The Boy Allies at Jutland | Page 5

we seem to be afraid to do. To my
way of thinking, we should have gone and cleaned up Heligoland a long time ago."
"By Jove! You want the enemy to win this war quickly, don't you?"
"No, but----"
"Come, now. You know very well what would have happened if we had tried to take a
fleet into Heligoland. They would have blown us out of the water."
"Well, such things have been done," grumbled Frank. "I can tell you a couple of cases. At
Mobile Bay----"
"Oh, I've heard all that before. But conditions now are absolutely different. What was
done fifty years ago can't be done today."
"They aren't being done, that much is sure," replied Frank. "But this argument is not
doing us any good. Me for a little sleep."
"I'm with you," said Jack.
And half an hour later, as the Queen Mary still steamed due east, Frank and Jack slept.
Above, the third officer held the bridge. The great searchlight forward lighted the water
for some distance ahead, and aft a second light cast its powerful rays first to port and then
to starboard. There was not another vessel in sight.
Farther to the east, other British battleships patrolled the sea, their lights also flashing
back and forth. It would be a bold enemy who would venture to run that blockade; and
yet, in spite of this, the strictest watch was maintained. For the fact still remained fresh in
the minds of the British that upon two occasions the Germans had run the British
blockade; and both times the failure of the British to intercept them had resulted in heavy
loss of life on the coast, where the German warships had shelled unfortified
towns--against all rules of civilized warfare--killing thousands of helpless men, women
and children.
It was against some such similar attack that the British warships were patrolling every
mile of water. The British coast must be protected. No more German raiders must be
allowed to slip through and bombard undefended coast towns.

Also, strict watch was kept aloft. For almost nightly now, huge German Zeppelins were
sailing across the sea and dropping bombs upon the coast of Kent, upon Dover, and close
even to London itself. It was feared that one of these monsters of the air might swoop
down upon the battleships and, with a well directed bomb, send the vessel to the bottom
of the sea.
All British war vessels were equipped with anti-aircraft guns and these were ever loaded
and ready for action; for there was no telling what moment they might be called into use
to repel a foe. Upon several occasions attacks of the Zeppelins had been beaten off with
these guns, though, up to date, none had been brought down.
But now there had been perfected a new anti-aircraft gun. With this it was believed that
the battleship stood a good chance of bringing down a Zeppelin should it venture near
enough.
With such a gun the Queen Mary had been equipped as she was overhauled in dry dock.
With this gun went four men. One to stand by the gun at night and keep watch of the sky
and a second to do duty in the day time. The other two men stood relief watches and were
of additional need should one of the first men be injured, taken sick or killed.
And so it was that, as the Queen Mary continued on her way, one of these men stood by
his gun just aft of the bridge, watching the sky. Nor did he shirk his task.
Almost continuously his eye swept the dark heavens, following, as well as he could, in
the path of one or the other of the searchlights. He used powerful night glasses for this
purpose. Suddenly he gave a start. He looked closely again through his glasses. Then he
uttered a cry of alarm.
The third officer, on the bridge, gave an exclamation.
"What do you see?" he demanded.
"Zeppelin," was the reply. "Douse the light aft. Have the man forward see if he can pick
up the craft with his flash. About two points east by north."
There came sharp commands aboard the _Queen Mary._
CHAPTER III
WARSHIP AND ZEPPELIN
A bell tinkled in the engine room of the Queen Mary. The ship slowed down. Captain
Raleigh had been called by the third officer. He took the bridge and issued his orders
sharply.
There was no telling whether the Zeppelin sighted by the man at the gun would attack the
ship, but Captain Raleigh considered it best to be on the safe side. That was why he had
left orders to be called immediately should an enemy appear.

Again a bell tinkled in the engine room, following an order from the commander