Evening star., 1932-11-13

hands from the f1attened periscope
box IS his young navigation officer
entered the central operating COM
partment. We'll, Bradford, am re-
lieved? I'm dog-tired.
4I relieve vou. sir" said Lieut. Bradford.
.aThero,s nothing special to report" continued
the skipper rising from his stool. FarWay
with a nod toward blond young man tAiIo
officer of the submarines deck complement
who was gazing intently through tie periscope
will give you the dope as to poSluon speeo'
and so on We're still hanking the convoy at
periscope depth I'd keep her that way. It's
bright moonlight and you never can tell wnat
U-boat is lurking in the shadows with
silver-fsh ready"
cave. ave- sir" said Lieut.. Bradford, taking
the stool before the periscope box vacated ny
the skipper.
The two Junior officers had not by SO much
as look recognized each others presence
The captain glanced at them curiously IL
was obvious that there was little love iost
between then-and they were from the same
town in the States, too. Probably 1t was some
youthful animosity they had brought over; but
it was strange that the fortunes OF war nao
landed them on the same submarine patrolilng
the waters of the Irish Sea. Well, it was no
affair of his Both boys were brave and cap
able officers Besides, this sticky, suffocating,
uneasy atmosphere was not conducive to
speculation; and so with yawn the skipper
droWsy made his way to his bunk ait.
4 IEUT. BRADFORD grasped the hand-grips
l. of the hattened box out of which rose the
slender shaft of the periscope, and moved it
slowly around At first his vision, distorted by
the brilliantly lit interior Of the submarine,
was blurred: but as his eyes became accus-
toned to the softer natural light of the night,
a vast expanse of water became visible, with
coast line and high hills, all in miniature. The
month was May; the moon at its full, and
brilliant as only rarely unclouded Irish moon
can be- AS the periscope revoved the lens
opened up the sea to the horizon, on which
odd-looking spots, like delicate pencillings, ap-
peared coming rapidly to port. That would be
the American convoy, excellent bait for Ger
man raider with the S-51 lowering near like
q trapper. Farther to the side was single
spot that trailed a feather of smoke. That
would be destroyer Igzagging on the flank
Of the convoy.
Bradford raised his eyes from the box and
glanced at the Pickering needles of the depth
gauges. Fifteen feet submersion. That would
mean feet of periscope above the surface;
target, even If a poor one, on such a bright
moonlight night
Watch the needles Keep her down." he
directed the two petty officers manipulating
the bydroplanes.
Farway raised his blond head. "Ill give
orders Bradford" he said sharply.
"Oh! didn't know you were in command
of the ship" Bradford retorted.
"I happen to be senior officer on watch"
Farway snapped "As you were," he
manded the petty officers.
The insuferable little pup-to vent his
jealousy on fellow officer by humilating him
before the menl Bradford pretended to be
gazing intently through the periscope, but the
blood-spots in his eyes completely obscured the
sivery expanse of sea. The machinery aft
droned rhythmically; after a while it seemed
to resolve itself into a soft whine, monotonous
but soothing. The flame of Bradford's anger
died. leaving only the smouldering embers of
resentment. Such was under-sea life, he
thought bitterly; lowered to the tempo of
throbbing machinery and oil-sweating steel
walls and constantly changing pressure as
sea waves rushed above, so that no passionate
high note could be long maintained. His vision
cleared-became doubly acute for having been
stirred by the quick rush of blood. There,
less than mile away on the port bow, visible
intermttently, was low-lying object that he
had not noticed before.
In times of peril the disciplined man reacts
before his mind can formulate the danger SO
thoroughly is he immersed in action. So it
was now with Bradford; his finger found and
pressed the alarm button before his mind had
reasoned out that the sinister object in the
distance could only be a submarine and if
submarine, then hostile, since the S-51 was the
only allied underseas boat assigned to the
convoy.
The harsh changing of bells resounded
through the S-51's steel hull with terrifying
6istinctness. General quartersl Men in gray
dufae- hurryng to their battle stations.
The skipper, capless and coatless rushing into
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