Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-04-17

do and was rescued by that scout boat,
but the rest must have drowned, for
the engineer did not see them"
"But who remained behindr asked
Mr.. Clarkson. "Who drew the fatal
number?"
"Finnegan."
poor old Finneganw groaned the
executive officer. Done for at last!
He has saved thousands Of lives when
drunk and now must die, sober and in.
structed, to save q half dozen enc.
miles,"
The groan echoed mentally through.
out the ship, and men went to their
sleep that night praying for the soul
of the gentle and ridiculous old man
they had loved.
But at daylight there were other
things to think Of. Sharp firing was
heard, and there staggered around the
headland below large merchant built
steamer with huge derricks fitted to
each mast, a few small, quick fire
guns mounted In high places and bark
ing as she came. the white naval en-
sign Of Britain flying from each mast
and gaff and q volume Of smoke belch.
Ing upward from amidships.
She was aflre, and she was percepu-
bly, down by the head, proving that at
least one compartment was filed.
"The mother ship. lieutenant" ex.
planned the captain as Bronson appear
ed on the bridge. "She carries our FIVE
submarines and holdful Of White
heads. Your friends are after her."
"And after you, too, captain" j" answer
ed Bronson. Look there" He point.
ed to the upper end Of the strait.
where, far out over the gray sea, were
two grayer spots from each Of which,
even as they looked, came twinkle Of
fame. That scout boat has reported
you"
"And you, too, lieutenant" answered
the captain grimly. "She rescued one
Of your men. What will happen to you
for losing that boat?"
1.-THE salt mines Of Siberia for me, y
answered Bronson. II am pondering
on the ethics of desertion."
The captain glanced inquiringly at
him, then said, II will release you from
parole If you WISH"
Thank you, sir. I accept the re-
lease officially, but will always main
tain it personally between you and my.
self. But am still pondering. can
not desert yet Please put me in
irons"
The captain smiled. NO" he said.
You cannot escape"
Being prisoner no longer under pa
role, Bronson left the bridge, and by
this time two fountains Of water had
arisen on the smooth waters Of the
strait perilously near to the Argyll,
proving that the men behind those
twinkles of fame had the range.
Then two booming reports came over
the sea, but the Argyll remained at
anchor and waited.
The gunfire from behind the head
land below had not ceased, and soon
appeared, three miles out, however
the scout boat Of the day before. She
passed slowly across the opening, FIR
ing at the mother ship, but maintain.
ing safe distance. Then q three
funneled, high sided, armored cruiser
appeared in view, then short, bulky
battleshp and another smaller cruiser
All directed their fire at the reeling
mother ship, coming on In her smoke
her crew working at the heavy for
ward crane.
"Only three submarines on her deck,
remarked the captain as he viewed
her through bis glass. "She has left
two Of them somewhere. I wonder II
they're near BY"
And now the two ships coming
on from above, battleships evidently,
changed their fire from the Argyll to
the other, and their range finders were
good, and their aim was good, and the
shell that they sent were heavy, and
when one lifted a shower Of water
over. the whole slanting deck Of the
mother ship the Argyll acted.
She was caught In a trap, but that
unarmored, unprotected mother with
her FIVE small ducklngs needed her
care, and, lifting her anchor, she
steamed out to meet her, the secondary
battery silent the while, but the after
turret guns belching at the two ships
at sea, the forward ones at the battle
ship, the two cruisers and the scout
And her range was good and her
range finding excellent, and the shells
she sent so much heavier than those
sent at her that with q little more
time she might have saved that dis.
tracted mother. for the two cruisers
and the scout withdrew from range
as fast as their horsepower would ad-
NIT.
But the battleship remained broad
side to the target, flame, smoke and
pointed steel coming from her turrets,
and every fountain Of water raised by
these pointed steel shells closer to
the fleeing mother ship than the last,
until finally one struck her In the
stern and raked through her length.
She separated into fragments.
It was not an instantaneous explo-
sion. Beginning at the stern, she
seemed to split In two, while q line OF
rising fame and smoke Travelled for
ward. Then the two sides disintegrat-
ed and sank. The masts leaned-one
forward, the other aft-and fell. A
cigar shaped submarine boat swung
high at the forward derrick went high
er in air and fell into the turmoil be-
meath, while two others, lifted side
wise from the shattered halves Of the
hull, whirled end over end and fell
into the sea.
Up and out from this riot Of destruc-
tive forces came a huge expanding
cloud Of black and yellow smoke, while
over the sea, echoing and reverberat-
ing against the wooded shores Of the
strait, went a crashing continuity OF
sound as Of q repeated drum call Of
artillery. eN M ~
Every Whitehead In the hold had
exploded separately, and when the
cloud had thinned there was nothing
left Of the mother shop but q few
floating fragments Of wood and, show
,co "a. ona IN pafaut hofnrc it aAnk the