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

defense requires all gunnery officers to
be on duty during firing; but, although
F., torpedo attack by destroyers was still
possible, the weather made it more
and more improbable and the light
ming was flashing so frequently as to
illumine the sea for seconds at time.
Accordingly, officers and men were be-
ing sent, in small groups, to supper.
Bob sat beside Garry at the table.
1t was the first time they had seen
each other since the battle.
"Good shooting from number two
turret, Bobbyr'
'That was Louden! Garry, you
should have seen him-especially after
the Balch got it."
| II heard; his brother was boatswain
so he gave the Pera that last shot"
"By the way, did you see it? Where
it hit, l meant"
Garry hesitated a moment. "Some-
thing funny about that; I'm crazy, of
course-for we We're out of range then
but I've an idea that shot hit. some
how. didn't see any splash, but then,
If shots pretty short. it's easy to miss
a splash"
"Not for you; some good spotting
today. Garry. The men-well, they
just felt it! A couple of the Car
thage's thirteens hit the Pennsylvania:
of course you know"
| ION armor. No real damage, was
there? We weren't missed by much a
few times"
Then they talked of what was ahead
Of them. The Arizona and the Penn
sylvania and the destroyers had not
turned back to the roads; they were
keeping on south and east. The officers
spoke in low tones, and after the mess
attendants had served them.
"The special god who looks after
drunken men and fools has sent us
this hurricane!" Garry calculated.
"Look at the fix we were in-one divi-
sion at New York, ours at Norfolk, the
Delaware and North Dakota at
Charleston, and most of the rest Of our
decent ships beating it up from Haiti
and the gulf as fast as they can make
it. Special Providence put finger in
that, too; the ships we have to have
were on the way when the Salem
woke Washington up. But at that, we
were up against it till this wind came
along. In any reasonable weather
their air craft would be scouting every
where to find where we are-with
their battle cruisers and perhaps d.
vision Of their Sargons they could have
cut off any division Of ours they
wanted and stopped us from ever
getting fleet together
"The Oklahoma and Nevada, with
some more destroyers. are coming out,
I suppose you know. They left the
roads just at dark and will join us
about midnight"
Garry nodded: ITO try little sur
prise party on the prince in the morn
ing. ." Going up again now?"
mo; I've next watch. I'm to sleep
now"
They went to their rooms together.
Good luck"'
Good luck!'
l
Wendell went to his room and closed
the door. 1t was the first time since
he had been in battle that he had been
away from the observation Of his fell
lows. alone. He stood for moment
dazed at the relax within himself, and
for an instant he opposed it, then he
sank down upon his bed and lay on
his back staring up at the painted
steel of his ceiling. He had fought
In battle!
1t could not have been the peril of
it which had excited and exhausted
him so; it could not have been. during
the long hour. the imminence of OBJ
liberation. Except for the trying,
waiting minutes Of inaction after the
submarines attacked. he had scarcely
been conscious of reckoning his chan
ces for life or death; something far
mightier, more masterful and over
whelming, had absorbed him.
Besides, so far as danger went, he
had been in terrible peril before-there
was time, on the side of the Matter
horn. when a snowstorm came and
he and companion and a guide had
chung to an icy crack helpless for more
than an hour. when slip by any one
of the three would have dragged all
to death. Personal peril there had
been as great and had lasted as long
as this battle today; the danger Of his
ride with Jim after Ingouf. when the
spy had turned to throw bis bombs.
had been even greater; when Bob first
boarded the Arizona in the afternoon,
and the aeroplane dropped its ex.
plosives. he personally had b-en nearer
oblfteration than he had since
But the battle! How was 1t so diff
ferent from other dangers? Because
while another was trying to kill him
be also wcs trying to kill? That was
not it: for. when Ingouf tried to kill
him. be had killed Ingouf. and it was
not like this. When the aerop1ane had
destroyed men beside him the guns
from the ships were firing up at the
plane. but neither was that like this.
Those things were all petty-personal:
that was it; everything before this
had been personal. and battle-battle
was not personal at all. Or it had not
been personal till now-this moment
when he was alone at last, shut in his
room away from the rest, with Nellie's
picture in the drawer of his desk.
He sat nm and Ion nod over and omen.