Show VAIl FR02I THE SKY Ships of War Arc to Ke Blown IOn the Future I p in The Modern Dedalus Greer Our cq Pment was the same as before nvVOPt that half of us carried a single fin iwuml bomb instead of three five 1 nul ones We followed the shore on he southern side of the bay as far as Tlillcev Island which borders it in that ilitortions About a mile in the offing were visible the lights of a large steamer the first of the line We knew that the iaxtonelay t two miles beyond her but from the distance we could not make out her lipl hts Arrived at a point almost I lirectly above the t vessel l 1 halted my little iuity and explained my plans I I which were exceedingly simple One of the men bearing a tenpound bomb was Ito I-to Jenend cautiously until he was near enousli to drop his burden into the funnel fun-nel liter which he was to rise upward girain as fast as possible The rest were to remain in readiness to repeat the maneuver if it should fail the first time The man selected at once began the descent de-scent and for a few moments we strained our eyes through the gloom vainly try in to t follow his movements Presently a slight rattle was heard there was a jjnsht I flash and a stunning report The bomb had missed the funnel and exploded ex-ploded on the deck For a few seconds there Aas a dead silence then a confusion confu-sion of many voices then a shot was heard a rocket whizzed up past us and burst into a thousand points of daz 7lmp brightness which lighted up with noonday clearness an area of more than a mile In the unearthly glare we could plainly we our comrade hastening upward up-ward to rejoin us Before the intense brightness had gone out there was a aontl report another rocket came hurt ling and sceraming right among us and burst into great blazing stars above The effect was indiscribably magnificent but saJly disconcerting to our plans AVe were confused and puzzled and must I have been plainly visible to those onboard j on-board Scatter men Scatter I ihouted as the third rocket came almost m the track of the second It was plainly impossible to remain where we were but in spite of the flaming sulphurous masses that were falling like a rain of fire around me I balanced myself for a moment while I found with my plump line a point exactly over the ship Then loosened my 10 pound shell from its slinfr and dropped it I heard the crash of its fall upon the deck and a deep muflled explosion which told that it had broken through and burst b low I did not wait to see the end but striking off at my utmost speed 1 blew a shrill blast on m > whistle to rally my followers and held my course to the next ship It wan not easy now to make out her exact location lo-cation Evidently aroused by the commotion com-motion though probably not understanding understand-ing its cause she was throwing out luminous lumi-nous shells on the side nearest the land bursting at a lofty elevation att distance of about half a mile from the ship diffused a bright light over the water by which the smallest boat within the dstince of a mile might have been distinctly seen The rattle of a drum beating to quarters came across the water but it was clear that she at least would not be caught napping But while within a wide circle all was bright as daytime day-time vessel herself lay beyond the darkness dark-ness now denser than over from the con ast Her lights had all been extinguished extin-guished and the only clues to her position posi-tion were the frequent flashes of her mortars and the dull reports as shell after shell was sent up This was the very thing we wanted The darkness in which she was phrouded was necessary to our success while the intensity of vigilance with which her crew scanned Ute surface of the water prevented any eye being turned toward the sky With a low whistle I brought all mv men around me and in a few words directed one who carried a large shell to descend low over the vessel and make quite sure that it dropped into the funnel He was then to shoot away to the dark side as quickly as possible The rest of us as Icuded to a great height keeping as directly over the doomed ship as we could in the darkness For a few minutes min-utes which seemed an age we waited looking down No grander or more striking strik-ing spectacle could be imagined than met our gaze the quick flashed of the mortar the intense blaze of the bursting shells the quivering light reflected from the illuminated circle of sea and in the distance dis-tance the rockets which the other vessels continued to throw up The third ship was now burning lights too and so brightly was the surface of the water displayed dis-played that even so small an object as the head of a swimmer must have been seen But we had not a long time to admire ad-mire this brilliant display AVe could not follow our comrades movements in the darkness which fortunately enshrouded him But after some minutes of suspense a deep thunderous sound was heard followed fol-lowed after a few moments by loud confused shouting The firing ceased the light of the last shell went out like a dying lamp and through the darkness a horrible running gurgling sound came up to our ears H Thats the last pf her aid one of the men in awestruck tones I I guess that shell has blown a hole in her bottom Say captain shall wo go and try the other one AVe may as well make a complete job while we are about It |