The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-15
1.-THE TWO ADMIRALS"
BY JAMES Kenmore COOPER
Condensation by Cyrus Townsend Brady

Condensation by Cy
Some time since an American pub
Usher invited group of men, includ-
ing among others Roosevelt, Barnes,
Spears, Connolly and the writer, to
select the six greatest romances Of
the sea. The Two Admirals" was
the one of Cooper's sea tales included
by a unanimous vote.
Well does the book deserve its Sc,
lection for it is without question the
greatest Of all the novels of the sea,
all Of which I have read and not a
Jew Of which I have written.
1t has more of the best of Cooper,
and less Of his worst, than any of his
naval or other romances. No writer
was ever more at home on a ships
deck than Cooper-not even Marryatt.
And all his knowledge of the great
deep, the way Of ships therein, the
habits and customs Of sailors, has been
utilized in full measure in this immor.
tai story. 1t rings true alike to sea
men and landsmen.
There Is a subsidiary story concern
ing the love. affairs of a gallant young
sea officer, Sir Wycherly Wychecombe
and Mildred Dutton-Bluewater, dam
sci as lovely, as delicate and as inane
as Cooper at his worst could describe
Whenever she appeared she was
either suffused with bushes or burst
ing into tears. On one occasion she
went steadily for above one half hour.
The supposed daughter of drunk
en-, retired officer and a woman OF
the middle class, Mildred turns out
to be the lawful niece of one of the
two Admirals, just in time to soothe
his dying hours; while her husband
Virginian, turns up in the nick OF
time with the papers in his hands tc
prove his succession to the ancient
! title and lands of Wychecombe. All OF
| which is excessively tiresome.
Fortunately the greater part of the
book is taken up with the dOings OF
| the two Admirals. The puerile, pre-
mid-Victorian romance will easily be
forgotten but the remainder will rich
ly repay the reader.
| In 1745 when George II reigned ir
! England the young pretender, Charles
! Edward, made that daring and unsuc
cessful dash for a crown which came
! to bloody end at Culloden in the fol
! lowing year. 1t is that abortive bu
gallant effort which furnishes the mo
tive for the action Of the novel.
Vice Admiral of the Red Sir Ger
vaise Cakes commanded a well-htted
W ell-officered, ~ell-manned, homogen
eous fleet Of ships-of-the-line which hat
been cruising in the Bay Of Blscay
Associated with him was Richard Blue
water, Rear Admiral of the White
second in command. These two men
both welded to the service alone, hat
been shipmates and friends, during ;
naval career of nearly forty years
Cakes was a typical English admiral
a superb sailor, a downright fighter
Bluewater his complement and oppo
site, Il subtle thinker and brillian
tactician. The combination was ideal
as was the completeness of friend
ship, not TO say an affection, as SIN
Cere as it was lasting. Nothing hat
ever broken it; nothing, it was DC
lieved, ever would break it.
In but one point did the true frlend
differ. Cakes was Wing, Bluewate
a Tory. 1t did not seem possible, no"
ever, for political considerations t
interrupt their warm relations. TIL
hold adventure of Charles EdWar
babe fair to do that very thing, how
ever. For Bluewater, frank, unworle
ly sailor that he was, cleverly playe
upon by politicians, began to wave
between the House of Hanover, who's
commission he held, and the House {
Stewart to which his heart inclined
To bring matters to a head M.
Vice-Admiral lie Comte de VervilliaI
sailed from Cherbourg with flee
OF such ships as fairly entitled him t
challenge the English fleet of Vice
Admiral Cakes for the mastery of tn
narrow seas.
The latter, more than willing I
try out the matter, at once put to sc
in a heavy gale of wind, his capita
ships weighing anchor in successlo
with long intervals between them S
as to spread a broad clew to int
, cept the French. Bluewater with hi
division brought I'D the rear. TIL
Rear Admiral was obsessed with tn
idea that de Vervillin's course ha
| something to do with the Pretender
effort and his conscientious scruple
threw him into piteous state of II
decision. The Vice-Admiral was nc
| troubled by any such subtitle casuistr,
He only saw the enemy whom it wa
his duty to beat when, where and ho'
he could.
After a series Of the most brilliar
. tactical maneuvres and a successfi
minor engagement with the Who'll
French feet by his division alone
the two divisions had got separated
: the mad gale and Bluewater had calle
his own ships around him-the Vic
Admiral found himself with five ship
in the vicinity of the French who weI
, just double in number. Far away
, windward the morning disclosed tn
five ships of the Rear Admirals d
vision slowly standing down towar
: his superior under easy sail.
Bluewater was still in his state {
painful indecision. AS soon as With
signal distance, by using privat
! and personal code, he sent the folloy