Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1918-02-08

line, and the heavy hull. bullt for
freight, not speed.
His heart began to thump heavily.
For the Beotin was one OF the Claude
lines ships, and the approaching ves-
sci looked very much like the overdue
Beotia.
And Ida was abonrd her, and al
ready well within range Of the enc
my's gunsl The two ships had sighted
each ether. Donald saw the Beotia
diminish to a thread line as she turned
and ran, prov on, toward the Orkneys.
A squirt Of flame broke from the Ger
mans bow. A coil OF cloud followed
II. A few seconds later the boom OF
the discharge echoed across the water,
and n pillar of spray shot up near the
Beotia's bow. The battleshlp turned
toward her prey.
And Donald's chance had m
The Beotln had no intention of sur
rendering. The German, following
her, perceived the lurking danger, and
Mt once his guns were trained on the
submarine.
The F55 dipped Mt the bow. A shell
hooted over her, and a second, falling
shorter, deluged the submersible with
water. But the F55 was stern down
and sinking. Her p%eriscope shot
through the waves, the only target,
and In the coming tower Donald sat
with his eyes fast on the mirror.
Ten feet below the surface the F55
plunged on toward the monarch of the
sea.
The sound of the guns was vastly
louder under the waves. A single shot,
sent home, would smnsh through the
thin plates as II they we're of paper.
But Donald knew that II was the SUI
preme moment when danger must be
ignored. He seemed to sense the ship.
the crew, MS n single entity, devoted
to n single purpose. He mined his
bow directly into his enemy's port
flank. Sc was less than n mile away.
At that distance II seemed n miracle
That her shells failed to strike home.
Down In the torpedo room three
men bore n torpedo from the rack and
placed II In the slings. They swung
II forward into the breech OF the tube.
One man at the pump rapidly filled the
breech chamber with the compressed
mir that was TO sent the missile upon
Its course.
Donald, In the coming tower, still
held the cruiser within the mirror. He
saw the smoke coil from her guns. he
heard their dun reverbcrntlou, and
knew that at amy moment the blinded
F55 might be sent staggering TO her
death through the wake OF her wash.
But he was animated by the single
minded purpose which inspired nll and
made the steel and humnn mechanism
a bolt forged Tor death.
Clouts, Mt the wheel, did not allow
the little craft 60 deyiate a hairs
hrendth from her course
"Stand byr
The hiss of the oxygen apparatus
dominated nll other sounds. AZ her
l5-Snot speed the missile left the
launching tube with "a heavy thud, and
the ship quivered as she shook herself
free.
And Donald knew that his shot had
! gone home.
; The whir grew less, but All listened
until the end of the mlle-long Journey
On bonrd the enemy ship everyone
could see the air bubbles that came IN
: from the speeding missile and rs
white. foamlng wake. There was no
{ time 10 muneuver the giant ship. They
prnyed-they could do no more-thai
p the torpedo might not have been shot
true; that It might deylate from rs
, imminent path.
Il cumo ON lncxorahly. The nrinl
b hecnmc wilder. The gunners. ab
, sorbed as they were IN their task
I seemed permeated with the contagious
terror caused by that white, Ripping
pencil line that was extending toward
= their ship.
T. The missile struck the battle cruiser
amidships, blowing out q section Of
Q her hull, a single wnter-tlght compart