Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-09-22
him to his feet, he discovered after a

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 rifle.
For q few minutes after the first two
hits the gunners of the Falcon had not
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 a 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
NdNC7ppAllCu Liz z hONSAy
ahead. The shell, on the ricochet
struck the side of the Salem glancingly
and did not burst, but the next struck
fair and square at the bow and went
through, and the f~orecastle deck erupt.
ed upward as the shell exploded below.
Flame and smoke followed, and Bar.
rett's glasses, focused on the fleet far,
far ahead, were useless. He gazed
overhead and saw that the masts Of his
ship still stood and the wires Of the
radio still were 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, I think,
sir; five squadrons of four ships each"
the boys voice came to Barrett stead
lily. -Four ships of the Zeus class, six
of the Trajan, four Of the Pharaoh, six
Of the Sargon class-I 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 farthest away"
"And the restT' Barrett asked
'"Twenty-stx more In sight, sir. seem
to be cruisers, GOLFERS and d~estroyers.'
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 keenness of sight Another
shell from the Falcon had struck and
burst at the bow while he 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 at 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 doneF
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, wher
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 raj
and clambered up; stumbled, fel
down, clambered up again and gained
the bridge. Barrett caught him and
held him. Marston choked and coul6
not speak. Barrett's arm about hin
found a great hole in his side. A piece
of shell had struck Marston in the
lungs. The blood was strangling hin
In Barrett's arms.
what is it, BillyY' Barrett was beg
ging him. "What is itT
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 fol
which all were giving their lives Had
Marston been wounded beside the "a
dio Instruments? Had the shell which
struck him burst there and destroyed
the sending coils at the same time
Vas 1t that which Marston had com
back to tell? Barrett put the ques
ton. Marston shook his head. 1t wa!
not that, so 1t must be the other. The
100 rN. ~ I- It'd