The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-12
Continued from Yesterday

ed from the American gun positions:
a numbing shock-a disruption which
deadened in Barrett all sensation after
his gasp and blink at the binding vel
low fash before him-stif1ed the cheer |
and muted the guns at the same in
slant. Barrett stood moment insen- |
sible; that he had been crushed. beat |
Ell upon by a mighty blow which struck |
head, body and limbs equally; that he |
had been battered and dashed down. |
smothered and broken, was the first
consciousness which returned to him:
but, as he sought TO scramble up, as
he struggled and CROPPED with hands
to clasp something which would pull
nim to his feet, he discovered after a
moment that he was standing.
A high explosive shell-one of the
mines from the Falcon-had struck and
burst on the deck below him. Barrett
gazed down dizzily. The long brown
barrel of his forward five inch rifle
pointed straight ahead and at the ele
vation for long range firing, but as he
watched to see it recoil and for the vel,
low puff or powder gases to mushroom
tionless, silent Its crew were dead
The relief gun crew at once began
| serving the big rifle.
For few minutes after the first two
| hits the gunners of the Falcon had no.
| shortened their range as rapidly as
! their ship and the Salem were ap
| preaching each other and so. for those
| moments. the nine inch shells had been
passing overhead. Now they were hit
ting again, but still little high. They
/ passed through the tunnels. piercing
without exploding They swept away
stanchions, boats and davits. Now
they shortened the range properly and
were firing. Spray-a white. vicious
wave-spurted from the sea directly
ahead The shell. on the ricochet
struck the side of the Salem glancingly
and did not burst, but the next struck
fair and square at the bow and went
through, and the forecastle deck erupt
ed upward as the shell exploded below
Flame and smoke followed. and Bar
rett's glasses. focused on the fleet far
far ahead. were useless. He gaZed
overhead and saw that the masts of his
ship still stood and the wires. of the
radio still were horizontal from fore t.
aftermast, He stepped to the tele
phone circuit which communicated
with the foretop and fastened the re
ceiver over his ears.
"What do you make of them, Mr.
Griswold?'' he said to the boy officer IL
command there.
i "Twenty dreadnoughts, l think
i sir; five squadrons of four ships each,
e the bows voice came to Barrett stead
y fly. "Four ships of the Zeus class, ST
+ of the Trajan, four of the Pharaoh, ST
! of the Sargon class-I can see thei
: masts very plainly-and the others loo
like the Thor Four may be battl
: cruisers of the Carthage class. but
can't say about that at all. sir. The
are farthest away"
!. sand the rest?" Barrett asked.
l "Twenty-six more in sight. sir, seer
to be cruisers Golfers and destroyers.
I'll Barrett took the telephone receiver
from his ears and, Selling his pad, b
wrote the figures in code. The ship:
/ as the boy had seen them. agreed wit
his own guess of their number an
4 their power. Griswold had been |
1 the best place to see and Barrett ha
stationed him there because of his coo
ness and keenness of sight. Anothe
shell from the Falcon had struck an
burst at the bow while he had bee
talking with the foretop. Now anotht
pierced the Salem's side. It's cru
ton smothered for an instant II
flames which the shell the minute b
. fore had started; then the blaze leape
. hotter and higher from the crater b
. low the deck. but Barrett, his me
sage coded, gave no thought now
o the hull of his ship: the destruction I
that he had conceded long before.
. looked up aloft to the wires of Il
. radio and seeing they still RENAME
o he choked in thanks to God He loo
ed back to where, amidship, the rad
= apparatus was housed: that, too, ST
. seemed safe. He caught at Marsto
a who somehow still was beside hiI
o though every one else had vanisht
y from the bridge Marston seized Il
. message without waiting for comma1
. and hurried away.
% "Come back, come back, Billy, wht
- it's sent and tell me that it's done
- Barrett cried after him.
The obliteration of the men at t
. after five was the Falcons instant a
. swer, and flames, with men comforts
. In agony on the after deck, wh,
. shells burst below it as the Salem fie
. Barrett, turning on his bridge, look
. back toward the stern. Marston a
. peared below. He caught at the r;
= and clambered up; stumbled, t,
. down, clambered up again and gain
. the bridge Barrett caught him a
Q held him Marston choked and cou
. not speak. Barrett's arm about hi
found a great hole in his side. A pie
. of shell had struck Marston in
- lungs. The blood was strangling hi
in Barrett's arms.
I'll what is it, Billy?'' Barrett was be
" ging him. What is it?"
" Marston could make no reply. B,
DC rett pleaded with him. 1t was TO t
~ wireless cabin that Marston had go
from Barrett with the warning
which all were giving their lives. 81
Marston been wounded beside the ]
do instruments? Had the shell viii
struck him burst there and destroy
the sending coils at the same tim
Was If that which MarSton had col