The Irish standard., 1916-08-26

cd upward us the shell exploded below.
Flame and smoke followed, and Bar
rett's glasses, focused on the fleet far
far ahead, were useless. He gazcd
overhead and saw that the masts of his
ship Still stood and the Wires of the
radio still We're horizontal from fore to
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 in
command there.
twenty-five dreadnoughts, 1 think,
sir; five squadrons OF four ships each,"
the boys voice came to Barrett stead
lily. -Four ships of the Zcus class, six
Of the Traian, four of the Pharaoh, six
Of the Sargon class-1 can see their
masts very plainly-and the others look
like the Thor. -Four may be battle
cruisers of the Carthage class, but
can't say about that at all. sir. They
are farthcst away"
"And the resty' Barrett asked.
"Twenty-six more in Sight, sir, seem
to be cruisers, Golfers and destroyers."
Barrett took the telephone receivers
from his ears and, Selling his pad, he
wrote the figures in code The ships,
as the boy had seen them, agreed with
his own guess of their number and
their power. Griswold had been in
the best place to see and Barrett had
stationed him there because of his cool
ness and kecnness of sight. Another
shell from the Falcon had struck and
burst ut the bow while lie had been
talking with the foretop. Now another
pierced the Salem's side It's erup-
ton smothered for an instant the
flames which the shell the minute be-
fore had started; then the blaze leaped
hotter and higher from the crater be-
low the deck, but Barrett. his mes
sage coded, gave no thought now to
the hull of his ship; the destruction of
that he had conceded long before. He
looked up aloft to the wires of the
radio and, seeing they still remained,
he choked in thanks to God. He look
ed back to where, amidship, the radio
apparatus was housed; that, too, still
seemed safe. He caught ut MarSton,
who somehow still was beside him,
though every one else had vanished
from the bridge. Marston seized the
message without waiting for command
and hurried away.
"Come back. come back, Billy, when
it's sent and tell me that it's done!"
Barrett cried after him.
The obliteration of the men at the
after five was the Falcons instant an
swer, and flames, with men contorted
In agony on the after deck, when
shells burst below it as the Salem fled
Barrett, turning on his bridge, looked
back toward the stern. Marston ap-
peared below. He caught at the rail
and clambcrcd up; stumbled, fell
down. clambered up again and gained
the bridge. Barrett caught him and
held him. Marston chokcd and could
not speak. Barrett's arm about him
found great hole in his side. a piece
of shell had struck Marston in the
lungs. The blood was stranglng him
in Barrett's arms.
"What is it. Billy" Barrett was beg
ging him. what is it?'
Marston could make no reply. Bar
rett pleaded with him. 1t was to the
wireless cabin that Marston had gone
from Barrett with the warning for
which all were giving their lives. Had
Marston been wounded beside the ra-
dio instruments? Had the shell which
struck him burst there and destroyed
the sending coils at the same time?
Was it that which Marston had come
back to tell? Barrett put the ques-
ton. Marston shook his head. 1t was
not that, so it must be the other The
message was sent. 1t had gone. Hut
chins had got it to Washington. The
nation now knew! That was what
MarstOn had brought himself back to
say Barrett remembered now the last
thing he had said to Marston. "You
mean it's sent. Billy" he cried. "You
came back TO tell me it's gomez"
Marston choked as he tried to reply;
he could not speak, but his nod an
swered for him and his eyes-the eyes
Of man a moment before death
defiant. bold, triumphant. Marston's
eyes closed. then opened again and
looked past Barrett to the sea where,
far off still. the Falcon was firing. A
shell from the Falcon struck some
where asfern, but ut its havoc Marston
smiled as he looked back to Barrett
once more. "They can kill us, but
We've beaten them!" his smile said as
plainly as words to his commander
'They can kill us, but we've done what
We've come to do!'
Barrett stood straight, with head
erect, so that his men who still might
see him could know, before they died,
that they had triumplled. He turned
as, after the shock OF the next shell
from the Falcon bursting within the
hull, he realized that some one had
come up beside him. 1t was the chief
quartermaster, Daniels. whom he had
ordered to detail a guard for Hutchins,
the wireless operator. The quarter
master, like Barrett, was still unhurt;
he stood stiff as he saluted.
what Is it?' Barrett challenged him.
Sir, Mr.. Hutchins was spy!'
"What?"
"Sir, l found he was flashing the
spark with the switch thrown out be-
tween the transmitter and the aerial
wires"
'What!"
II shot him, sir. But before 1 could