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

{ Constrainedly, automatically at first, Rs the range came to him from the chief fire control station, Bob saw that the sight settlers adjusted the sights. He witnessed. that promptly. At the signal on the buzzer upon Louden's naked breast. the first ringing shots were, fred Now. at. the signal for the saIya all three of his guns were firing tog@her with the three of No. I. turret. fr-ther forward, and with the six of the two turrets astern. The first shell which struck the Arizona stirred in him only contempt. It struck and burst during the wait between salvos and shook the ship far less than tho firing guns; it's shock did not affect the men behind tho heavy turret armor and the noise was nothing.
 Then more shells came. @ No. l turret was not firing. It missed a salvo; Bob was sure of it. Now it missed another. No, 1t was not firing; 1t was out of action Well, if the Ari- zona was getting it, the Xerxes was getting 1t too. Bob's blood raced hot through him, and he was dizzy with I cxultation as he saw the foremast of the Xerxes totter and falE
 The foremast is gone!. Now we'll give it to them again and harderw
 L6uden, the firing pointer. stoeping at his telescope, had seen it also, and hcN cried out as the loadersI cheeredr { They cheered, gasping and choking At,< th< fr,c fr, streams down their bodies, as they ran1med in more great shells, hurled in ithe monster bags of powder; and, closing the breech of each gun, they stood back ready, at the. instant the guns receiied, to do it all again. The safyo vent and now one turret- at least,one turret -of the Xerxes failed tofmaKe reply. ' ,t
 Bob cried that to his crew; as they stoodSback from the loaded guns they slapped each others backs in triumph. They gave 1t to the Xerxes again there was no doubt about that Now, again and again! But slowly, gradual ly, as the turret trainer kept the guns on the Xerxes, the turret was turning further and further forward. The xerxes was no longer on the Arizona's broadside; she was going on ahead. And now Bob knew that the Xer4es was engag ging the Arizona no longer; the Xerxes was abreast the Idaho and engaging the flagship Another super dreadnaught had steamed up to, take the xerxes' previous position opposite the Arizona. It was the third ship of the regents line, the varon, which was sending the shells which detonated and disrupted somewhat astern on the Ari- zona "
 The order, coming in clear, calm tones on the telephone, confirmed the situation: "we shift fire to No. in the line.r The new range and defec- tion followed.
 AS the turret turned, bringing the guns to bear on the varon, Bob studied the new target. She had been engaged, till the moment before, with tho Pennsylvania, but now the Floron had moved up opposite the Pennsyl. vania, and SO on down the line every ship of the, enemy was engaging one vessel further forward in the Ameri can column. It meant, of course, that the old second line ships at the end already were beaten The Zeus dread naughts and the AThors, which had opposed the rear of the American line must be satisfied with their work there they had left the beaten ships to the. battle cruisers, probably, and to the destroyers to finish off. and they were pushing forward now to concen- : 'trate on the stronger ships of the American line. So, already. the Idaho was fighting the lTrajan and the Xerxes together ..ss
 eThat'ss their superior speech" Bob Wendell's subsconsciousness recorded ! IS he observed that "Having the speed lets them do that, of course"
 He realized no bitterness, no re proach, to any one in recording that to himself; it was quite subsconscious fAll his conscious self was taken. ab orbed entirely intent upon firing his