Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-16

| to the yardarm and the rope that
have been SO long waiting for him"
stab me" said his lordship. This
Englishman may be gallant enough
to accept battle against such odds.
But these are times when discretion
is better quality than gallantry in
| a commander"
"Gallantry will often win through,
even against overwhelming strength"
said Miss Bishop. He looked at her,
! and noted in her bearing only excite
ment. OF fear he could still discern
no trace. His lordship was past
Amusement. She was not by any
means the kind OF woman to which
life had accustomed him.
Presently" he said, you will suf-
fer me to place you under cover"
Il can see best from here" she
answered him.. And added quietly:
Il am praying for this Englishman.
He must be very brave"
Under his breath Lord Julian dam
ned the fellows bravery.
The Arabella was advancing now
along a course which, If continued,
must carry her straight between the
two Spanish ships. My lord pointed
it out. Hes crazy surely" he cried.
Hes driving straight into a death
trap. He'll be crushed to splinters
between the two. No wonder that
black-faced Don is holding his fire.
In his place. I should do the same"
But even at that moment the admit
raj raised his hand; in the waist, be-
low him, trumpet blared. and inn
mediately the gunner on the PROV
| touched off his guns. AS the thunder
Of them rolled out, his lordship saw
ahead beyond the English ship and to
larboard Of her two heavy splashes.
Almost at once two successive spurts
of flame leapt from the brass cannon
on the Arabella's beak-head. and
scarcely had the watchers on the
poop seen the shower OF spray, where
! one of the shots struck the water
near them. than with a rending crash
and a SILVER that shook the Mila-
grosa from stem to stern. the other
came to lodge in her forecastle. To
avenge that blow, the Hidalga blazed
at the Englishman with both her for
ward guns. But even at that short
| range between 200 and 800 yards
| neither shot took effect.
| At a hundred yards the Arabella's
| forward guns. which had meanwhile
been reloaded. fired again at the
Milagrosa, and this time smashed her
| bowsprit into splinters: so that for a
| moment she waved wildly to port.
Don Miguel swore profanely, and
| then, as the helm was put over to
| swing her back to her course, his
| own prov replied. But the aim was
| too high, and while one of the shots
| tore through the Arabellas shrouds
| and SCARED her mainmast, the other
| again went wide. And when the
! smoke Of that discharge had lifted
| the English ship was found almost
| between the Spaniards, her bows in
| line with theirs and coming steadily
on into what his lordship deemed a
death trap.
Lord Julian held his breath and
Miss Bishop gasped, c1utching the rail
before her She had glimpse of the
wickedly grinning face OF Don Miguel
and the grinning faces Of the men at
the guns In the waist.
At last the Arabella was right be-
tween the Spanish ships Prov to
poop and poop to prov. Don Miguel
spoke to the trumpeter, who had
| mounted the quarter deck and
| stood now at the admirals ell
bow. The man raised the silver
/ bugle that was to give the signal for
the broadsides OF both ships. But
even as he placed 1t to his lips. the
admiral seized his arm. to arrest him.
Only then had he perceived what was
so obvious-or should have been to an
experienced sea-fighter: he had de-
llayed too long and Captain Blood had
outmaneuvered him. In attempting
to fire now upon the Englishman. the
Milagrosa and her consort would also
be firing into each other. Too late he
ordered his helmsman to put the tiller
lizard over and swing the ship to lar