slippery edge of eternity when the batteries opened up.

"'We're getting warmer,' said Ames.

"It was close range work and we were able to reply to the fire of the
land batteries with our little 3-inch beauties, although I don't
suppose we did much good. It makes a fellow feel better, however, as
you know, if he's barking back. It's funny how most men have a dread
of dying without letting the other fellow know why he's there. It
doesn't seem so bad when you're hammering him.

"Anyway, it was part of our business.

"There was a bunch of red buoys anchored along one side where our chart
showed the channel to be, and we supposed that they had been used by
the German destroyers as channel buoys or to mark mine fields.

"It developed that the Germans had anchored those buoys and got the
range of them so they could have their guns already set for anything
that came near them. Some of our boats were hit by the first fire. It
was a desperate spot.

"We were up near the lead and we had to run fairly well in advance of
the main body. As you know, it often happens that when a vessel is
steaming head-on very fast, it is difficult to hit her. It seems to
rattle the gunners the same as charging infantry does the defenders.

"Shell after shell missed, but there were so many of them falling
around us that we were almost smothered in the spray. We had all been
under fire before, so it didn't have much effect on us, though.