With Beatty off Jutland: A Romance of the Great Sea Fight

he fire of projectiles ranging from 11-inch downwards, it was evident that the Calder's light-armoured conning-tower would afford little protection, and if it were hit by a heavy shel

been compelled to retire owing to damage received during their scrap with the host

tile almost amidships. A rush of scalding steam, followed by clouds of smoke, announ

ippled destroyer, the smoke from which undoubtedly

nes. The last Crosthwaite saw of her was the destroyer, still afloat, maintaining a d

he was still gripping, was no longer supported by the stanchions. Falling heavily upon the

ing aft, the projectile demolished the short mast supporting the wireless, hurling the fragments upon the deck. The White Ensign, which had fluttered from this masthead during the act

enetrating the fo'c'sle, it burst with a muffled report, but, instead of shattering the for'ard part of the destroyer, it emit

time when the ship was getting within torpedo-range, and the men had to direct all their energies upon loos

t the head wind caused by the rush of the destroyer through the water would quickly disperse the po

g their throats. The signalman who had previously saved his commanding officer from falling overboard was writhing in

e fumes drifted to leeward, yet not before the men standing by the pair of torp

re fired, the opportunity would be gone. He tried to shout, but no sound came from his tortured throat.

to the quartermaster, who, although still gasping for breath, had co

waite, and, literally tumbling down the bridge

d the training-wheel and slewed the pair of tubes until they were nearly broad on the beam. At 2000 yards distance three large

cylinder, he caught a glimpse of the gleaming, steel, cigar-shaped missile as it leapt clear and disappeared with a mighty

handed efforts. Instinctively he realized that his presence was again required on the bridge. As he hastened for'ar

contorted and his complexion showing a sickly yello

d forward. His brain was whirling under the strain of the awful ordeal, yet he was diml

steam steering-gear column with a ghastly wound in his thigh. The destroyer, lef

troyer, whose decks were literally swept by the enemy's fire, and resembled a charnel-house. Nothing could be done to save her, for she was already on the point o

Receiving a couple of glancing hits as she sped towards the shelter, she slid past th

ed by the encounter with the German torpedo flotillas, the dash was not without definite material gains. Nomad and Nestor had not returned, and we

o, Crosthwaite's next step was to take stock of da

the crew having worked while under fire on setting up the aerials

ing the shell-holes in the thin plating. Fortunately the engine-room had escaped serious damage,

been caused by the gas-shell, for, before the fumes had dispersed, six men had

reported Engineer-Lieutenant Boxspanner. "Hope to

turn a blind eye to some of the defects, I

as the first time he had been in action, his

er-lieutenant. "The racket at first was enough to stun a fellow. I suppo

gravely. "Come and see him a

estroyers immediately after the outbreak of hostilities. Previously no medical staff had been carried on these small craft. A casualty occurring on board, and accidents in the engine-rooms, we

was almost pessimistic, although there were occasions when a sudden

white tied closely under his armpits, the surgeon was working with deliberate haste, performing a

ades. It was considered "good form" for a patient to utter a rough-and-ready jest at his own case, while grim, but none the less sympathetic, words were bestowed upon their nearest fellow-sufferers. It was a curious physiological fact that a man who would have rav

e engineer-lieutenant. "Thought it would t

utenant-commander. Stirling, deep in hi

bearing testimony to his part in the "scrap", pattered along the shell-pi

and read the message scrawl

d. "S'pose they w

ders. There seemed very little possibility of the destroyer participating in the night attack upon the German fleet--an operation in which the swiftly-moving Br

go for a bit," mused Crosthwaite as he m