Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-04

ike the VnOr -Four may DC DdIlie
cruisers OF the Carthage class, but ]
can't say about that at all. sir. They
are farthest away"
"And the rest?" 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 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 she.
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 bad vanished
hrl< u Mn a.
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 conterted
In agony on the after deck, when
shells burst below 1t as the Salem fed.
Barrett, turning on his bridge, looked
back toward the stern. Marston ap-
peared below. He caught at the rail
and clambered up; stumbled. fell
down. clambered up again and gained
the bridge. Barrett caught him and
held him. Marston choked 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 strangling him
in Barrett's arms.
what is 1t, Billy?' Barrett was beg.
ging him What is itY'
Marston could make no reply. Bar
rett pleaied with him., It 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-
do Instruments? Had the shell which
struck him burst there and destroyed
the sending coils at the same time?
Was 1t that which Marston had come
back to tell Barrett put 1.-The aques-
ton. Marston shook his head. 1t was
not that, no 1t must be the other.s The
message was sent. It had gone. Hut
chins had got 1t to Washington. The
nation now knew! That was what
Marston had brought himself back to
say. Barrett remembered now thelast
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 a man 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 astern. but at 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 kiltus, but we've done what
we've come to dor
Barrett stood straight. with head
erect, so that his men who still might
see him could know, before they died,
that they had triumphed. 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 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 spyT'
"What?" -
"Sir, found he was flashing the
spark with the switch thrown out be-
tween the transmitter and the aerial
| wires"
"What?'
~ shot him, sir. But before could
kill him he smashed the condensers.
Mr.. Spurstow Is working to fix them
now. He sent me to report, sir, that
he believed no message which was or
dered has been sent" III.
The blood throbbed dazedly in Bar
rett's brain.
|, "Hutchins was a spyw
That spies were enlisted, that there
might be spy on his ship, Barrett
had known well. To guard against a
spy Barrett had told Daniels to station
the guard at the radio instruments,
and Daniels had chosen to stand guard
there himself. He had served to pro-
tect the operator, but It was the op-
orator himself who was the spy! AS
soon as the quartermaster had seen
this he had shot Hutchins. Spurstow,
the relief operator, who had been kept
below to be called II Hutchins were
hurt, was working to repair the ap-
paratus which Hutchins had destroy
/ ltxa = Y. - a