The Irish standard., 1916-10-14
{ Continued from last week.

{ Continued from last week.)
chief fire control station, Bob saw that
the sight settlers adjusted the sights.
He witnessed that promptly. At the
signal on the buzzer upon Louden's
naked breast, the first ranging shots
were nred. Now, at the signal for the
satvo, all three of his guns were firing
together with the three Of No. turret,
further forward, and with the six Of
the two turrets astern. The first shell
which struck the Arizona stirred in
him only contempt. It struck and
burst during the wait between salvos
ana shook the ship far less than the
dring guns; its shock did not affect
the men behind the heavy turret armor
and the noise was nothing.
Then more shells came,
No. i turret was not firing. It missed
q salvo; Bob was sure Of 1t. Now It
missed another. No, it was not firing;
It was out Of action. Well, If the Ari-
zona was getting it, the Xerxes was
getting 1t too. Bob's blood raced hot
through him, and he was dizzy with
exultation as he saw the foremost Of
the Xerxes totter and fall.
1.-THE foremost Is gone! Now we'll
give it to them again and harder!'
Louden, the firing pointer, STOPPING
ct his telescope, had seen it also, and
he cried out as the leaders cheered
They cheered, gasping and choking
with the heat, the sweat running In
streams down their bodies, as they
Fammed in more great shells, hurled
in the monster bags Of powder; and,
closing the breech of each gun, they
stood back ready, at the instant the
guns recoiled, to do it all again. The
salvo went; and now one turret-at
least one turret-of the Xerxes failed
to make reply.
Bob cried that to his crew; as they
stood back from the loaded guns they
slapped each others backs in triumph.
They gave it to the Xerxes again
there was no doubt about that. Now,
again and again! But slowly, gradual
~, as the turret trainer kept the guns
on the Xerxes, the turret was turning
further and further forward. The
Xerxes was no longer on the Arizona's
broadside; she was going on ahead.
And now Bob knew that the Xerxes
was engaging the Arizona no longer;
the Xerxes was abreast the Idaho and
engaging the flagship. Another super
dreadnaught had steamed up to take
the Xerxes' previous position opposite
the Arizona. It was the third ship of
the regents line, the varon, which was
sending the shells which detonated and
disrupted somewhat astern on the Ari-
iona.
The order, coming in clear, calm
tones on the telephone, confirmed the
situation: 1--WE shift fire to No. 8 in
the line" The new range and defec-
ton followed.
AS the turret turned, bringing the
guns to bear on the varon, Bob
studied the new target. She had been
engaged, till the moment before, with
the Pennsylvania, but now the Floron
had moved up opposite the Pennsyl-
vania, and so on down the line every
ship of the enemy was engaging one
vessel further forward in the Ameri-
can column. 1t meant, Of course, that
the old second line ships at the end
already were beaten. The Zeus dread
naughts and the Thors, which had
opposed the rear Of the American line,
must be satisfied with their work
there-they had left the beaten ships
to the battle cruisers, probably, and
to the destroyers to finish off, and they
were pushing forward now to concen-
trate on the stronger ships Of the
American line. So, already. the Idaho
was fighting the Trajan and the
Xerxes together.
"That's their superior speedw Bob
Wendell's subsconsciousness recorded,
as he observed that. "Having the
speed let's them do that, of COURSE"
He realized no bitterness, no re-
proach, to any one in recording that to
himself; it was quite subsconscious.
All his conscious self was taken, alb
sorbed, entirely intent upon firing his