The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-07-22

The commander turned to them.
We've made mistake" said he.
1T doesn't matter. Just crack on
bit more, Mr. Burns, an wen torpedo
her at six hundred"
Nov here was madness worse than
before, and the best destroyer between
New York and Newfoundland as good
as sunk already.
Gentlemen" said Beckwith. ''It ia
my firm conviction that Lieutenant
Commander Marker is mentally un-
balanced, and therefore unfit to COM
mand this vessel"
With a lightning-quick spring he
had his superior officer clasped In his
arms. Even while they struggled on
the deck, the Lizard swung around,
and squirt of smoke rolled out over
the bows of the cruiser.
The shell went over the destroyer
as she was rolling around like some
fabulous smoke-belching reptile IIav-
ing faced about in her track, she drove
her sharp prov across the circle Of
torn water under which the futile mis-
sile was still dropping from denth to
depth Her speed increased from sew
enteen knots to eighteen, from eigh-
teen to nineteen, and every inch Of
her strained and tingled like living
muscle and tissue. An inferno of
smoke poured from her tunnels and
rolled astern to shroud her boiling
wake: and under the lurid shadow of
the smoke Mr. Beckwith and mid
shipman hustled the struggling COM
mander below and pushed him, I'M
bound, into his cabin. Then they raced
back to the deck.
The cruiser astern showed tremen-
dous speed and no mean marksman-
ship Shells from the big gun in her
forward turret plunged on every side
of the scooting destroyer. more than
once drenching the decks with foun-
tains Of spray Both Burns and Beck
with stood to their posts, ready to
give their best to the protection Of
their vessel, even though, later, they
should be sentenced to death for the
measures they had taken to qUell their
mad commander
But that gentleman was not to be
quelled. Above the racket of throb
bing engines and rushing waters, he
heard his torpedoes calling. With a
weIl-placed kick he broke open the
door of his cabin; and presently with
his own hands he worked the mech
anism that let three of his darlings
slip astern, singly. at intervals of five
minutes They were ingenious affairs,
nicely geared to lie true to the course
on which they were started-and that
course was as exactly in the path Of
the oncoming cruiser as the sane POI
ton of LieStenant-C Commando j. NJ.
Markers brain could make it.
In blissful ignorance of what was
taking place below, Burns and Beck
with kept their eyes on the cruiser and
cursed the inoppoTyune lunacy of their
superior officer.
LOOK there!" cried the midship-
man, dragging them to the right
about.
Hope had appeared on the horizon
ahead in the form of sudden and
quickly increasing cloud of black
smoke. At that the de- roger kicked
another knot into her amazing speed i;
and a minute later the cruiser astern,
also sighting the smoke, redoIbled
her storm of shells. But the range
was long and the target small-and
with every GREATNESS minute the great
battleship materialized under IFS
crown of black
ITS the flagship!" said Burns, with
his glasses fixed. 1.-THE old man sees
the game, I'll be bound, and is crack
ing it on for all she is worth! By
George" he added, 81 believe the
whole squadron is behind heri"
He had scarcely finished speaking
when a sharp cry from Beckwith and
a dull, Earring, thunderous sound from
far astern caused him to twirl on his
heels. A fountain of wild waters, sill
yer in the sun, shut the chasing eruis-
er from his astonished view Then it
fell like a veil-and there, reeling like
a stricken monster, and listing heav-
lily to port, was their once terrific
enemy. He saw dozen flashing col
ors, and staggered with cry Of
mingled relief and horror Beckwith
caught him before he fell.
STEADY, old mani" he said. THAT
was great work. Great idea of yours,
those torpedoes. I'd never have
thought of them"
what dye mean?" cried Burns.
Lord, man, it was none of my
doings."
At that moment the commander
rushed on deck. glared astern. and
uttered a yell of fiendish exultation.
Then. clapping his hands to his head,
be fell fiat
The cruiser had been strong ship,
and had received but a glancing blow
from the exploding torpedo She kept
above water for more than half an
hour after receiving the wound and
boats from the hostile ships put out
to rescue such of her crew as were
alive. AS soon as the torn hulk had
sunk to its deep-sea grave, Burns,