The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-10-07

up 600" The order came quickly
from the elevation Of the sight and.
after the sight was corrected and the
gun fred, Cup 20Oy'
Up! Up! The Peras and the Carthage
were drawing away. They had been
ht-hard hit-the Carthage battle
cruiser and the rear Pera. One had
lost funnel; mast was down on the
other. They must have been damaged
below, but they were drawing away
from the American pursuit, no mat
ter what the engine crews of the
Arizona and the Pennsylvania could
do. Smoke-the smoke from the fun
nels Of destroyers such as had hid the
American dreadnaughts from the re-
gents submarines-was rising in q
cloud about the enemy's cruisers; they
no longer were trying to lure the
American ships out; they were not
firing back; they were trying only to
get away. And they were doing it,
although they had been hit-hard hit,
two Of them-they were doing it. They
had lost couple of knots speed, per-
haps; but they could spare them, and
more.
''Up 200!" The mockery came from
the fire control station. cup! Upv'
The guns could not be elevated any
farther; the gun crews, sweating and
gasping, loaded frantically. desper-
ately, to give the Pera one more shot
flor the Balch, boys!'-before the
enemy were beyond chance. But
the officers in the coming tower were
giving it up. The bugles blew:
"Cease fringv'
Louden, the firing pointer, pressed
his fingers on his key. The gun be-
side him leaped back and the air out
side was riven. 1t was after the bugle
had blown. Louden turned and faced
Wendell with eyes burning.
II beg your pardon, sir, but I was
on and-my brother was boatswain
on the Balch!"
Bob nodded. The Pennsylvania had
ceased firing too. The sun had dis
appeared minutes before, and dusk
was settling swiftly, with clouds blow
ing up overhead. The enemy's cruis-
ers became only spot Of smoke on the
horizon. and soon the smoke disap-
peared. Wendell saw to the unload
ing Of the guns which had been ready.
The rifles Of the torpedo defense-the
twelve inch-five guns on each side of
the ship-were still manned, but the
crews Of the fourteen inchers were
crawling out Of the turrets. As Wen
dell stood again on the quarter deck,
moving reefs, over which waves were
breaking, appeared off to the left-the
American K and L submarines steer
ing on the surface and making for the
shelter of Chesapeake bay.
Bob watched the tiny craft rolling
and tossing almost helplessly as they
struggled with the sea; they seemed
scarcely to move or hold Roadway.
There was no need to question, as one
watched them. why they had failed to
gain position from which they could
have attacked the escaping Carthage
and the Peras: the ensigns in command
had all they could do to manage their
vessels at all; indeed. the fotilla COM
mander was signaling the Pennsylva-
nia-Bob saw the winking light-for
aid. A light from the dreadnaught
flashed in reply; the commodore could
not spare destroyer to tender the
submarines now. but he was wireless
ing the roads to send tender.
Wendell gazed back grimly over the
rough sea in which the American sub
mersibles were laboring. The regents
underwater boats were back there. too;
but. instead of searching for aid. the
enemy's submersibles were forcing the
American battleships and destroyers
to keep on at twenty knots. to man
every torpedo defense gun. and double
all lookouts. They had shown no
more than their periscopes, but every
one knew what they were-great I'M
dersea cruisers capable of keeping to
the sea in severe weathers and Of
maintaining themselves for weeks
without tender.
"God help our KS and L's," some one
muttered as the American submarines
disappeared into the darkness. IF they
run across the regents rs"
"1'd swap them chances" some one
else rejoined. We've FIVE destroyers
to ourselves and the Pennsylvania this
night!'
Bob Wendell kept silent. but he fol-
lowed the feeling Of his companions.
The X and L boats were taking ter
rible chances. but certainly neither the
Pennsylvania nor the Arizona could
spare them convoy. With the Balch
gone. five destroyers remained to do
picket and outpost duty for two
superdreadnaughts. Four for each
ship would be minimum for safety;
the regent protected even his cruisers
OF the Pera class with four destroyers
each; 1t was known that the princes
dreadnaughts had six or eight DESTROY.
ers apiece.
CHAPTER XII.
God In the Hurricane,
AY1GHT was coming down, close
IN and clouded; the wind, which
~ had been steadily raising, blew
in uglier squalls. The radio,
which flashed to the shore the news
that the Americans had lost the Balch,
but in return had damaged the Car.
thage and one Pera. brought back the
weather warning in the navy code; a
hurricane was on the way. The gov
eminent had forbidden the publishing
of the warning ashore. lest it he sent