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On the way he glanced at the helhted up by the

binnacle lamps was calm He said rapidly to him: "Stand by to spin that

helm up at the first word" The answer "Aye, aye, sir," was delivered in

a steady voice Then Mr Powell after a shout for the watch on deck to

"lay aft," ran to the ship's side and struck the blue light on the rail

A sort of nasty little spitting of sparks was all that canite The time of all these

various acts must be counted in seconds Powell confessed to me that at

this failure he experienced a paralysis of thought, of voice, of limbs

The unexpectedness of this misfire positively overcaination was not prepared It was

knocked clean over When it got up it ith the suggestion that he

at once or there would be a broadside smash accompanied

by the explosion of dynamite, in which both ships would be blown up and

every soul on board of them would vanish off the earth in an enor and at the same moment, before he could

open his mouth or stir a limb to ward off the vision, a voice very near

his ear, the ht--eh?

Throw it down! Ju of activity in Mr Poas released with great force He