The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-05
(Continued.)


 "Well. if they're playing that game they'll find two at it, perhaps Six of our submarines went out submerged a couple of hours ago. They're wait ing off to the south. That's why the Pennsylvania's pretending to wait for us. We're giving the subs time to get placed" "
 q They're starting to withdraw to the south," Wendell said, his hands 'cll1ching tight as the forward gun of the Pennsylvania roared again. The enemHs ships indeed were definitely moving oil, but not so swiftly as to at once discourage pursuit. They re- mained just beyond or just at the limit of extreme range at which main bat terN guns might. hit. and as the Car thage and the two Peras withdrew shells from their turrets continued 10 spurt up spray before the Pennsylva mia.
 That ship forced ahead faster. and now Bob Wendell felt the Arizona's Ceck vibrating with the tremor of tur- pines pushed full speed aLead" The bow wave piled up in a white crest. (which splashed up and over the fore castle as the great ship dipped |. More npray splattered up'a the Arizona, fol- lowing the Pennsylvania. altered its course to, the south in pursuit of the enemy's ships. 1he men of the gun crews, who had been below bathing ,were crowding out now upon the fore castle deck. They were nude to the waist, and the hot afternoon sunlight gleamed on the pink and brown flesh of their bodies and sparkled on the drops of spray splnshed upon them. sa rar ahead of the Pennsylvania and wen away on both beams the Ameri- , can destroyeED-the Cassfp and Cum mings, the Alwyn and Balch an4 two others -tossed and tipped as they dash ed through the waves on their watch for the enemy's submersiblcs. Far in the air overhead two American bit { planes lcircled, their wireless sending buck word that so far no mines and no enemy submarines had been sighted.
 Wendell gazed now and then at these { auxiliary craft, but the men of the gun crews, crowding eagerly forward, Ignored every thing but the Pennsylva- nia, which still was firing slowly and oingly, one gun from No. turret, now . gun from No. ?, another gun from :. No. 1, again from No. 2. The Arizo- nass gun crews poi1ted in their envy md cried out to one another. Scraps of their exclamations came back to Wendell on the wind. Puff! Another gun fired on the Pennsylvania, and now, as soon as that could have been reloaded, all six guns of the two for ward turrets went together in a salyo which hid for space of second all the fore part of the ship. At the sight of the great yellow aloud belchcd before the turrets cheer burst from the gun crews of the Arizona The thunder of the salto came down the wind and swelled the cheer into a wild. exultant shout from the men below as well as those above. For every one who could hear or see knew what the salyo meant -the Pennsylvania was no longer test ting the range; the salyo told that she :. had found it. And in the interval of suspense suspense after the gas of the powder had pufreh and been blown away from the guns after the sound < had rumbled be1K on the wind to the ] Arizona-during the slow score of sec iAonds while the six great shells must still be in flight toward the enemy's ships officers and men spun about and, with heads bent back, stared at their forctop. Would the ''spotters" up there zee splashes of spray this time beside the Carthage, or would 1t be "a hit ?"
 The answer bOomed in the alarm bells sounding general quarters and the .bugles calling all men to battle stations. Leaping at the call, as he had responded q hundred times in practice, Wendell stepped from the sunshine of the wind swept deck into