'Ay, ay, sir.' Arnott's hand went to his cap, and we heard the hull of
the _Victor Pirolo_ ring to the command: 'Lamps! Both watches stand by!
Lamps! Lamps! Lamps!'

'Keep still!' Takahira whispered to me. 'Blinkers, please,
quartermaster.'

'It's all right--all right!' said Pirolo from behind, and to my horror
slipped over my head some sort of rubber helmet that locked with a snap.
I could feel thick colloid bosses before my eyes, but I stood in
absolute darkness.

'To save the sight,' he explained, and pushed me on to the chart-room
divan. 'You will see in a minute.'

As he spoke I became aware of a thin thread of almost intolerable light,
let down from heaven at an immense distance--one vertical hairsbreadth
of frozen lightning.

'Those are our flanking ships,' said Arnott at my elbow. 'That one is
over Galena. Look south--that other one's over Keithburg. Vincennes is
behind us, and north yonder is Winthrop Woods. The Fleet's in position,
sir'--this to De Forest. 'As soon as you give the word.'

'Ah no! No!' cried Dragomiroff at my side. I could feel the old man
tremble. 'I do not know all that you can do, but be kind! I ask you to
be a little kind to them below! This is horrible--horrible!'

'When a Woman kills a Chicken,