Evening star., 1932-12-11

ing so close to the ship ahead that we had to
turn out our bow to keep from running down
her squat stern. Once or twice an increasing,
stealthy roar, like a gigantic dynamo, drew
ominously close-one of our own destroyers!
I stood by the switch ready to throw ON the
running lights at moments notice to prevent
the Maid-e-the Mist being cut in two by
sharp steel bow, but soon the roar began to
recede and finally it died away in the dark
ness. 1t was long, nerve-racking watch and
I was glad to see the dawn come wet and
forlorn though it was. group of battleships
and cruisers and more destroyers joined the
excursion at daybreak. When we had passed
signals and taken our place in the new forma-
tion, the skipper sent me below. In few
minutes after had hit the bunk I was cork
ing off.
We expected to sight the Usdire Islands
light off the coast of Norway about mid
night BY IL O'Clock all the crew had been
reused out In the forecastle, a triangular
shaped room below the forward deck with
hunks along the three sides, we were sitting
around an cid coal stove bolted to the deck,
drinking hot coffee and swapping bull
Dam these restrictions" said Brains. IT
want smoke
You're always belly-aching," 1 told him.
Think of the trinitrotoluol aboard"
THE what?"
bTainy people call TINT"
Don't try to kid me-" growled Brains.
Brains was good scout, but like most fellows
with an extra strong back, he had an unrea-
sonable conceit. Just because he himself hap
pened to be diver he had maddening habit
of exalting that job above every other Job ON
shipboard. He continuously impressed on us
that diving was the only job that required
any brains. That's the way he got his nick
name-Brains
Oh course we kidded him numerically but
Brains vanity was too colossal to be Jared by
mere kidding Deep in his mind was the con-
viction that the war would eventually be won by
divers. There was some satisfaction in know
ing that he would never dive to glory on the
old trawler. If ever he had chance to pull
something there'd be no living with him.
I'm not trying to kid you.' growled back.
"You kid yourself"
I'll bash your face, flag -waver"
You want an excuse to run and dive over
board"
NUR friendly exchange of persifiage was
~ interrupted by the sudden ringing of the
alarm bell. General quarters The crew scram-
bled up the companion-way to the deck above
and rushed to their stations
Prepare to lay minesl" We had practiced
so often that we went through the drill me
chanically.
Just off the starboard bow seeming perilously
close was steady bright light. The Norwegian
shorei Our little trawler began to turn in
wide circle pointed her nose toward Scotland;
steaded. From out of the blackness of the
night came the twinkle of blinkers signaling
Lay mines!'
Somewhere out in the misty darkness, running
lne-a abreast, dozen more trawlers began
dropping their eggs simultaneously with u.s.
Going full speed, we had orders to drop mine
every Is seconds. At this rate, the supply we
carried with would be exhausted in four
hours, when we were to drop a marking buoy
and proceed back in formation to our base in
Scotland.
The job was a ticklish one Besides the mine
case, there was an 800-pound anchor, inside of
which was reel containing the mooring cable
Altogether 1400 pounds to be launched from a
narrow port at sterni
The first three or four eggs went over with
great precision and favorable results. Then the
luck marked us for its own. Whether the last
mine was injured in being launched, or whether
the mechanism, which thrust the detonator
primer into the sea when the mine attained a
certain depth and withdrew the primer to a
safety position when the egg rose to the surface,
was faulty, we will never know; but few
seconds after it descended into the sea there
was dull explosion that shook our small craft
from masthead to keel-plate, and gigantic
geyser shot up in the sea, to fiatten down into
swirling water.
Only the few seconds margin we had steamed
from the spot, and the depth the mine had
attained, saved us from being blown up. 1t was
a close shave.
No sooner had our alarm at the explosion
dissipated. however, than new danger became
apparent The Maid-o- the Mist began to sheer
on her course; then to wobble. The helmsman
turned the wheel frantically. The look of sur
prise on his face changed to one of consterna-
ton
She doesn't respond to the rudder sir" he
told the skipper.
Cease laying Mines" the old man bowled.
He tangled the engne-room telegraphs and
brought them to the position of Stop. Sig