The Irish standard., 1916-08-26

which had passed far ahead of the de-
stroyers and Of the cruiser, were with
in extreme range.
"Tell those men they are not to fire
under any circumstances until l tell
them to; they must not even aim. We
are not to start this"
The anti-air craft quick firer ceased
to move. Barrett gazed back at the
colors astern. Above him also, upon
the foremost halyards, the stars and
stripes showed plainly in the breeze.
The other ships showed no emblem.
Only under the wings of the aeroplanes
device in the shape Of Il circle cross
ed with a bar was painted. The air
craft had come close enough to make
it plain. They were perhaps q thou
sand feet UP and twice as far forward
Of the Salem, but Barrett's gaze aban-
doned them for the Falcon us some one
who had been watching that vessel
shouted.
For spot of smoke, appearing sud-
denly, Obscured the cruisers forward
gun shield, and 200 yards ahead of the
Salem, and only slightly to the left of
its course, a squirt Of spray dashed up
from the sea; another squirt, almost
beside the Salem as the shell riochet-
ted.
"They started it-without warningr'
Marston cried.
Barrett stared, his eyes glowing, his
lips tight pressed. A second sudden
haze from the Falcons forward gun
dimmed it's deck; Il hundred yards
closer to the Salem, but still little
to the left the shell shrieked into the
sea.
Fire" Barrett cried. "Give it to
them! Oh, give it to them!' He turn
ed to Marston, restrained. "Code, The
Falcon has fired upon u.s. and get it
off quick!''
The clatter of the forward machine
gun made his shout almost unhcard.
At the first shell from the Falcon the
crew had trained the gun upon the
nearest of the approaching planes.
The forward five inch doomed it's deep
er and slower reply. It did not attempt
| W ACu>A LuC Chilly S1ulScl. i liz
con, using its nine inch rifles, was en-
gaging the Salem from far beyond the
extreme range Of the American fives,
but the destroyers, faster even than
the Falcon. were closer, and at the
nearest of the three torpedo vessels
the Salem was sending its shells. They
struck close. the spray squirting up
white before the first destroyer. and
now, following shot, there showed
no spray, the proof Of a hit!
A cheer, wild. exultant cheer, swell.
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-stifled the cheer
and muted the guns at the same in
slant. Barrett stood moment insen-
sible; that he had been crushed, beat
en- upon by 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
him 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.
walton for long range firing, but as he
watched to see it recoil and for the vel.
low puff or powder gases to mushroom
from the muzzle the gun remained mo.
tionless, silent. Its crew were dead.
The relief gun crew at once began
serving the big rife.
For few minutes after the first two
hits the gunners Of the Falcon had moi
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
Waye-spurted from the sea Directs