but it had remained in sight
long enough to guide the Salem. Dur
Ing the remainder of the day the scout
ship rushed east at full speed, and at
night, with all ports covered and with
the switches of the lighting circuits
| thrown out, Barrett had driven his
ship on through the darkness. No
light from another ship, no sound of
another's engine, no smell of another's
smoke had reached him or his lookouts
during the night. Dawn had discovered
to him only an empty sea, gray and
rugged, obscured little by mist. The
day brought no other ship within the
circle of the horizon, but now it was
another dawn and now, as Barrett
scanned the water, he saw q crate
| floating.
He passed it and came upon another
crate with bright yellow bits-peeling
of orange, they were-floating beside
it. He looked to the other side-pota-
to parings floating there. He was by
them. and now was passing bits of
bread, vegetable tops, more potato par
ings and scraps of all sorts-the leav-
ings from the plates of 10000 men
who had eaten their rations at the
same hour, the flotsam from feet.
Lieutenant Commander Barrett set
his helm hard to the right. When the
Salem had circled he ordered again
formally to Hanlon to give "full speed
ahead" He must have passed the ap-
preaching fleet few miles off in the
morning mist. Their course, as well
as he could reckon from the scraps OH
the sea, was more to the south than
he had expected. He had overrun them
and now was III their pursuit.
Lieutenant Marston, the second in
command, came quietly to the bridge,
his revolver belt buckled about him.
"Mr. Banland and Mr.. Gordon both
seem to he asleep, sir. Shall 1 have
them walked or-shall l leave them as
they are?"
II was thinking about them," Bar
rett replied as evenly. "I'll see to
| Them
Smoke ahead. SIR" n lookout in the
foretop hailed. "More to the left.
Destroyers to the right and turning
| about"
| ".Aeroplanes approaching us, sir!"
The hail came this time from the bow,
and the sailor there was pointing up
and ahead. Barrett shifted his glasses
from the four vessels rushing toward
him to the dim, soaring specks high
above in the sky. They descended as
they approached.
| "They went up high at first to make
sure We were alone" Barrett comment
ed to Marston.
eyes, sir. Looks like now they may
try bomb attack"
II think So" Barrett took pad and
and carefully:
Large feet sighted about 5S.37 west,
38.42 north, steaming west apparently
at about sixteen knots. We make out
definitely thirty vessels, destroyers and
a cruiser, accompanied by air craft,
| coming toward u.s.
| He reread it and handed it to Mar
ston. "Code that and have it sent at
once" He gazed again at the aero
planes and the destroyers and looked
back at the engine room dial. 1t show
| ed revolutions of the turbines which
told that the Salem was still making
about twenty-six knots The engine
room crew could not be asked to do
better, but for what they would be re-
| qutred to do Barrett believed they de-
served word Of explanation. He
stepped to the engine room telephone
and spoke to the chief below:
"Three destroyers and cruiser-ap-
parently the Falcon or one Of her class
are coming for us, Mr.. Hanlon. 1
have just sent word that We have
sighted a large feet. We are going to
try to pass the smaller vessels and get
as close as possible to make out the
main feet before we sink. If we are
unable to signal to you after the action
begins keep US full speed as long as
you can"
Il understand, sir" Hanlon's voice
replied.
The anti-air craft gun on the forward
deck-it was small quick fiirer with
double telescope sights-moved as the
crew trained it upon the aeroplanes
swooping down. The pointer looked
back again to the bridge. The planes.