Vintage Science Fiction from Australian Newspapers

Alarm

Item

Title of Story

Alarm

Attributed Author

Barbour Gilbert

Year For Sorting

1925

Story Summary

From The Herald: Through the story runs a tangled skein of romance. The dramatic seizure of the north, air raids of Melbourne and Sydney. Invasion of Queensland, siege of Brisbane-these are dramatic incidents, graphically described, by which the writer points the moral of his visionary story. The forward to this rousing yarn has been written by Mr W. M. Hughes, former Prime Minister, who appreciates the motive of the writer - the awakening of Australia to the need for adequate defence. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243622670

Critical Introduction

"Barbour Gilbert" is a pseudonym. However, no comparative analysis or computational stylometry has yet been conducted to determine who wrote Alarm. Having a former Prime Minister write a glowing introduction, and the text containing extensive details of the mechanics of war as well as a detailed knowledge of the Pacific, not to mention a skillfully crafted narrative, suggests this is a well-known author who didn't wish to put his name on a science fiction story. Even so, this story contains a few racist expressions (normal for the time it was written), along with a whole chapter about the Anglo-Saxon world fighting the Asiatic world, so I have no plans to find out who wrote it.

I have included Alarm as a main text to be studied due to its prophetic extrapolations of communication and future skirmishes, including the public watching the war on television in Australia when the first television was still in development in the UK and wouldn't be publicly demonstrated until a year later. ""Through the perfection of Wireless photography and the now television apparatus the world was able to watch the progress of both fleets." In fact, there are also references to journalists in circling airplanes, capturing the action, something that didn't happen for film and audio until World War II, and also references to live broadcasts, something that didn't happen until the Vietnam War. For historians, Alarm is representative of Australia's fears of invasion at the time, considering The Great War had only ended a few years before. On top of that, talk of global television which official didn't happen until several countries worked together to broadcast an event at the same time in 1967! "The meeting of these two Armadas was a spectacle which mirrored world-wide by television."

Other futuristic ideas include the American fleets low floating docks spread across the pacific. "America's mobile base consisted of a subsidiary fleet, accompanying and protected by the battle fleet, and including ships fitted with cranes of all capacities, workshops, repair depots hospital ships, and carriers of munitions, stores and oil."

Interesting aside. Clem and Lois are the main characters, and the story switches between Clem at the front line in Gondwana Land and Lois in a Red Cross tent for most of the story. While Lois feels all emotions and Clem is only humorous or horrified, it is notable that female characters get their thoughts on the page. Also, while Lois does pine for Clem when he is away, she only discusses war and fear with the other nurses.

The Megalasians bomb then take Darwin in their first major assault. Japan bombed Darwin in 1942 but didn't take it.

Cockatoo Island as a dock for repairs is shown to be a bad idea when a dirible with several drones attaches itself to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and blows it up, preventing any military ships from crossing under it. The wirelessly controlled planes then go and destroy Martin Place clock tower, Ultimo Power station and Central Station, destroying communications and power. The story confirms similar attacks happened in all major cities. While this has never happened in reality, it is a perfect strategy to make Australia completely defenseless, even now. Though, slightly differently, Adelaide was bombed by two huge submarines. Not long after, the British bring their own dirigible and wirelessly controlled airplanes to attack the enemy dirigible. Also, wooden hulled airships transport war material between Britain and Australia.

Attacks on the government for failing to prepare abound "The Commonwealth had neglected its navy, and had failed to develop an air force." And obvious calls for conscription ""The value of Australia's compulsory service scheme was now demonstrated." While the call was there, and repeated throughout, Darwin (and other cities) didn't start building defenses until a realistic threat from Japan became apparent in the late 1930s.

While this is a story about whites against asians, there isn't that much in the way of slurs or insults. Megalasian could be any invading army. There is even one scene where a Megalasian is captured who speaks perfect English. No racist descriptions.

Also, aboriginal people are generally described positively. In one section a group of aboriginal people convey information about the Megalasian invasion force to telegraph operators for a short time. Even later, when it is obvious several tribes had been bought out by the Megalasians, they merely warned a mounted policeman in Arnhem land that it's best he not get too close to the tribe at this time. Again, I note more respectful descriptions for First Nations people in science fiction stories in newspapers considering the content and time it was written.

Print wise, The Herald had a few problems with this one. Incorrect chapter numbers, including IX used twice in the same issue, XXII labelled as XVII, XXV labelled as XV, XXIX labelled as 29. Scan wise there are sections of paragraphs that have been damaged. So, ignoring the poor OCR, this story is missing random parts of sentences. New OCR scanning of the original images won't fix that. If these Trove scans came from microfiche then finding the original newspapers and scanning those again might help solve some of the problems.

I would probably describe this future war story as 'lite' science fiction as the protagonists didn't have much to do with the futuristic inventions, and there are no explanations about how these inventions might work.

Science

Advanced Wireless Visual and Audio Communication

Wireless control of aerial machinery

Inventions

Huge airship big enough to destroy the Sydney Harbour Bridge with multiple bombs

Pilotless planes (drones) operated wirelessly

Wooden hulled dirigibles strong enough and fast enough to convey munitions and other supplies from Britain to Australia

Huge submarines that can bomb a city from the water.

Huge airship able to destroy other airships with torpedos and send their own drones to attack other drones.

Global live television

Journalists circling war zones in planes transmitting live audio and video to televisions around the world

Science Fiction Subgenres

Future War

Invention Opera

Related Newspaper Fiction

The Raid. A Story of the Last Phase of the Great War.

The Siege of Sydney. The War of Tomorrow.

The Coloured Conquest

The Invasion of Australia. A Forecast.

Mentioned Elsewhere

AustLit lists this title under the author, added in 2010.
https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A134701

Graham Stone noted this title in his revised Australian Science Fiction Bibliography (2010)

Additional Information

Foreword written by former Prime Minister William 'Billy' Hughes:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243626124

I have been asked to write a foreword to a story which is, I believe, the first treatment in fiction of the theme of national invasion applied to the two countries whose defencelessness appears most to provoke Invasion — Australia and New Zealand. Where statesmen and publicists have failed to rouse a people to a full sense of its helplessness a novelist may, perhaps, by the interest of an exciting narrative, present to the national imagination a picture of an attack, as it might be made, and of the events which would follow it. By supposing the employment of television, and depicting a gigantic struggle by air, land and sea, the writer forecasts the warfare of the future.

While I have not had an opportunity of reading the complete manuscript of"Alarm," "Alarm," and therefore do not necessarily endorse any particular view or principle it involves, it is, I am confident, a story which, apart from its Interest as fiction, no Australian or New Zealander can read without coming to realise vividly the perils and possibilities of the Pacific as they appear to experts, rather than to amateurs, of strategy.

So far from being merely fantastic, it is worked out with strict logic from premises which might well have been laid down by competent strategists. It is a work , which will excite conflicting opinions, but which will interest the public of all countries with Pacific possessions, and of Australia and New Zealand in particular. — W. M. HUGHES.


FOREWORD "ALARM" is a significant forecast, in the form of a thrilling novel, of that great Pacific war, and that invasion of Australia, which statesmen and strategists fear may be provoked by our defenceless position. Behind the mask of "Barbour Gilbert" are the narra- tive skill of a novelist familiar to the British and American publics who has made a study of the Pacific peoples and their problems; the opinions of eminent statesmen; and the calculations of the subtlest strategists of the day. "ALARM," in which is interwoven a charming love story, is full of exciting incident: the dramatic seizure of Northern Australia; air raids and bombardments of Australian and New Zealand cities; the destruction of Sydney's harbor bridge; the landing and warfare in Queensland; the siege of Brisbane; the naval fighting in the Tasman Sea; and finally the naval campaign in the Pacific, when for the first time in history the world at large is enabled by television to watch the actual fight- ing. The visit of America's mighty fleet has set you, no doubt, reflecting on the peril of defencelessness. But you will glimpse that peril in the vividness of reality, as it flashes across the screen of scientific imagination in "ALARM."

Other advertisements:
Alarm — — War Story"Alarm," the new serial whi---h has just been begun in The Herald, is the kind of story that will keep Australia up late thinking. The author, Barbour Gilbert, builds a romance out ofthe possibility of war in Australia-tells a fascinating love story in a setl ting of disaster in a manner to stir the popular imagination. The invasion of the north, the bombardment of Melbourne, other dramatic incidents are imported to heighten the flavor of the romance and to drive home the great moral — adequate defence.

"ALARM"War-in- Australia Serial Begins TomorrowTomorrow This Heiuld will publish the flr&t chapter of tho thrilling iiottl serial, "Alarm.." The author. Barbour Gilbert , hit's' ktok'sh-ali ,hlr'<tfiemri;l!ij.i>o.,<iat:if " plcttC-,c3' ilidl"'lA'rdranjs', "ijsfyli' ' . ' ;;tiwrelv -8HpposHitb!is,isvb)stelkAt ' wUh. iiar experiences pf . oilier , lands. . Through tho story riins a.iKiibivu laKoin -.ot- romance. Tho dramatic seizure of tlio ' -nortli, air raids of Molbourne ' and Sydney. Invasion - of Queensland, slcgc of -Brisbane — these are dramatic. In? cidents, graphically- described, by which tho wrltor ppirits the -morn I of his visionary story. The foreword to' this! -rousing yarn has . been written by Mr W. M. Hughes.: former Prime Min-' Ister, .who appreciates the inotiyc of the writer — the awakening of Austrnlln to tho need for adequate defence.

How this Story was Identified

Initial key word searches on the 2023 exported 1901-1939 TBC database.

Date Details Added to IA

February 2023

Author Gender

Male
https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A134701

Nationality

Australian

Biographical and Other Sources

Barbour Gilbert Biography at AustLit

Single or Serialised

Serialised

First Published Date of Last Installment

1925-09-29

Date Range

1925-08-29-1925-09-29

Number of Installments

30 chapters, printed one and a half to two chapters at a time, 6 days a week.

Complete or Supplemented

Incomplete due to multiple damaged columns. Better copies needed.

Estimated Word Count

33,000

Length

Novella

Links in To Be Continued

NA

Links to Trove

Chapter I
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243626269
...
Chapter XXIX
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243626822

Newspaper Publisher Citation

The Herald

Newspaper Name Location Years

The Herald Melbourne VIC 1861-1954

Location Town City

Melbourne

Location State Territory

VIC

Provincial or Metro

Metropolitan

Language

English

Copyright

CC By 4.0

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Content Advisory

These items are historical texts digitised from their original publication, and reflects the social attitudes, cultural values, and language of the time in which they were created. Some content may include depictions or references that are racist, sexist, ableist, colonialist, or otherwise offensive by contemporary standards. This material is presented uncensored for scholarly, archival, and educational purposes. It serves as a record of past cultural attitudes and is preserved here to support critical engagement, historical reflection, and the advancement of inclusive scholarship. Reader discretion is advised.

OCR from TBC and Trove

NEW SERIAL STORYALARMBy Barbour GilbertCHAPTER 1.On the bridge of the Hjelmar, hull-down from the Panama beacon towers, the skipper deplored In vigor-ous language the passing of the windjammer. In those days you found an answer to a drunken muti-neer in the nearest of many belay-ing-pins. In the chart-house of a 6000-ton tramp, there was nothing so handy; the commander seemed. In fact, almost superfluous among gyroscopic compasses and self-steer-ing machines. "Bound east from Norway." Olsen was muttering. "Aren't those your orders? Electrical goods for Hong Kong. And we've followed the sun for fifteen days. Fifteen days," he cried indignantly, "followed the sun all the time." He shivered violently, and was suddenly seized with vomit-ing. "Swine!" the skipper ejaculated. "Get below!" he shouted. "Back aft, or you'll finish the voyage in irons!" He advanced a step and halted. peering into the seaman's face. The skin was tinted a deep yellow. Olsen had caught hold of a stan-chion, and was staggering, still mumbling his protests against fol-lowing the sun to reach the east. Brushing past him Captain Knudsen was in his cabin in half-a-dozen bounds. He seized the medical guide that lay on the medicine chest and turned up "Symptoms." Book in hand he dashed back to Olsen and grasped his wrist, feeling for the pulse. Knudsen's own pulse quick-ened as his glance travelled between the book and the patient. "Delirium and yellow fever," he muttered, and swore feebly. He knew that the sanitation of the Panama zone, carried out with such extra-ordinary thoroughness during the building of the Canal had been gradually abandoned until it had come to be restricted to the workers along the route. Scientists had long ago sounded the warning that the return of the mosquito to the shacks of the Negro settlers might devastate half the world. Calling up the first officer Knudsen pointed to the open book. "He's been down two days," said the officer. "I thught it was in-fluenza. He must have relapsed." "The jaundice settles it." Knudsen replied. "Muster the crew," he or-dered. "Get Olsen to his bunk, I'll change her course." And thereupon the Hjelmar's. skip-per changed the course of history. Seventy-two hours later the ether pulsed with the startling news that yellow fever had broken out in Asia. The fearful plague was travelling so swiftly that control was impossible. Already vast numbers of people were affected, and the mortality was 30 per cent. The pilot who brought the Hjelmar in had been reported ill morning. On the same day two boat-men had been removed from their homes on the waterfront, and the in-fection was spreading from house to house through the streets leading in-land from the harbor. Two days later a report that others of the teeming cities of the Megal-asian* countries were falling into the grip of pestilence deadlier than any in history threw the western worldinto a panic. It could not hope to escape; the days were gone of natu-ral isolation through the mere ab-sence of communications. The watch-word was "Quarantine," and the nations forgot everything — forgot even their preparations for mutual destruction — in their anxiety to escape the destruction threat-ened by nature. Foreign ves-sels in the ports of the Megalasian countries fled homeward loaded with tourists and commercial agents; all others were advised not to approach, and Megalasian ships in foreign waters were called home, "for use in emergencies," as the consuls explained. An urgent wireless was sent out to British warships—for in an embarrassing coincidence the China Squadron, then cruising off the Philippines,had to be brought at 30 knots back to Hong Kong to cope with a serious outbreak of anti-foreign flaming up of a nationalist sedition in India. When, in addition, those small craft which were constantly employed in patrolling the island groups of the Pacific were recalled to Shanghai to rescue British and other Europeans, the "eyes of the fleet," so far as the Pacific was concerned, were effec-tually closed. (* Gk. Asia, megas, megalo, great.) For three weeks the western peoples were left in suspense, taking comfort in the assurances of scientists that the isolation of the Megalasian countries would stay the progress of the plague. On the sixth of August a message was broadcast announcing that the out-break was under control; and the western peoples returned to their commerce and their quarrels. Even the Australians, though their peril had been greatest, ceased to fear, and were soon absorbed in horse racing and the games—except the war game—which had for long been their preoccupation. It was on the twentieth of August that the crowds who in the coastal cities of the island continent bought the sporting editions from the news-boys, were puzzled by three strange headlines in the radio news: "Is It Mirage?—Torres Strait Mystery— Horizon Dark with Smoke of Many Ships." On tram and ferry, in motor bus and train, they read, some with faint curiosity, others with sudden dread, a mystifying paragraph. "THURSDAY ISLAND. 2.35 p.m. — The northern sub-station reports that during a temporary clearing of the haze today the smoke of many ships, steaming in line from the east, was observed in Prince of Wales Channel. "Only momentary glimpses coukd be obtained, but the observer con-siders from their silhouettes that some of the vessels were war-ships." Lois Bremner, standing in the gar-den of her Wahroonga home, read the message in a chill of fear. The newsboy had just thrown the paper over the fence, and she had gone out and picked it up, opening it casually to glance at the record of other people's business. For the first time she read something which, she felt with curious certainty, was her busi-ness too. "Warships." Then the others might be transports. It seemed so queer! No official announce-ments; everything else going on as usually; the newsboy throwing in the evening paper. And yet, if the in-credible had happened—if the long-prophesied invasion had come—was not that the way it would begin? Her spirits sinking, she stood star-ing at the page, though reading nothing. Returning on his round the news-boy noticed her abstraction, and stop-ped to watch her. Though Lois, at twenty, was only six years his senior, she was, he reflected tragically, hope-lessly ahead of him on the highway of life. His admiration was only the keener for that, and he gazed ardent-ly over the hedge: she seemed to him irresistibly enchanting, the antithesis of the angular. Her face was round; her bare sunburnt arms showed rounded elbows; even her nose, which turned up a little, refused to be sharp. Lois's dark eyes had often sparkled tantalisingly at him over the pittosporum hedge, but now, when their glance drifted round to meet his own, their expression was troubled. The sight of him recalled her to her-self, and turning, she walked up the steps of the verandah porch. In hopeless admiration the newsboy hur-ried on. Lois was thinking of Clem, won-dering if he would be home yet. Her thoughts followed him on the ferry trip to Manly; and suddenly she was roused. If it were war—if the coast should be raided—the seaside suburbs would be shelled into ruins. Running to the telephone she called up the familiar number. "That you, Girlie?" his voice came cheerily "You're early, aren't you? What's the trouble?" "Clem," she said quickly, "did you read in the paper tonight about the mysterious ships, through the haze at Thursday Island?" "Sure," he laughed back. "And the haze explains it—a mirage." "You're certain?" she questioned "I was anxious, Clem. I thought of wars and horrors of all sorts." "You're not to," he commanded, "just think of nothing but me till I come up tomorrow night." "Good-bye then," she whispered, and smiled as she heard his "Cheerio!" Lois hurried away to get tea for thechildren, and in the absence of her mother, who had met her father in town for dinner at a cafe and a theatre later, took charge of the noisy table. She was glad when the meal was over and she could escape into the garden to wrestle with a thought that troubled her. A mirage, Clem had said lightly. But was not a mirage a reflection, how-ever distorted, of a reality? She sat down on the lawn, leaning against the trunk of a tree-fern, her hands clasp-ing her knees. Her glance rested on the stem of a cabbage-palm which shel-tered the side of the bungalow, and moving upward fixed itself on the Southern Cross, shining through the leaves. The palm sent her imagination northward to the tropics, to the equa-torial seas, to the strange lands beyond. And in a reverie that became a tor-ment she saw moving shapes that came closer and showed themselves as fleets and armies, and the new battalions of the air. She saw swift cruisers speeding down to hurl death at the rich cities of the south; merchant ships bringing count-less soldiers to seize Australia's empty north; aerial fleets flinging earthward bolts of flame from which spread poison-ous clouds. And then, the panic of those taken unprepared, the calls to arms, the hoarse screams of bugles, the mustering of armies; desperate battles in which untrained valor went down before valor allied with skill; the flight of young and old from crumbling towns; night skies reddened with the flare of burning farms. Her countrymen's despair; and then, mighty fleets steaming eastward from the far-off Motherland; another, per-haps, from a great and kindred race; titanic battles by land and sea. She saw Clem, bayonet in hand, fighting for his life and hers; saw herself, wearing the red badge of mercy, tending the wounded, comforting the dying; heard the tidings of rescue, and was able to feel little joy. The moving shapes grew fainter, and the Southern Cross shone again through the palm-leaves. Yet, though Lois knew nothing of the war game, and cared only for love and peace, her vision was to be justified by those fear-ful events which have passed into his-tory as the War of the Pacific.
CHAPTER II. THE ALARM Three days went by without fur-ther news, and Lois, willing to forget her tears, went over to the Hilliards for Joyce's birthday party. Clem was to arrive by nine o'clock. From the trees hung colored lanterns, cast-ing a rosy glow on the big verandah where a dozen couples danced fox-trots to the music of a gramophone. Through the open doors of the liv-ing-room, where Joyce and Mrs Hil-liard were serving claret-cup, came bursts of laughter and gay nonsense talk. As the gramophone record ended, Lois, resting after her first dance heard the click of the front gate, and, turning, saw Clem walking up the path. She noticed with sur-prise that he was not in evening dress. Holding out his hands, he stood at the bottom of the steps, and she ran down to meet him. "I rushed up from town—I wanted to be with you when you saw the paper," he said as he kissed her. "It's a special edition. And, listen, Girlie— there was something after all in the news from Thursday Island" He hesitated. "Tell me," she breathed. Guiding her up the steps to the verandah, where there was light to read by, Clem unfolded the newspaper and the dancers, guessing something un-usual, gathered round them. It covered the entire front page in poster type. "NORTH AUSTRALIA INVADED. "MEGALASIAN CRUISERS SEIZE PORT DARWIN. "MARINES CUT CABLES. "LANDING IN PROGRESS FROM VAST FLEET OF TRANSPORTS." "Is it war?" asked Joyce Hilliard, in a frightened whisper, turning to her brother Jack. Lois was holding tightly to Clem's arm. "Keep cool." said Clem; "it's easy going for them just now. Here's the message. It was sent by telegraph from a temporary station rigged a few miles inland. A couple of opera-tors got away in time." He read slowly. " 'Darwin, six-fifty-five p.m. — The cable and wireless stations were seized at dawn by a landing party from a Megalasian submarine which appeared suddenly off the port. Later Megala-sian cruisers escorted transports into the harbor. These landed troops, who took possession of the town, no re-sistance being possible. " 'The transports are entering in suc-cession, disembarking their comple-ments, and steaming out to sea again. The convoy extends north-east beyond the horizon, and apparently a hostile army of formidable size, with full equip-ment and supported by a strong fleet is taking possession of northern Aus-tralia. " ' The senders, having been off duty at the time of the landing, were able to ride some miles down the route of the telegraph to the Nookawarra sub-station and despatch this message. " ' Signed, H. G. Braydley. J. M. Fore, ster.' " Nobody spoke: it was incredibly, stu-pefying. Suddenly Joyce Hilliard broke into a hysterical laugh. "Out with the lanterns," she cried, "they're targets for bombs!" Everyone shivered. "The city's in a ferment," said Clem. "Thousands are pouring in from the suburbs to hear the latest. Near the newspaper offices the crowds are wedged in solid blocks. The trams can't get far into the city. It's like pande-monium—cheers and groans, and speakers everywhere. Some are argu-ing the whole thing's a hoax, but most of them are yelling themselves hoarse saying that it's war and that Australia must fight to the last ditch." There was a rush for cloaks and hats, and the dancers scattered. With Clem's arm about her shoulders Lois turned homeward. Later, as he kissed her good-night at the pittosporum hedge, she yielded for a moment to ter-ror, and clung to him, weeping "What can Australia do?" she whispered. Out of the distance came a long-drawn note, growing swiftly stronger It came from a train, thundering down the line to add its complement to the wild crowds in the city. As it passed the station the driver sounded a suc-cession of deafening blasts, like the screams of Valkyries speeding to battle. "Australia can fight," Clem answered, "and she will fight— New Zealand, too. The Anzacs proved that. Help must come from somewhere. They can't de-sert us, if they did their own turn would follow. It's war — and to the last man!" (To be Continued)
NEW SERIAL STOR Y [?] -vbarbour GilbfJteir. CHAPTER III. tiu: call to arms Confirmation of tho Darwin mes sage camo quickly, and from tho in vaders themselves. Tho Australian Government was notified that tho landing was made without hostile in tent toward the settled portion of tho continent; tho nations forming tho Mcgalusian Leaguo had taken posses sion, for purposes of settlement, ami not of war, of the unoccupied northern coast and its hinterland. They do- sired to develop it whllo maintaining peaceful relations with the Australian people, and proposed to defino a boun dary which they would never en croach. This, they added, was not an act of War, since the Australians wcro not, and had never been, in ( effective occupation of tho territory concerned. It was Impossible to refute this ; reasoning. The Australians, what ever their claims, had absolutely no evidence to prove that they were in effective, occupation of what they had themselves been In the habit of cnll- irig'the "Empty North." Nor had the international dealings of the Megalaslans given them any reason to suppose that a treaty, if negotiated, would not be honorably observed. Yet tho frenzy of the people precluded the possibility of negotiations: to them it was tho first wave of a tide of invasion, and their fury to saw the country was as extreme as their former indiffereneo to all thought of defence. Though tho cables were controlled by the invaders, the ether was still free, and it throbbed with appeals to Britain, to the United States, to France. To the Motherland Australia urged the claims of blood: to the Americans, those of friendship and common racial ideals: to France, the claims of old comrades-in- arms, of whom tho great Foch had said: "They held the head of the enemv's rush in the dread hours of lf»XS; they stopped him, broke him, and, at the | hour chosen, drove him back to the rear. I have an unforgettable remem brance of Australia's incomparable sol diers!" To the white nations Austra lia appealed in the name of their com mon destiny. And to the world. she de clared harsclf guiltless of the criminal ambition of war. But alas! She was plainly iruiltv of n w criminal than that ambition. Had she not invited attack bv her careless guarding of the prize entrusted to her? Those who were indifferent to her ex tremity had the single answer: "To have invited attack is to have provoked attack." On the lips of all the Australians was tho agonising question. What will Britain do? Yet of what Australia should do there was no queslon what ever. T|o Cabinet broadcasted from the capital city of Canberra tho declara tion that a state of war existed, and, fort Hied by the nation's desperato re solve, issued the call to arms. Tho country was frenzied with excite ment. In the swollen cities of the coast enormous crowds, forgetful of business and pleasure, drifted through the streets cheering impromptu speeches and watching eagerly for olllclal bulletins. At night every radio loud-speaker throughout the land was tho rallying- plnco of tho surrounding farmers. Sol diers exhorted them to fight for wife child and home; politicians declared that aid would come from beyond tho seas; the clergy assured them that tho war of defenco was a sacred duty. Convinced that a war of waiting must be disastrous, tho Government decided on an army of defence, and called to tho colors veterans of the war of 1914 who were still of fighting age. These were to be tho stiffening ot an army of 100,000 men. Kitchener's estimate of S0,000 — 40.000 for home defence; 40,000 for offensive action— had to bo disregard ed, since his plans were based on the principle of preventing a landing. There was no lack of soldiers, for even in the war of 2 014 the nation, then of five millions, which by referendum had decided against conscription, nevertheless by voluntary enlistment raised an expeditionary force of 400,000 men. No lack of men, indeed — tho problem was their equipment. What will Britain do? was tho re curring question. The wireless re laying stations, now under Govern ment control, broadcast no oversea news pending the declaration of Bri tain's policy; and the newspapers filled their empty columns with tho exhortations of publicists and the out bursts of poets, whom Shelley named "the trumpets that call to battle." Posters flared on every public building, and men who had never shouldered a gun wore soon repeating tho ringing lines of the stirring war poem of Alf red Noyos. — 'Kings o' the earth. Kings o the earth, the trumpet rings in warning, And Uko the golden swords that ray from out the setting sun. thrt ehntif c«an. a... —> . i. - i , -..w w.vm, uui u mo trumpet mouth, across the hills of morn-' ing, "Wake, for tho last great battle drnvns, and all tho wars are done!' " Australia was to lose the distinc tion of being the only land which hm never known a war. Tho recruiting depots wcro besieged by men wlu cheerfully declared falso ages; those who wcro too young, and those win were too old, for service. Clerks ami otUco workers who had built up on the surfing beaches the bronzed physique of athletes, left their desks with de light. Along country roads flocked men from the farms, many of them on horses which they offered with them selves. From these battalions of light horse wcro rapidly organised. Wireless messages recalled many ships to port, but some, among them tho Narallan and the Pntnram, then bound north for Darwin and Java, made no response, and It was as sumed that they had been captured. Australia's wretchedly inadequate fleet of six cruisers (four of them obsolete), and less than half-a-dozen of submarines and small craft, was rushed Into tho dockyards at Sydney and Williamstown for repairs. Later the cruisers put to sea. "for recon- nalsaneo duty." with orders to retire before an enemy in force. These or ders were due not merely to reluc tance to expose the ships to tho cer tain danger of being outranged and destroyed, V"it also to dissension in the Cabinet. Already the Governments of tho six Australian States wci'e mak ing 'urgent demands for tho protec tion of their capitals; ami finally the Federal Cabinet, consoling Itself with the reflection that tho navy was in any case too weak to keep the sea. distributed tho vessels, and mounted a number of their guns for coast defence. It admitted that such a course was - hopelessly wrong, but the pressure of i the Stales was irresistible. For tho : popular belief was that tho six > cruisers combined, at grips with an ? enemy squadron which would ccr- » tninly ho superior in speed and range, I must bo annihilated us in 11)14 Crnd- - dock's squadron was annihilated by » von Speo at Ooronol. On tho other . hand, their guns wcro. In tho country's appalling ciofcncelcssncss, tho only , weapons that could stand between the . helpless coastal cities and raids from the sea. Adelaide being especially exposed to attack, its citizens clamored for a warship, and pro tested against tho sending tho cruisers to sea for any purposo other than a junction with a rescuing iloot. These vessels accordingly took up positions as const defence ships. Adelaide, was to bo defended from Kangaroo Island, Brisbane from Morcton and Strad- broko Islands. For tho protection of Sydney a patrol was established be tween Broken Bay and Botany Bay. Naval guns were mounted on Point Lonsdale, Point Nepean, and Queens- cliff, to command tho entrance to Port Phillip, and thus secure Mel bourne. Though a cruiser was despatched to Fromatulc, no attempt could he mado to mine King George Sound, which was In fact soon in the' posses sion of Megalnsian submarines. , Working night and day, llobart's citizens transported tho material re quired for a barrngo across tho mouth of tho Derwent. In tho Tnniar River mines wore laid, and Launceston's inhabitants were slightly comforted by t lie mounting of two guns on Pig Island. (To bo Continued)
I ALARM| By BARBOUR GILBERT a — — — „jjiimiilllillillmiilmiMiiiiiii | Stirring | Story ftNimmtiiiitiitHiniMiiiitniiI I | Begin f | Today |CHAPTER IV. TilE NEWS FROM THE NORTHTho continued sllcnco of tho Thursday Island radio Indicated that It wns In tlio hands of the Invaders. But one after another station owners frombt.u -.if. I..UWI -LO 1-riLury, rue 81Z0 anu remoteness o£ wlioso holdings compelled thorn to possess aeroplanes, reached Adelaide with alarming news. Tho army of invasion — from 40,000 to 60,000 strong. It wns reported — had landed with Immonso quantities of munitions and supplies. Tho latter Included seed grain and agricultural battalions wcro already nt work 111 nrons ly selected and mnppod for every creek and lilllabong between Dnrwin and tho M'ArUiur Illver; clearing In preparation for crops of rlco, wheat, yams, and lucorno. Artesian bores would sup-Ply amplo water. From Molvillo Island, whero a hunting corps was among tho bufTnlo,' fresh moat was being procured, and raids wore being mado on tho cattlo stations of the interior. More significant still, engineers were at work on a light railway from tho terminus of tho short lino from Dnrwin. Its south-easterly direction sug-' gostcd an ultlmato junction with tho' northern terminus of tho railway sys-1 tem of the oastern coast. 1 Tho Megaluslan fleet was apparently based on tho Becquorol Islands,, whence its fast transports wore trans-i foiling to Darwin vast quantities of' supplies. Meanwhile, Australia was mobilising lior soldiers, and making desperate attempts to equip them. Though her heart, sho thought, must burst, Xjois waited, smiling, one morning out-sldo a recruiting depot while Clem went beforo tho doctors. Without delay they passed him as fit; his dally plunges In tho surf at Manly and his week-end games of tentnls with Lois mado suro of that. "Might as well bo doing something:," ho laughod, nB ho camo out to re-,? I?1'- "There's nothing to do at tho office!" Clem was a partner In a small brokerage firm, and with tho declaration of war Its business soemcd to have vanished. They bought sandwiches and walked through tho Botanical Gardens to 1' arm Covo, whero a submarine .was fuelling from an oil tanker. At' tho cry of "Special edition!" Clem sprang up and raced after a newsboy. Special editions wore becoming normal, but none ever failed to sell out. "No news, of course," said Clem, as ho returned and sat down by Lois. "But there's an article by a retired military big-wig." lie read It eagerly. "AVhat docs ho say?" Lois asked. "Seems a wise old bird. Ho thinks that if Britain helps quickly wo can fight a campaign of two to throe weeks. But tho Megalaslans know they have at least that long to dig in, so to speak, before a British fleet can cut tholr communications. And tho point Is that they can land enough munitions and supplies in that time to out-fight tho Australian forces." "Then If wo wero beaten they could prevent any troops or supplies from being landed, oven if, help did come," said. . Lois, looking over Clem's shoulder. Two paragraphs In blacktype had caught hor eye. "It Is startling to reflect that If the Megalaslans had landed in Australia lit 1925 no resistance whatever could hare been offered. Tho country then possessed neither artillery nor machine guns, neither rifles nor bomlis. It was without nero-pluncs, without warships worth tho mention. . And If by nny clinnco It could hnvo begged, borrowed, or stolen a supply of arms, It would have been literally without powder or -shot for a single day's extensivo fighting. "Our capital cities would have been seized, and with such hostages in their hands the invaders couldlinrc reduced the strongest rescuing flcot to a futility. But If tho linr-bors of Australia and New Zealand hail passed Into lioslllo hnnils, It would ltnvo been ridiculous to expect a British fleet to venture 5000 miles southward from Its nearest huso at Singapore." "Tho conclusion Is," said Lois, "that If wo can fight for only two or three wooks, and they can outlast us, It will 1)0 just as if they had landed In nlne-teon-twenty-fivo. They, can capture our cities, and hold tliom as hostages eyen If the fleet docs venture down from Singapore." "Our only liopo Is to keep tlieni up In tho north. But they'ro quite safe In advancing south-east to tho trunk railways. This expert points' out that they couldn't bo outflanked. They need fear nothing butl a frontal attack from tho south-cast, where our population Is. If It camo, thoy'd bo fighting with a well-equipped base behind them, and their Unas of communication practically safe." "What's that ho says about America?" Lois asked. ' "I'll read It," Clem answered. " 'Why have tho Megalaslans cast no glanco at tho Philippines, which aro theirs for tho taking? Tho answer Is that' the first principle of their strategy Is to avoid a conflict with tho United States. Every naval strategist knows that tho licet of no oiio Power, however strong, could approach Megalasian waters with any hope of victory. Arriving with bunkers emptied by a long voyage, its ships could develop no speed when speed would be essential. It could not venture to engage a fleet manoeuvring In familiar seas, fresh from its dockyards and secure In tho possession of easily acces3lblo bases. For tho attacking fleet, thousands of miles from dockyards and supply bases, each ship disabled would bo a ship sunk. "'It Is incredlblo that Britain should risk her battle fleet, which is lier very means of life, in a conflict far north of Singapore. Tho most we may hope for Is that a British flcot may out the Invaders' communications by defeating tliolr squadrons east or south of Singapore. ."'On "'On this, undoubtedly, the Megalaslans aro gambling. At worst they can lose a few army corps In Australia and a few warships; they cannot bo invaded. At best they can bring Britain to terms after defeating her in seas where she fights under the heaviest of handicaps. Unless rr..t.ho. Megalaslans the great = »? tS should America, satisfied that If the Anglo-Saxon Empire falls her own turn must follow, .lar0 fr war, an Anglo-American na\al offensive, based on Singapore, might wear them ' down to defeat. IE.th. British Fleet were defeated, that of America could expect nothing but the samo fate. The Megalaslans' objective must therefore bo an early defeat of Britain. : Equally Australia's objective must be to hold tho Invaders in the north and- retain its hostages, tho coastal cities: for if America should Intervono Britain would assuredly keep her fleet at Singapore until America's should join It; to do otherwise would be to brave the desperate risk of defeat In detail.".' There were few scraps of news In the two-page paper, among them an announcement that the CounclLof /Defence, In Its .attempts to oquipr ' the TI6W firmv. Xna I>n_n44l»n it...— <.b-ut.tui(i ctcir Liiu guns and howitzers which had lain for years In the museums as trophies of the war of 1914. "Wo must mako terrible efforts," said Lois, as they walked back to Circular Quay, where sho boarded her ferry "But what will Britain do? It all depends on that." "She'll do the right thing," Clem answered smiling, as the boat moved off. "Keep your courage up!" At six o'clock Lois heard the telephone buzz, and ran to tho receiver. It was Clom. "Am I first with the news?"' he cried. "Yes," sho whispered. "Toll 'mo quickly, doar." "Britain has declared war!" he shouted. "Tho city's wild at the news —cheering everywhere. Can't you hear tho sirens of tho ships In port?" But Lois, In a surge of emotion, had lost hor voice— like tons of thousands of others whom the great news brought to tears. Clem's words kept ringing In her ears: "Britain has declared war! Britain lias declared war!" (To bo Continued)

ALARMBy BARBOUR GILBERT jiHitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnminiiiii Stirring j Story I 1"1 1 Begin | I Today \ I I ICHAPTER V. "TILT, WIS CAN REACH YOU!"When Clom flung the gate open and leapt up the steps tea was scaroely over. Lois was there to meet him — to be clasped In hln arms, kissed, andassured that Australia would be saved. For all that each of them know that It was Imposslblo yet to forecast tho Issue ot a war In tho l'nciflc. With tho late evening papors which Clem had brought, spread out on tho table In tho living room, Lois, her mother and father leaning over her. shoulder, read with- alternate thrills of joy and of terror tho startling captions that streamed across the front pages. "BRITAIN DECLARES WAR!" "GREAT BATTLE FLEET CONCENTRATING AT SINGAPORE." "WORLD IN TURMOIL." "PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE TO AUSTRALIA; "FIGHT HARD TILL WE CAN REACH YOUl " After the formal announcement of Britain's declaration ot war against the League of Megalaslan races, and of her preliminary preparations, the papers printed, with occasional asterisks, that Indicated tho censor's poncll, the policy speech of George Grovillo, tho British Prime Minister, to the House of Commons. "Tho British Government," he declared, "is unable to regard tho occupation of Northern Australia otherwise than as an infringement of British sovereignty. Though tho Megalaslan League lias disclaimed hostile intent, and has offered compensation to tho Australians, In tho form of labor nnd materials for the development of their portion of tho continent, the British Government cannot acquiesce in what is In effect tho forcible seizure ot a considerable portion of one of the Empire's chief Dominions, Our ultimatums having been disregarded, it becomes our duty to resort to the judgment of arms. "In tho free existence of tho Australian Commonwealth is Involved the free existence of tho British Empire. Accepting tho lesson of the decline and fall of great empires of tho past, we have realised that if tho Motherland submits to tho seizure of one of her dominions she must soon submit to" the loss of others; of Canada, of India, of South Africa, of Malaysia. As Flanders was In the past the cockpit of Europe, so now tho Pacific nnd East Indian islands aro becoming the cockpit of the world, by reason of their treasures of oil, or rubber, ot all the' rich productions of tropical nature. "Britain cannot allow herself to be excluded from these seas. She cannot pejmlt the destruction of her prestige tn tho eyes of India's three hundred millions. Sho cannot. In a word, accept a' defeat which eventually would load to tho loss of that vast sea-borne commerce on which her national life depends. "With these cogent reasons tho British Government Justifies Its resort to war. But Its Ministers aro assured that the British people havo already made tho same decision on more generous impulses. They cannot shuttheir ears to tho dosporato call of kinsmen In nn outpost of Empire. There aro few families that havo not one kinsman in tho island continent, which has drawn its population, during moro than a century, almost wholly from the British Isles. The British pooplo cannot be guilty ot tho Ingratitude of turning deaf oars to tho young nation which, whon the Motherland horsclf was memiced, sent to her aid four hundred thousand soldiers, each of them a volunteer." I'liey read tho mnssngo with mol»t eyes, nnd sat discussing it. No other subject seemed worth talking of. A little before 10 o'clock Lois rnn to the telephone, and a moment later came hurrying back. "Let's all go over to Joyco llllll-ard's," sho cried. "They're relaying speeches from England for tho tlrst time, and wo can hear through the loud-speaker." . They were soon on the vornnaan, whero tho Jazz party had been 'O startlingly interrupted and alrcadi some of the neighbors who did not possess receiving sots as elaborate ns Mrs hh-Uard's were waiting for tho clock to strike ten and for London's lunch-hour speeches to bo flashed round the world. Tho first, by a parliamentary unper-socrotarv, was obviously a seml-ofllclal explanation of Britain's delay In declaring war. It was impossible, tho speaker announced, that Britain should allow iter fleet to leave her coasts unprotected unless she were guaranteed against invasion from Germany. They were startled to learn that no satisfactory guarantee could bo obtained from that country. 4, , 4 . "Germany has everything gain, and nothing to lose, by a Megalaslan victory," said tho speaker. "An alliance with tho Slavo-Asiatic countries would gain for freedom from surveilianco by her conquerors of 113, deliverance from the burden of reparations, nnd liberty to organise openly that formidable army which exists unseen. By such an alliance she could hope to obtain the objective of her former dream of conquest, which was the domination of Europe. A Megalaslan League supreme in eastern Europe and the East might well eonccdo to Germany tho hegemony of the West Is It reasonable to believe that Germans' — that almost any nation —could resist such a temptation? "If sho did not Britain would bo menaced by an aerial fleet which could be converted in a day into a raiding agency of terrific power. "The British Government is convinced that it must aslc France to undertake to ensuro the neutrality of Germany. It should therefore cause no surprise If a strong French army advances to Cologne and begins what may bo called an invisible occupation. So long as Germany Is forced to remain neutral, Britain need fear no hostile move from the continent of Europe." After every sentence the speech was Interrupted by cheers. "How it heartens one to hear tbem cheering," cried Mrs Bremner. "So far away, yet our own people!" "The wireless age," Clem answered. "This makes you realise tho marvel of radio. And more amazing still, we'll bo able to watch the war on tho television screens."And And even as they spoke the ether was being harnossed In a manner marvellous Indeed, yet loss marvellous than horrible. (To bo Continued)
I Stirring I ionl
i alarm
I By BARBOUR GILBERT
j1"""""""""" "1 . i i 1 Begin 1 | Today J
Chapter VI: THE RAID
Hp ,v:is on -tho . twentieth of Sop-tho time nine In tho even-jffit (hat tlio dwelJorsTn coastal sub-gflj,s began to turn startled eyes to-.;!s Hid eastern'' horizon, " At lirst SBv laid nolleod anything beyond the aBiilllar thunder' ot.suvf brouklng 011 OT-udi end cllfi: i b|Jt gradually some |K,t a ware of a booming dcoper and ml.! regular than the surf's. It enmo from seaward, and boforo long, In Wfnmtlowa high up on the. headlands, SSpHC who possessed telescopes word BK-nro of (lushes of light, ' ' , Ml-Trhig out at seal There was no Hem f<"' 'doubt, and tho rumor, lljreiidliig .quickly, was parried by telo-Muuie to tho romotost suburbs of de. K>.-i>lcss Sydney, whoso, million
At this point is a mark that erases the left half of this column
cltl-H. v n a agitated like the.'lnhabt-|3| r .;o i r, gigantic hive. Tho St: ,ii r i loader, (ho flashes more .pact, lied at ten ' o'clock both R; , The mnitnlng oyes that Bfc the ta tr-ni horizon began to H ive, a crrl-iur. !!;:ht, whloh was K. , lie eejiilng closer. By t'en-ik r.ny.ntp.jt had solved itself, j» 't no cvui-i':- S.-veastle, with two w h> i- funnels jnui'e, a heavy list to H - id dames rtshu: from her guar. H bad iiaiiMial through tho H ,i'„ >. u.l swa mod slowly up the IK 'lev tu the dockyard at Cockatoo 9 ... \:i' :mh lie thuiisands gathered sf -he '.d!tl and on the shores of .ma nlvttlghtway panic 9. . mcar through tho capital. 9 , ; : every iijfae excited people 1 ' '. d ; i> in the stni'-ts;-' and from the . .. ia ,liat:a..t:i -crowds commenced 9, i„vu- lulu ' i lie, city In quest of I Tln< dsr'cnersyof .the night, 9 :1 !he g.-ncral .unci dainty, added to 9: 1 1 1 \ I iy. -of i lie peoplo, and many H jul'l' d av i i.c recollection of tho B ' i, ,ea ; . In which perlu . 9 |!y ae I .. e ; j : a s had described tho 9 ' "i fhc v-ar of tho tuturo. B i til s'n v o ! i f- v., i tage point was the 9 ::! inieee, ihu longest. In tho world, H ;. h. rininn'"! i lei Harbor from Mil-i'nlut ie Circular Quay. Those > ai), mi aalt-past ten, been enough :o bo crossing It, by ' m mi I iv ;. v. motor car or bus, ...' i a io look down on the r as she passed two '.'"low them. Their was extreme, but the ex-1 i "iivlous to all. Enoiny p . -e ot£ tho coast! Within
Mark ends, start of new column.
a few minutes tho Newcastle was out i.f sight. ' As to what followed, few of the crov.-.dbd witnesses retained any definite Impression, excepting this: That on a sudden; a groat cry went up, and all oycs.fwcre-.'tuHiod tb the heavens. It.came' fr'opv.thb zenith, (nlUng like a . metope,' ''trailing green light, and, striking M;M.ahon's Point, exploded with a fearful; report. Simultaneously a groon mist surged lip, und, tumbling down' tho- sldo of the hill, spread ovor tho surface of tho Harbor. The short silence of stupefaction was broken by shouts and screams: "Bombs! VAn alrrnldl" And a", few . seconds Inter: hllun for your livos' They're bombing tho bridge!" As if -in a pandemonium tho air was filled with shrieks and cries, and _a stampodo to terra llrmn began. Those at .tho othorend of tlie. bridge were In no doubt Which way to.' fly, but In the middle tho crowd was in confusion, some trying to rush back to tho city, others striving to reach the northern side where their homes lay. It was Impossible to force tho trams and railwny carriages through the surging mass, and some minutes passod bofore the bridge was cleared. The fifst bomb, it was realised, had been a warning to escape, and no doubt nn nlm-findor. The "sky was now being swept by scarchllghts„'whoso rays at first dissipated thcmsclvps In the darkness of space. Then one, of them, streaming upward from the southern bridge tower, throw Into white rellof tho out-lino hf a great Airship. It moved slowly, manoeuvring into position, having evidently descended since It launched. Its bolt of gas and flame. Ono after ' another tho seurohllghts concentrated on It until, motionless above tho bridge, It seemed to come to rest upon a scaffolding of sliver rods, On either sldo of tho Harbor a silence awe and dread had fallen upon the crowds. Secure In tho knowledge that tho capital was pro--vided with no defenco ngalnst aircraft, tho raider, thoy felt, was talcing deliberate aim. They wore not mistaken. A chain of sparks, lilco thoso tvhloh mark tho path of a rocket, uncoiled itself below the airship; and tho hearts of thousands of thoso who watched seemed to think with equal swiftness. AVlth a deafening crash the bomb exploded. Watchers in the lino ot ono of the searchlights, which was nhlo to fix it'solf, on tho bridge; perceived as tho- smoke cleared that a section of tho great arch had been reduced to1 a mass of twisted girders, Tho raider's aim was straight! Again tho chain of sparks, tho foar-ful crash, the searchlight playing on tho rising clouds of greenish smoke: and, again, tho anguished watchers could perceive tho sproncyng ruin. Bomb followed bomb at intorvnls of a few seconds, and with rage and bitterness tho peoplo waited for the col-lapso of tho great structure, as science misapplied destroyed tho monument 5f science nobly used. A- cry went up: "It's falling!" Tho trafile level had begun to sag, and tho whole fabric seemed to sway slightly, Down . from tho raider sped tho final bomb; and with a dreadful sound' of snapping and grinding girders tho central portion of tho bridge sank, dividing, and tho soveretl sections plunged Into tho water. '...._ - The watchers' woro stupbfled' by the immonsity of tho ruin. -Roused -by tho motion of tho searchlights they perceived that tho airship was moving. In tlio frosty radiance an aeroplane revealed Itself, and thoso with keen vision now observed that a number of machines woro suspended from the dirigible. Detaching themsolvos, like tho vonomous young from a parent scorpion, these moved off, scattering, the wliirr of their engines plainly audible. Urged by curiosity the rnoro daring of the crowd on tho southern sldo began to run nlong tho streets leading Into the heart ot tho city. Several loud explosions,' and tt. rumbling crash, promised moro oxeltomont. Thoso who had boen unahlo to press their way farther than the General Post Offlco now enjoyed a greator sensation than they had desired. Circling over tlio clock tower an aeroplano, descending to within five hundred feet ot tho earth, dropped half a dozen bombs; and tho hackneyed simile ot tho liouso of cards must have occurred to evory spectator as ono ot tlio missiles, exploding beside the great tower, caused it to collapse on Martin Placo, hurling hugo blocks of stono hnlf-way to Castlereagli street. Tlio 1 screams of tho many who were struck and pinned by tho debris were lost in tho thunder of falling walls, and within throe minutes the State's telegraphic centre was reduced to ruins. Whatever chance of succor the injured h,-id had vanlshod shortly afterwards, when a series of muffled reports was followed by the failure of tho lighting sorvlces. It was realised that tho power houses at Ultimo had boon bombed, and tho police, abandoning their efforts to control the crowds, produced tlioir torches and eoneontratod on rcllovlng tho wounded. Their plight was torriblo, and many In fact died in the long hours before daybreak could bring rescue. Por that night sleep was forgotten. Originating with Incredible swiftness the wildest rumors spread throughout the capital. It was said that tho city was to ho reduced 'to ashes; that Us inhabitants wore to bo annihilated by tho bombing of tho waterworks and tho spreading of a barrior ot heavy poison-gas to isolate them from tho rcBt of tho country. Tho raiding aircraft woro only the vangard.of an immense fleet ot destruction. Squadrons of pilotlcss aeroplanes, controlled liy wireless from airships far above the clouds, would mnnoouvro ovor towns and cities discharging poison-gas and high explosives. Though rumor wns hero fantastic. It could not have exaggerated tho actual peril. Hardly had the searchers among the , ruins welcomed the sad light of dawn wlion, after a muffled explosion, tlio great sandstone blocks of the upper o£ the Commonwealth Bank, ",, 1 s ,nt0 a monstrous hall, wero upward and outward, crushing scores as tlioy camo to earth. Those thut UmrrnT ror. tl,oueht concluded that tlio raiding aircraft liad returned: iinnn fi Second shell, doscondliig at a ??.l ble, exploded 011 tho pavement. Ih/ !,"|'|U/| e"orl"ous hole In tho sldo of tlio building. Both projectiles conw from eastward, iind it ennm «« til? bai-deab;/;V,,1tnhtcSSt'y t0 b0 b0"" tho sbSjiiia more began to come In, untaught by experience of tho danger and thrilling with curiosity. When tho first "hells Pi.1? ' 1 FPl rfhe<1 ln hanio along Pitt and Goorgo streets, colliding with other streams of citizens, in the crushes that occurred at every corner the women and weaker men were forced to the ground, to ho trodden many of them to death, under the feet of heedless thousands, (To ho Continued) '
ALARM | By BARBOUR GILBERT S 7" giitiiiiiiHiiinntmiiiiiniiim j Stirring 1 Story 1 | | Begin j | Today j CHAPTER VI. — Continued. As tho sun rose the shells fell ottoncr. Lost In tho Hood of light on tho eastern horizon tho hoslllo wurshipH, oven their gun-flashes In- visible, at their lolsuro were hurling destruction Into tho capital. Un doubtedly Iholr flru was directed by aeroplanes, which onabled thom to stand well beyond tho range of 'tho obsolete coust batteries. Falling al most porpendloularly, the projectiles acted like tho stings of thoso wasps which parnlyso tho norvo-eontrcs of their prey. Oito nftor another the city's ganglia — hank and Insurance buildings, the Treasury otllccs, the Sussex street food stores — were re duced to heaps nf debris which In variably caught tiro. Whon tho Cen tral Station and railway network were shelled, the disorganisation was com plete. Before this was achieved, hundreds of shells fell In tho Intervening areas, wrocklng wholo blocks of shops and oftlces. Tho streets rapidly became impassablo through overturned tram- cars and fallen buildings, find tlioso who ivoro able to oxtrlcato themselves, and others who dared tho bombnrd- mont In attempts at rescue, had to mako tholr way ovor Immense piles of ruins. By noon the city proper was deserted except by tho Injured. Although tolophono and radio com munication was interrupted, tho nowa travelled quickly from mouth to mouth; and tho continual explosions, find u layer of smoke growing ever denser ami larger In tho still air above tho city, would alone have told tho tale. Dread of a landing and of further raids drove many to pnclc tholr portable valuables and flee into tho country, tlio more fortunate in motor-cars, most on foot. Others tho tear of looting, or anxiety for relatives who had not roturncd, Im pelled to stay In tholr homes. Throughout tlio (lay tho bombard ment went on, steadily destroying every building that represented a function essential to the war of de fence. It' was legal, but terrible; and Sydney would liavo fared better If, being In oft'oct helpless. It had made no prclenco Whatever of being forti fied. Tho disappearance of the raid ing aircraft was explained when news reached tho city tljat the Pennant IIllls wireless station, tho military camps at Llvorpool anil Holdswortliy, and tho Hnwkosbury Bridge, had boon heavily bombed. Towards sunset the shells ceased, to fall, and tho more venturesome of the fugitives began to make their way back, thousands preferring to camp out for tho night. Already looters were at work among the ruins and In deserted homes, taking to flight when owners or watchful neighbors arrived to disturb them.'-" In tho lengthening shadows Sydney assumed 'the aspect of a dovastntofl city. Tho far-spreading residential suburbs had been spared, but the busi ness and administrative quarters ap peared as heaps of debris, whore fires rngod unchecked, nnd clouds of smoki deopened tho Illusion of desolation Within a dozen hours property wortl: two hundred millions had been blowr into ruin, and tho jieople's contldonci had beon rudely shaken. All that dreadful day Lois lay or her bed In a stupor, oxhnustod by sus- penso, her anxiety made moro poig nant by tho recollection of tho images which had filled her Imagination or the night the warning had come froir Thursday. Island, clem, she knew «uo iivat vi ku kiiu ova, iiciuui lu tut guns . . .
CIIAITEK VII. NEW ZEALAND SUFFERS Ah tho telegraphic and wlrcles HysioniH wnro temporarily rnstorod tlHi true nuturo of tho attack became uppnrent. Tho rnlil on Sydney was merely port of a general operation, covering tho chief population centres of Australia and Now Koulnml. On the same night Brisbane, Newcastle, Melbourne. Hobrirt and Perth had been raided from tlio air; while tho few obsolete guns near 1ho Soma I'here had boon unable to protect Adelaide from' the bombardment of two giant submarines, of a typo based on German designs and cnpablo of cruising moro than half-way round the world. A squadron of fust crui sers had terrorised Now Zcnlund by a two - days' bombardment, which amounted to raking tho exposed por tions of the western coast from end to end. Tlie appearance of cncli city was in varying dogroo similar to that of Sydney after the raid; familiar land marks had gone, to ho replaced by heaps of sniouUlcring debris. The dantago to tho Newcastle Steel Works — the glow from whose furnace Arcs had mado it an easy target— was serious, since it would ' hinder the manufacture of. army equipment. Exhorting tlio pcoplo to remain calm, the Government admitted that, in llio absence of -defence against air craft, the raid had been child's play; but It assured them that with the Im pending advance of tho British fleet eastward tho enemy would be forced to withdraw their air and naval forces for concentration north of Austrullu. For this reason the aero-naval squad ron, whoso units had boon distributed round the const for tho raid, might ho expected to retire on its baso tit the Becqucrel Islands. The few avail able aircraft would bo hastily com missioned, and would Institute a patrol over the State capitals. This did little, however, to allay the alarm. For tho flrst time In their short history tlio Australians had seen war on their own soli, and the moral effect was profound. Few re garded tho official assurances, for it was notorious that tho aeroplanes in the country were practically limited to those used in the mail services. (To be Continued)
NEW SERIAL STORY[?]Gilbert £2CHAPTER Vll.— Continued,One effect of tho raid on Sydney was demonstrated In startling fashion no later than the day following, when, In full daylight, a submarine, rising to tho surface oft Garden Island, tor-pedoed an olt tanker and a gunboat, devastated tho navnl storehouses on the Island by a rapid bombardment, and escaped — having taken actually no greater risk than tlint of damago by a few shots from tho battery on George's Head. It was then that the public realised that tho destruction of tho brldgo had bottled up the cruiser Nowcastlo and the two submarines which had been-refitting at Cockatoo, and this was tho penalty of placing tho dockyards on tho wrong sldo of tho brldgo. In effect, Bydnt-v was now entirely without naval protection: and It was useless to announce that tho cruiser's guns would bo mounted on North Head, since obviously tho superior onemy ships woro ablo to outrango them, and so to bombard tho city without resistance. , Tho position was similar elsewhere. Australia's immense coastline of 12,000 miles should havo boon defended primarily by aircraft and a fleet, supported by a mobllo army, capable of being rushed to any point on tho coast by a railway circling tho continent. Actually tho Commonwealth had neglected its navv, and had failed to develop an air forco. As for Its socond line of defence, It was scarce! v ablo to equip its untrained army, "its railways woro built round only half of Its coast, and tho vnluo of tho existing lines was seriously diminished by tho multiplicity of gauges among tho systems of tho various Statos. It was now pninfully clear that Australia must placo Its hope In the British battle fleet, that It must strive desperately to resist tho advance from tho north, and that raids must bo passively endured as tho penalty of a criminal neglect of selt-dofenco, Lato on tho day following tho destruction of tho bridge, Clem was driving wildly along the land route to XVahrgonga. Holding Lois In his arms, ho was agonised at his inability to protect her, and could offer nothing but tho doubtful comfort of tho news from Britain. "Will they como again?" alio whispered. "It depends on tho speed of Britain s naval concentration." ho- answered. "Their ships can't stay so far south as this. They must keep them undamaged for tho big battle, and they'll have to concontrato now on their lino of communication away up in tho north. Thoy havo succeeded in making Sydney practically uscloss as a base for British ships, and I supposo thoy reckon on tho raids having I shaken our moral a bit." "Thoy won't do that — you'll see.Lois declared, smiling bravely. "They'll Just spur us on." "That's tho way to look at It," Clom cried, finding in tills an opportunity to kiss her. "Tou must stay tho night with us," said I.ois, "Joyco Hllllard has boon over to toll us wo can listen on tho United States tomorrow morning. I may bo silly, Clom, but I foci that unless America comes m on our sldo wo can't hopo to win — at best It would mean a compromise, and then tlio invaders could novcr bo driven out." "Don't you beliovo It," Clom do-claroil, with more confidonco than plausibility. "The British Fleot won't lio beaten, nnd If it isn't benten wo won't bo, olthor." . "I hopo you'i-o right," she smiled back at htro. "Still, I hope, too, that America comes in." They spent tho hours quietly, anxiety making tho prosonco of each seem doaror to tho other. Lois was making herself a nurso's outfit, for sho liod volunteered for service. Clem did his best to help — sho mado tho simplest task seem charming. After tea. with liis arm round her shoulder, thoy walked for miles along the quiet roads, unlighted now except by tho dim lamps of occasional cars. As Clem oponed tho gato on their return the glimmer of stars through tho palm-leaves recalled to Lois her vision of the war; and she told Clem about it. "I don't think it was anything but my own imagination, excited by that strange messago in tho papors," sho said. "But for all that, tho first part of It has come true, and I'm suro tho rest will — tho battles and defeats, and tho burning farms, and tho refugees streaming down from tho north. And I'm suro thoro'll bo a terrible battle on the sea." "Tou're gloomy tonight because you're tired," ho assured her. "Tou've walked too far." But Lois could see too far Into tho future to feel comforted.
CHARTER VHI. — NEW YORK IS EXCITED. At tho HUUards', at 11 o'clook morning, everybody was talking strategy, and Lois was glad when "New Tori: Calling nine p.m.", put an end to the ohatter. From the buu and roar of tho crowd, made suddenly audible across half the world, they oould Imagine tho excitement that stirred the great metropolis. Suddenly there was silence, and they could hear tho chairman announcing that tho vast mooting was to bo regarded' as ft forum, In which speakers for and against -must be glvon fair hearing. "Senator " — thoy caught the name of a well-known Radical politician — "will address you right now," ho added. From the loud speaker Issued a o'on-fusion of cheers and hoots, and as it died away tho Senator's voice became clear. "Wo can't do It!" he cried vehemently. "and I'll tell you why. If these United States are driven by fire-brands to declare war wo must let the Philippines go. Tou'ro not aware," he shouted "That before your fleet In tho Pacific would fight it would wait for tho Atlantic ships to join up, wait for days. And on the day the Atlantic fleet moved south for Panama, your own admirals have told you, Guam would be seized, and tho Plipippincs would then be the enemy's for the taking." Tolls and cheers drowned the speaker, who, after a while, made himself heard again. "I tell you, friends, the war policy Is always wrong. Wo made our biggest mistake when we took tho Philippines from Spain — (roars of dlssont) — and I'll tell you why. In doing that wo pushed our frontier seven thousand mlleB out Into tho Pacific. Is our wealth in the Philippines? It is not! For a dream of conquest wo have put out there a hostage we'll have to fight for. Without thoso Paciflo possessions tills nation could never have boen embroiled in any war, with Europe or with Asia. It Is only there wo can be attacked. Tho man who tells you that this country, self-contained and possessing all tho sinews of war, cannot defend Its home territory, that man insults you with bunk!" Again there was a confusion of applause and dissent, and tho speakor could be heard answering lntcrjectors. "We couldn't save the Philippines If wo did fight Battleships can't operate six thousand miles away . . . , Keep out of the war Let them fight It out among themselvesAfter a while the speaker was allowed to resume his argumont "Tho Mcgalnslans will pledge them-solvcn to leave tho Australians In possession ot their country. Is that unreasonable? Romomhor that tho Australians never liothorcd about tho north of tholr country till tho Mcgnla-slnns docldod to scttlo It.... Thoro's no cause for war In this, It's n matter for arbitration You enn novor stop the Megaiaslnns from oxpandlig. There is only one empty land available, and that 1r the empty north of Austriilin!" Tho speaker had suddenly producod a roll of paper, and wavod It nloft. "Road this boforo you vote for war. Tho list of today's failures on Wall street!" "Isn't It strange to hoar the buzz of thftt huge crowd, separated from us by thousands of miles of ocean?" Lois whlsperod. Clem nodded. "That was a strong point, the reference to Wall street," he snld. "Already the Stock Ex-clinngo is topsy-turvy." The chairman's announcement of tho namo of Senator Stoburt caused an Immediate silence, for it was generally believed that he acted as a spokesman of the President, "Britain," ho began, "Is going to fight. Do you ask me If sho Is goingto win. I toll you right hero that, In my opinion, If alio lights nlono sho cannot light to a decision.-— (From tho horn caino the slioutod protests of somo Britishers among tho crowd.) — Sho Is too far away for a successful war. At best sho can oppose the Megnlnslnn fleet with a fleet of no greater strength, operating precariously from a distant linso at Singapore. "Po you know what would happen If Britain' went under? I will toll you. In tho first plnco Germnny would rlso. — (Shouts of denial) — Gormany lins everything to gain by joining tho Meguhislan League — exemption from reparations, complete frocdoni. nnd tho military domination of Europe. All, in fact, that she fought the war of nlnetoon-fourteon to gain. What would follow? The Megalasinn countries. Impoverished, but armed to tlio tooth: tho acrmnii Empiro, equally poor, equally powerful: and botwoon them the greatest prize In tho world, tho rich nnd un-wnrllko United States. Can you doubt tlint the fleet which had conquered Britain would Join with a now swnrm of U-bonts to rob us of our seaborne commerce? Or that, deprived of every ally, we could for long hold back the teomlng millions of Asia, leagued with tho marshalled legions of Germany and subject Europe? (To be Continued)
ALARMBy BARBOUR GILBERT|==p I Stirring | I Story | li.mmtiiiiiiHtniHiniH.niiP-.«..m..nn«TOmuuu.| | Begin | I Today I 1 ICHAPTER VIII.— Continued."Fight now. or lose your chance. The Slcgalaslnn etratcgy has so far succeeded. They hope to ilefoat Britain llrst. and at their leisure thiscountry. Despite their differences, tho" two nations whoso civilisation Is predominantly Anglo-Saxon must flght together, or be beaten in detail. — (Again the cries of protest.) — I warn you solemnly that If wo do not light now with a nnturnl ally we must fight lator alone. What fools to fight singly! We cannot stand by watching advancing Asia overwhelm this outpost of tho white race, and retain our self-respect." "It won't bo overwhelmed." somebody shouted. "The Australians won't be Interfered with. A11 tho Megalaslans want Is an empty country." "The Invaders will lncroas, three times as fast." cried the Senator In answer. "I toll you. this Is not a matter to consider by itself — It's bigger thnn It scorns, It's tho first conflict between the white race and advancing Asia." His voles was lost for a moment In tho jeers, but he returned to the theme. "Onco tho white race meant Greece — and Greece drove Asia back at Sal-amis and Thermopylae. Ones the whits race meant Rome, In Its do-clino, and tho Huns threw back civilisation tor centuries. Onco the white race meant Austria, and tho Turks were driven back from tho gates of Vienna. Today tho white raco means tho Anglo-Saxons, and Asia no longer means barbnrlun. "Thoro Is no reason. In tho nature of things why this world should not bccomo an Asiatic world. Today the genius, tha science, the wealth, the power ot the whlto race are In those two powers whoso civilisation Is prc-domlnantly Anglo-Saxon. They arc tho champions of the Wost, and onco again thoro sounds the challongo ot the East. They must fight together, or fall singly!" The Sonator had finished, and for a while tho crowd gave free play to Its feelings; hut to tho surprise of tho little group of listeners the storm of cheers, hoots and less distinguishable sounds was suddenly quieted. "I should say something got home on the radio diaphragm," said Clem. "It must be lively over there just at the moment." "It's going to bo lively here." Mrs Hilllard laughed. "I've formed a local War Chest section, and today we start on our supply of war comforts." In this Mrs Hilllard was typical of her countrywomen. Already there was scarcely a home where a variety of articles, from socks to cakes, was not in the making. CHAPTER IX WOULD THE INVADERS LAND ELSEWHERE? Two thousand miles to the northward there was even more activity; tor at Darwin tho transports were still adding their cargoes to the Immense stores ot munitions, foodstuffs, and machinery already accumulated. It was reported that pioneer detachments woro making rapid headway with the south-eastward . military road, and that alongside It track-lay--in.g machines wero building the light railway with proportionate speed. There .was a general dread of a landing somewhdro on tho settled portion of the coast. Many thought that the Megalasia'ns, having failed to induce Britain to accept a compromise. would hasten the decision of the land fighting by attacking at a point within fighting distance of one ot the State capitals. The national love of gambling even here showed Itself in the bets mado on the alternatives whether the Megalaslanswould attempt this other landing, or whether tho nccosslty of now withdrawing their fleet for tho concentration against the British would provent tliem from risking a dolny ot soveral weeks. Everybody hoped that tho enemy would bo content with having Impeded tho equipment of tho army ot defence, and having rendered Sydney, temporarily, almost useless as a base for British warships. Though thick clouds veiled the sky over Perth and Adelaide on tho night ot October 7, tho inhabitants woro quickly nwaro ot tho presence of enemy aircraft. Tho saturated at-mosphoro carried only tho more distinctly tho nolso of whirring motors. Elsewhere, tho sky was cloar, and llobart followed tho long fingers of lights pointing to tho circling raiders. In Wellington, tho capital of tho sister Dominion ot Now Zealand, tho heavens were no less filled with menace. At P. 115 two million people stood breathless, staring at tho sky. There glowed tho age-old monsters of tho constellations, which, long innocuous, now seemed to have imparted their terror to tho Invaders. Though tho approaches of what had been tho great brldgo offered Sydney's watchers admirable vantage points, they wero deserted, for all feared that tho structuro might bo completely demolished. By habit, however, tho people gathered on tho harbor foreshores — which Is to say, ihoso who had not preferred to take refugo in cellars, or at least to set oil for the outskirts ot the city. 'ing for eggs of death spawned by Invisible hulls," tho crowd waited, wondering tt they would see a chain of sparks begin to uncoil itself from the nir, or whether the first missile would speed down unseen till It broke into poisonous gas' and flame. What thoy saw was different, and amazing. A light, feeling its way across the sky, fixed Itself on tho long silhouette of an airship, A gasp went up from the crowd, but stranger was to follow. I-Iorizontallv. from a point in tho darkness a mile to tho eastward, a bolt of flame shot towards tho raider. In the light's glare its (light of aeroplanes could be seen hurriedly detaching themselves from its hull; not a moment to spare, for the aerial torpedo, crashing Into the side ot the dirigible, exploded with a deafening report. The airship buckled, rolled over, and, gathering spcei. hurtled down on to the southern bridge tower, over which it spread its ruin. Almost immediately It burst into flame. A cry of astonishment broke from the spectators. Whence camo the torpedo? At that moment tho ground lights were shut off. and a long White beam revealed another airship, which evidently had torpedoed the raider. Its light played among tho latter's aeroplanes, which, thus startlingly deprived ot their controlling staff, wero circling over the harbor.
CHAPTER IX. For strangeness, the battle which followed was unparalleled in history. From tho belly of the mysterious airship. as beforo from her flaming antagonist. a flight of small aeroplanes detached themselves and engaged the enemy machines. The latter, using bombs and machine-guns, manceuvrod skilfully, but the others, so far from doing this, seemed to seek collisions. On colliding, each pair ot aeroplanes was instantly enveloped in a cloud of vapor, and crashed together. In this way many machines fell Into the harbor, and within a quarter of an hour after some enemy craft had retreated eastward the air was cloar. (To be Continued)
Yes, there are two chapter IXs in this printing.

New Serial Story Begin Today II /ftn i /H ' fi—lffl hj| #_TBei ttftrwraT fl W2l m 19 itiiiiitmiiuiiMiiiiitiiiiiiiiiitiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiti Jrk sLj Jr%. mm IWJI ' By BARBOUR GILBERT CHAPTER IX. — Continued. die excitement over, the crowd |(,.ir,,d hack Into the city. Theories hy the dozen woro proposed and dls- ii'dsseil. until a little before midnight l ommunlquo appeared on tho rihn '.,„<ior sheets outside tho nowspapcr \n nlrshlp-noroplnno unit, which rlied Sydnoy front' Britain last lit 9.30 tills evening ongnged , '/miliar enemy unit then manoeuvring ,,-,'cr tho clly. Tho raiding airship ,.,s successfully torpodood, after '1,1,11 Its aircraft woro engaged liy lie British diriglblo's plloticss noro- .,'anes, contollcd hy wiroloss." Tho lat- Sir of a typo which on colliding with , wither machine projects BUltocatlhg is brought down a number of liostllo ",'croiilanos, tho rest of which retired, ii.wuniuhly to an aircraft-carrier sta- isiicd at an unknown point' off tho "'Tho necessity of keoplng secret tho irrlv.il of tho British air unit Is ovl- lont from tho success of to-night's nirprlse attack." Wild cheering greeted tho announce ment of tills unexpected aid, and'the iiv gave Itself over to exultation. Vli'is was. ltowovar, tnodllled next day, vlu'ii front later communinuos It was ' ,.iint tli.it tho othor capitals had not Vied equally well. In Molbourno, for 'viniplc. tho enemy dirigible stiecocd- in bombing tho omorgenoy oncamp- ,„.iit and did not 'retire until, dam- ,. eil ' Itself, It had partially disabled !w guardian airship. From tho news front the various sides tho public was able to deduce V.,t a squadron of eight airships had, ', ./response toJurgcnt appeals after the ,id of September 20. been rushed 'nun Britain to Australia, mnklng the 'niirncv to Perth In eight days. Tho Ifect of this was . extremely hearton- tic though tho raids cotild not In nny .ase have failed to stiffen tho coun- ,n'fl moral. hut greater news was yet to come. .11, the nostors appeared ono day tho mi-ieal words: "British Battle Floot I Vamlng Kastward" — and a thrill I , i«ed through tho world. The eyes I i' tho whole earth were turned on that I 'silting spectacle, for it was Impos- I Glilc for even the least imaginative | „ fall to understand Its significance. I Never had tho Mediterranean been I , ioughed hy such mighty keels! A I ,iii"ln salvo from one of those harT I i.oUcs cotild have blown from oxlst- I , r.ec any of the famed armadas which I ' ad swept its logeiul-haunted seas; I |iio swift galleys oC Tyre, tiro triremes I ,,f Athens; lumbering galleons from I die Spanish Main, and the oaken men- I ii'-war that thundered at Alioukir and I iiie Nile. Tho very nspeet of tho lloot I was quickly mado familiar, for, apart I from the films broadcast by wireless, 9 ; v the newly-perfected method of I television spectators in every land | were enabled to watcli tho moving I images of tho ships thrown On to tho I -rreens as they appeared a few soc- I „mls previously. They saw moving I hefore'tho great battleships swarms of 1 Ocstroycrs and submarines, and be- hind the battlo-eruiscrs tho strange- looking nlrcraft-e.arrlors and tho host of auxiliary ships. Tho strategic foresight which the British had displayed In acquiring key- positions was mado appnrent by the progress communiques flushed round tho world. "Tho battlo lloot has sailed from Gibraltar." "Tho battle fleet has passod Malta." "Tho fleet Is prepar ing tp enter tho Suez Canal." "Portion ol' tho floot Is fuolllng at Aden." Now It was In tho Indian Ocean, hound Cor Singapore, Tho East India Squadron lind sailed from its lmso at Trlnoomall, with orders to join tho China Squad ron within tliroo days at a' secret rendezvous.
CHAPTER X. THE WORLD BOOKS ON In the other white nations Aus tralians., plight oxcllod a variety of feelings. In Control Europe and Scan dinavia, for example, It was rogardod with comploto dotaohmont, interest ing only because it lnvolvod Britain in a conflict which might set the world aflame. It was remombored how tho trivial Incident of Serajevo had grown Into tho war of 1914. In Franco and Belgium, on tho othor hand, tho rccolloctlon of how Aus tralia had given generous aid In men and money In tho terrible war years evoked a sontlmont of sympathy. Self- interest and sentiment woro indoed nt one, for It was indisputnblo that If Britain should ho crippled no troaty could snvo Franco from a war of revengo In which her nnmo would vanish from tho roll of nations. Grad ually It- was becoming cvldont that by a socrot treaty Franco was to "watch" Germany, and Italy Austria. This was not dictated by Bentlmcnt — a violent change in tho balance of power was universally drended. As to Holland, no ono doubted that the British would iinvo tho secret, If not tho overt, assistance of her resources In tho East Indies. In all countries publicists were In agreement that the coming struggle would ho for the ultimate supremacy of tho world. In the United States the public was violently agitated by the problem of Intervention. If Bri tain could liavo beon confidently ex pected to win, nobody would have dared to clamor for war. But tho naval experts had convinced the majority that sho could not hope, single-handed, to conduct a success ful campaign at so vast a distance from tho heart of tho Empire. Thus there came about tho paradox that tho friends of Britain denied that sho could expect a victory, while tho Anglophobos, who were resolved to leave Jior to her fate, woro loud In expressing their confidence in her power. Tho latter argued that if the Phllllplnes fell tho effect on the United States' huge negro population might bo unsettling In tho extreme. / . Their opponents replied that the col lapse of Britain would unscttlo the whole non-European world, and that tho downfall of British .credit would seriously affect Uio United States. Again, tho nnti-war party argued with much force that, ns the, first principle of tho Mcgalnslans' strategy was to avoid a conflict with tho United Stales, tho latter would, bo needlessly bellicose In declaring for war. To which, again, their opponents an- sworod that tho reason why tho Mcga lnslans ' desired tho United States to remain a spectator wns that they might lncrenso their chance of de- Coating Britain, and to onnblo them to challenge the United States at a. later date, when sho would liavo been deprived of her only considerable uily. In tho minds of both parties lurked a doubt, which they did not enro to express, concerning tho floet's perfect ofllcioncy. Tho number of desertions had nt times boon disquieting, and ono school of naval experts had al ways criticised tho adoption of tho electric drlvo in capital ships on the ground that British designers had rejected it and that it had never, beon tested hy the strain of battle. Throughout tho anxious weelts tho oxlstenco of tho I.eaguo ' of Nations would liavo been forgotten but Cor its succession of manifestoes and appeals. Tile crisis served to domonstrato that tho Uonguo, though a commendable aspiration towards tho final paclflca- ilon of tho world, could arbltrato only In minor disputes In which the slrongor nations woro not concerned. It had no means of enforcing its de cisions, and had to conflno itself to endeavors to nvert war. With Bri tain's declaration the I.oaguo In effect ceased to exist. Boyond'a formal pro test against tho Invasion of lior terri tory, Australia had not concerned herself with tho League. At Geneva the possibility of Amer ica's Intervention was generally scouted. Her traditional policy of avoiding European entanglements; tho fact that she was In no way con cerned with tho quarrel; tho national loathing of militarism; these, among othor grounds, were qiioted as sulll- clont. Tot two factors wero loft out of account; tho growing apprehen sion of a British dofeat in perilously handicapping circumstances, and the consideration that Intervention would Involvo only a naval war. Tho pros pect of a gonorat military mobilisa tion, with all Its implied oxpenso and Interference with Industry, would un doubtedly have roused tho fiercest op position to tho assumption of nny lighting role. But this was unneces sary, and tho advocates of interven tion Insisted that the expenditure on a naval war. In which tho civilian population would not bo directly ln volvod, would bo nothing more than a reasonnblo premium on what would bo Insured, namely, tho frcodom and prosperity of the richest nation In the world. (To he Continued)
New Serial StoryBegin TodayinnmmmiVS |S /hL Ivn #SI liiiimiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimMiimiiiiiiiiuimimmi. BW I JTm. Ju JtsL JBL% IwJai By BARBOUR GILBERT,CILVPTEK JU. America Declares!The British- Fleet was still In the Indian Oecnn when (ho thrilling news sped round tho world. ' ''America will sypport Britain," theraoio nasiiad, "by naval oo-oporation Willi the British Floot." ' To,, the Australians it soomod thnt tholr Balvatlon wiih assured, and as on the night of Britain's declaration tho cities gave thonisolvcs up to tho wildest excitement; Having hoen drafted Into camp at Holilsworthy, Clem was unablo to hrlng tho goad news to I,o is, but she wont out day, to spend with him his four hours' leave, alio shared his satisfaction with tho two Htrtpcfi ho now wore on his Hleevo. FlnUing a plcturoHfiub spot on tho river bank, Uicy Ut a firo and made an impromptu bush picnic, and ovor tho. tea nnd sandwiches, Hko nil thoir eotintrymon, road eagerly tho latest special edition. It contalnod a ppooclt of tho American President to tho pcoplo. "Dlsolalming any sordid alms of conquest or gain," ho declared, "the united States Government has resolved, for tho safety of tho whltoi4A,iu, vo givo morn i nnd matorml sup-port to Britain and her Dominions. It is firmly persuaded that it must do Its utmost to avert tho risk of a British defeat, by which tho well-being of tho white nations would bo seriously menaced. Tho timo has passed when thoy wore -overwhelmingly superior In civilisation, wealth, and warlllto Skill. Thoso who boo In tho seizure of Northern Australia an aggressive act without Car-rcaehlng oonsequoncos laok political foresight. If Britain had elected to compromise wo should have acqillosccd; but It Is Impossible to dlsputo that if tho leading European power opposes herself to tho League of Asiatic nations, the sofoty of tho whlto races will Immediately be put in Joopardy. Ilcr defeat would bo an incalculable disaster to tho. whlto peoples, and would involve terms of peaco which must leave tho United States, thon standing alone, in a situation vastly moro perilous than nny conceivable whllo Britain remains a strong power. Our generation might perhaps know an unbroken peace, but tho day would arrive when this nation would havo to light for lt3 existence, nnd against an Asiatic federation grown immensely stronger in tho meantime. IC it should bo ablolo defeat tho British Empire today, how much moro formidable would it by then hnvo become! And tills nation— I say It again— would for practical purposes stand ajono. "Wo arc content, to sharo the resources of tho oarth wltli tho Aslutlo peoples, lint wo cannot ullow tpo prestige of tho whlto race to bo dlmtn-IslmU Who, cap . doubt thnt a triumphant Asia would oxploit an enfeebled Europe, as onoo, It must lie admitted, certain European nations exploited Asia. Europo 1ms paid for its errors, fop whllo enriching itself It gave to Asia' tho. science and skill which now malto Asia its formidable rival. "In prote'ollng Kor Dominion. Britain is waging, a war of defence, not of aggression. . In effect, sho will light as Ihb champion, ot tho wlitto nice. To stand behind nnothoi'ils incompatible with tho stature and dignity ot this nation. It must, therefore, hold its appropriate part of the rampart against advancing Asia. A war of defence can always bo1 fought with honor." In Australia and Now Zealand, the Intervention of Amorlca was wol-comod with an enthusiasm second nnlv to thnt whinlv liad crootod theMotherland's declaration of war. The British Dominions liad nover regarded tho United Statos as a foreign country, and, so far from distrusting Its navnl policy, had watched with satisfaction the growth of Its powor on tho sea. Thoy had. on two occasions, welcomed an Amorican floot to tholr shores, with tho sitmo hospitality that British squadrons received. They shared with the United States the ideals of democracy. and hold . an equal abhorrencb of militarism. Unregarded as strangers, tho citizens of all thrco passed from ono country to another, and their only conflicts were for tho possession Of tho Davis Cup.
CHAPTER XII. TIIE BOMB IN THE CANAL! Offers of old had come quickly from tho other Dominions. South Africa and India had, however,'. domestic prcibloms wblcU could grow only moro urgent through, a Mogal-aslan victors'. Canada's offer of a volunteer expeditionary forco was accepted, but, dlroct military aid to Aus-tralia being Impracticable, tho Canadian division, Including a large air unit, was transported to Singapore, its rolo being to assist In tho dofonce of the oil nnd munition depots at Mudal. Thus it was unnecessary for Britain to deplete cither the homo defence army wliic.il sho was hurriedly organising or tho expeditionary force designed to strengthen tho already largo garrison in India. The Punjaubi mutiny at Slngaporo In 1015 hud resulted In an Important military change, by which tlio huso was now covered by a garrison consisting exclusively of whlto troops. Tho first incident of tho stugglo. so far as lite United States was concerned, promised it wnr crowded with dramatic moments. Komohow, on tho day of lite deelartil ion of hostilities — -some said earlier than "Mutt— tho news leaked out while a ship currying tho Megalasian (lag was in tho I'anninti Car.al. Indifferent to his own fate, ami to that of his. crew, the skipper formed a desperate plan. I.eavtng ills ilrst oilleer in charge of tho bridge, from a ease, of explosives among; the cargo lie improvised 'a powerful bomb. No sooner had tho gntos Of the look closed behind her than tho steamer blow up, and settling rapidly, rendered the lock useless. It being known that American naval strategy centred on the Canal, the Magulusinu's daring solf-sacriflce produced a sensation in tho United States. Actually it liad no military effect, for tho vessel was raised and towed out of tho lock before the guns on Flamenco. I'erico, and Naos saluted tho Pacific Fleet steaming for tho Canal on Its first bostlllo mission, Tlio Pacific Ficot steaming east? A chorus of astonishment went up from the newspapers of America, of Britain — of nil countries. Did not Hawaii command tlio Pacific? Should It not bo tho Atlantic squadrons thatiiiuaL ija.-s inrougti ino t-anaj, to join tlio Pnclilo Fleet for the Pacific war? Yet in thoso who had studied tho naval problom tho announcement excited no surprlso. They quoted the reasoned warnings uttered long before by stfateslsls and publicists. "The United States cannot send her battleships into Asiatic waters unless I sho lias a baso at Stngaporo," a famous tactician had declared. Few had listened when another had. proved, by Irrefutable logic, Unit, though (lie United Slates was impregnable in the seas near lior)vl.rlt,l II LUllSt nl(l# LHUHI Uvu llltlvv (1000 miles across tlio Pacific with 'any hope of success, and that her licet would have to approach tlio wcstcni Pacific through tlio gateway of Singapore. Tile public lmd always estimated naval strength by tallies of battleships, and had yet, by distressing experience, to learn that the clll-cleiiey of bnttlcslilps was rigidly conditioned by the buses without which they could not light, anil by those geographical distances which mudo tliem terrible or useless. And meanwhile tlio Megalaslans had the assurance of an eminent British Admiral that a hostile fleet, coming thousands of miles to venture buttle, with deploted bunkers nnd with no means of repairing damage, would need a superiority of three-to-one to nchlevo a victory. (To lie Continued)
New Serial StoryBegin Today„ \ f VD1J I m IBa HSR Bn wk g Ml BSB r%. SLj 'Jtm. mm. iwJi. « ,BARBOUR GILBERTchapter xiii. tlll'3 dash from tjjk northTho Mcgalaslnns' answer to the United Htates enmo swiftly. Ordered to join tho British Bast India turd China squadrons at llictr secret rendezvous. the small Philippines sciund-ron of light cruisers, steaming olY Xor,th Borneo, .wgu Intorceptod hy a dotaohment ol' fast hatlo-crulsors. Its fflto was nevor In doubt, Tho American! commander, Invited to surrender, declined. After drawing his opponents' Arc, the Megalusian admiral's reply was to close in to within two miles of their range mid concentrate the lire of his heavy guns. Within a short hnlf-hour his antagonist, having wlrloHHed a code message to .Singapore. went down with his flag flying. No Jess swift wnn tho descent on Gunn. At Apro Harbor the United States marines, to . WlUmi its defence bed been entrusted, in the dawn detected smok'c-ohmds on . (ho horizon. "With tho inevenslng light cmnc the silhouette, of powerful enemy cruisers.and the ' defenders prepared Lor a hopeless fight. At 7.25 a.m. there began a duel that lasted throughout the day. To the fire of the forts the cruisers replied with a bombardment at long range with high-velocity guns. A lucky shot, fired shortly after eight o'clock, when .the. enemy was still uncertain of the defender's range, lore a pinto out (if the side of one of the warships, which, partly filling, heeled over and stotWned slowly out to sea.In addition to possessing the advantage of firing at llxefl targets, the cruisers wore able to increase the dlflleulticH of the mnge-flnriers ashore hy Incessant manoeuvring. By mM-dny some of the forts had begun to crumble, and tho defondors bo-hold with dismay an am»'>«chltig flight of aeroplanes, evidently despatched from nn aircraft-carrier beyond tho horizon. The America ns were now exposed to continuous raking from the sea and to a hall of explosive bombs and gas-spreaders. Thoy had lost heavily, and wore becoming exhausted under the nerve-racking ordeal of this double bombardment. Towards 4 o'clock the cruisers closed in, and under cover of ;i ti intense barrage succeeded in landing a strong force. On the appearance of enemy uniforms iho population of 1-1,000 was plunged into terror. .« It was aggravated by tho predictions of hystorl-ool natives, hut in fact they had less cause for concern than the Magala-sians. who would be faced with the problem of supporting a population which, preferring the profitable employment offered by Its rulers, had long since censed to support llsolf. It was now iniposslhlo for the warships to continue firing, buf tho invaders received considerable aid from their aircraft. Between them and Die exhausted remnant of tho garrison there was, however, no possibility of an equal contest. By sunset Guam was in the bands of the Mega-tasians. and with Guam the Phillip-pines fell.
Chapter XIV. The Philippines Doomed Though tho" attack on Corregldor did not come till several days later, its fate was already decided. Under an overwhelming onslaught from bo»i and air the gurrison could not hope lo provent the transports, which followed the warships, from landing troops in Luzon. ICvon if the Baeiflo fleet lind remained at its station and concentrated at Hawaii, it would havo been unable to traverse thousands Of miles of ocean in time to protect .Manila — even, too, if tho Genera! Staff could have allowed the warships, with fuel almost exhausted by so long a vovngo, to risk a battle. Actually the poncc-iimo- voyages to Australia had proved the difficulties of extended cruisea for capiLal jditps. It was in vain that the Administration assured the public that these preliminary losses were foreseen and allowed for. The f destruction of the cruisers, tho taking of Guam, the seizure of the Philippines — this succession of defeats threw a large section of the people into a panic. Instantly the ..Megnlaslans were credited with superhuman strength and daring, and everywhere prophets and occultists tcrrlfled the ignorant with grotesque predictions of disasters of all kinds, notably the end of the world. Others were alnrmeri' by tho notionthat these blows to tho prestige of iho Anglo-Saxons would unsefllo the negro population. When the panic spread to Wall slroot, clamors for peace began to be heard In the Middle West. To the finer spirits throughout the country the reverses brought, bow-over. only a greater resolution; nnd gradually reason prevailed. The national skill in publicity was utilised hy the Administration to unite the people, t«j| | was made. clear that the Mcgalaslans owed their success to the deliberate temporary abandonment of the Philippines, The Mognlasiuns' initial victories served, however, to Justify ihe policy of co-nperat Ion with iho British fleet, and tho danger bf defeat In deinll was now' fully appreciated. Briefly. America's position was that she eoulil never, in times of Interna-honnl tension, send one of her fleets through iho Panama Canal, lo Join the other, without suggesting that she contemplated war: and thus her enemy would hav«> tinif to strike a blow before hor navv could concentrate. Further, ihe vast expanse of ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines tnnda it extremely doubtful whether the lutlor could ever be protected by rt floot based on Pearl Harbor, And finally, few would agree Hint llie safety of the United States ilsclf should bo imperilled by risking its fleet for the protection of the distant Philippines, since the ships would have to tight superior forces at the end of a voyage of several thousand miles — in which ovoni its chance of victory would lie negligible. In th' Philippines the disaffected section which had exulted at. thn AJem..kisian landing was quickly undeceived. With the establishment of martial law it became obvious that the Filipinos had exchanged rulers for masters, and the protagcmisiH of independence learned suddenly that. Independence Was purely a conception of pjo West. It was In the Mogalasinn countries that their successes had Hie greatest moral effect. Their lenders and fighting men were acclaimed with a frantic enthusiasm, and the idea of a. decadent Occident awaiting its quietus from a regenerate Asia, from being a pleasing theory became a conviction generally and passionately held. The true position was summed up hy the British Government In a message to the American President, in which "it pointed out that tin: loss of the cruisers was a matter not for military but for sentimental regret, and that by temporarily withdrawing from its Pacific outposts the United States had actually achieved a tactical advantage, in that its capacity for aggressive action had bden Increased.
"ni I £ I Stirring | j Story | timHiimiimmuiinimiiiiiiiiralarm!By BARBOUR GILBERT ! iji Begin I Today | iminmiimmiiiiiifiiiiiii'iPCHATTIER XV. ROLLING 1SAST TO SINGAPOREGradually awakening to tho fact that tho greatest naval war In history was about to begin, the nations not dlroctly ' involved , grow breath less with cxnoctatlun. SiruteslKtH broad-cast od opinions on tho chances of battle. Abandoning oven tho peroul-alty interesting lovo theme, tho uowh-puporu and magazines of all countries filled their pages with pictures of giant battleships, of Immense aircraft, and of tho men who would command thorn, Psychologists solemnly weighed the brains of Asiatics and lEpropoans, and from comparisons of tho u mounts of grey mutter deduced tho moHt fanciful conclusions. Tho very hardships of life in tho Hast, It was argued, had eliminated "the unfit," wlillo Oocidcntul prosperity had encouraged tho increase of weaklings; and thus nature had given to Asia the superiority by which formerly tho Nordic races had boon enabled to overwhelm the Mediterranean hinds. Incredulous, yet faaclnatod, Lois turned over tho pages of Homo magazines which Cloni, spending a day's leave at Wahroongu, hnd brought with him. She paused at an illustra-tion wmcn spread across two page.;. " 'Professor Fouerdroeh's conception,' " she read out, laughing, "'ol'.a tank, a hundred feet high, whoso Im-menso Indestructible w hoots could grind whole nrmtos into pulp.' " "Not exoUlug enough," Clem com-Iplalnod. "Try tho ," It was a picture showing on officer, seated In his tent, engaged in destroying a whole nation. _ ' 'Dy the simpto procedure! " Lots read again, " 'of manoeuvring a long lino or piiotless aeroplanes controlled by wireless, he is enabled to discharge ni intervals clouds of heavy gas. The spreading of the gas produces a poisonous fog, which eventually covers tho country, asphyxiating the entire population.'" "Of course the Mcgalnstaua aro credited with mysterious rays." said Clem. "One of them's supposed to detonate explosives, so that by continuously altering its rate of vibration a nation's whole supply of munitions could be blown up." "That makes the enemy annihilate himself," Lois answered. They looked at stories in which wars were decided by amazing inventions: nor in I torpedoes ; guns largo enough to fling a projectile to the moon. Most remarkable of all was the notion of submersible battleships — a combination of capital ship:and submarine — which could rise middbnly to the surface before an unsuspecting licet and obliterate iti. It was curious that little attention was paid to armies, and that in the popular imagination warfare had como to be regarded us a matter of mechanics rather tluin moral. In one country after another it became necessary to censor the press, for the reason that the unreflecting majority wore being seriously alarmed by those fantastic predictions. Meanwhile the naval concentration which was beginning at Hlugupuro was in itself enougli to fill the imagination. The vast armada of Britain was steaming fit roduccd speod over the Indian Ocean: ami across tlic Atlanticn fleet scarcely inferior wow ploughing Us way. Acting on the maxim that, for a fleet operating without bases, a warship damaged was a warship ,oljL America had rapidly organised. a great "mobllo base." To low floating docks across tho Atlantic would havo ah-sorbod time that could not bo spared. Hut Britain wna well supplied with shore and floating docks. America s mobile base connislcd of a subsidiary fleet, accompanying and protected by tho battle fleet, and Including ships IHtod with cranes of all capacities, workshops, repair depots hospital ships, and carriers of munitions, stores and Oil. Through the perfection of Wireless photography und the now television a|.ipnratus the world was ablo to watch the progress of both fleets. Night after night. In tho crowded cinemas, "British audlcnoos winched the grey hulls of tholr battleships plunging through tho long yollcvo of tlio Tndian Ocean. Night after night, from tlio eastern coast In the Pacific, millions of Americans saw tho high waves of the Atlantic burst In spray over tho bows ot their laltico-maeted leviathans, and waited Impatiently- -for tho thrilling sight ot' the mooting of the flouts.
CHAPTKR XVI TIJ.K TROOPS MARCH NORTH In Australia the army of defence was preparing to take the field. Tho most frantic efforts hud boon made to equip the soldiers, und the diflicultics oncountcrod wore a sad commentary on the policy of relying on wool, wheat and other primary products Instead of developing Industries. Jl was found Impossible to manufacture certain essential munitions, and to the improvements in Briluin's new wooden-hulled transport airships tho Australians owed it thoy were able, after long delay, to put an army into the field. Lumbering heavily above tho clouds, often making no more than 50 miles an 'hour, these huge air tramps established a continuous service between tho two countries, landing considerable quantities of tiiarhlnc-guna und other war material at Perth, whence thoy were rushed eastward by the Iraim-contincntal railway. Left to her own resources. Australia could never have equipped an army, and the revelation of her helplessness Mlencod onco and for all the Communists and eut-the-pulnter patriots whoso imbecile assurances had done so much to lunko the peril of invasion seem fantastic.' '' It had been impossible to make the people realise that spood whs- fighting power. In many a magazine students of history had vainly polnto,d ! the moral: how Alexander the Great had forbidden his soldiers tlio exorcise of wrestling, since It produced strength at the expense of swiftness; how Moore dashed across Spain, to. victory; how Napoleon had; confused' his opponents hy his forced .mjtrohos. Now, however, tl was superfluous to labor the point; while the Australians waited the Megulasbins hud advanced far to the south-euKt bevond the terminusof the Darwin railway. Obviously their intention was to reach the northern end of the rait and road system of the populous eastern coast. And now were enacted again those moving scones which many remembered In the war uf lft!4. In the ears of women the mournful echo of the bugles never censed to ring. Whether it was at railway Hidings far in Lhc interior, or at the great "termini uf the capitals, the nightly scene was the same: the troops In fours beside tho line; the' ranks breaking us the train drew up, and tho mon, leaping for tho vantage points of the windows, turned to c.lasp the hands uf mothers and wives, sisters aud sweethearts; the good-byes spoken through tears, and the cheery assurances of mon who might never return. On the saddest night her young life had known Lois, breathless and scarcely able to stand, swayed with the crowd packed densely on the» Central Station. »Sl\a held desperately a canvas hag into which sin 'had crammed her small gifts of love, chosen witU tender care. There were tins of cigarettes, a Liny first-aid ouuir, socks of her own knitting, a cake in a scaled tin, approved after she hud baked and rejected half-a-dozen others. There was a loiter, too, which 'bore ah inscription commanding' Olom not t<» open ii till lie should he melancholy, and in which Lois had wrilleii of her love and of iter confidence that when the war had been fought to victory her life with Clem would j begin, and he all the sweeter for the waiting. S'he was in the front of the crowd, exchanging waves ot the hand with Clem, who was separated from her hy several rows of soldiers. This, however, she did not mind, because she knew he would thus be able to dash for a window when rho train came in. For the time she bad losi her sense of reality in a confusion of strange impressions. Through the darkness :giowod the red and gieen lights of the signal bridges. The uniformed men overpowered her like vague figures seen in dreams, and the continuous buzz of voices and stilled sobbing uf women produced In her an hysterical feeling of suspense. By her watch she knew that she had boon there less than an hour, yet it seemed tin age before the line of carriages clattered in with a locomotive whoso panting increased her excitement. Hhe heard nn order shouted, and tho troops sprang forward, cheering and laughing as they fought for places at the windows. Borne onward by the surge of the crowd, she found herself crushed against the side of a carriage, and realised that Clem's hands wore gripping her. shoulders. She smiled, her tears fulling, and thinist her quaint love-gift into bis arms. "Hilly things," she whispered, "but if they make it easier for you — hi tho trenches'-— I'll bo happy." Clem did not answer, but lifted iter up to tho window and covered her face with kisses. There was no one to notice them, for every soldier was 'making the same farewell, Clem's hand was fumbling In the pocket of his tunic, and she felt, it sob.e her own and press it to his lips. Seeing the flash of ii diamond on her linger, she began to sob. and. flinging her arms round his nock, vowed that the little gold band should never bo removed. A. blast of tho whistlo sont ft shudder through her, and she was aware that the train was moving. With Clem's kisses hot on her Hps, she dropped 'to tho ground and fell back into the mass of swaying bodies and waving arms... "Gone to the front," tho phrase seemed to ring In, her ears uh she stumbled away. "Into tlio firing lino Such scenes enacted fthcmsolves In Melbourne, in Adelaide, in Forth, ill Brisbane, in Jlobart, With the do-part uro of the troops, women found relief, of a sort, from tho tension of hcrves, in making war comforts. Many, too, wore absorbed b.v Bed .Cross units. In the organisation of which the Girl Guides hud formed n valuable nucleus. Their comrades of tho Boy Scouts were no loss usefully employed, chiefly in the labor' battalions required for farm work 'loft undone by men culled on for war service. (Tu be Continued)

NEW SERIAL STORY j=-Barbour(jilbo-t3 ClIAPTKH XVII. Gl'.MiDF.D WAY j
A- the t: air: slowed beftire the great : l.ndg.. ,.v«-r t:.» Hawkesbury Ittve-r . in rioiieed that It was strongly i guarded — an urgent necessity, since j there was no subsidiary route to the j nurtl:. At each side of the long steel i structure an armed motor boat main- j tained a ceaseless tcitrol. and on the : eastern side, farther down towards j the sea. a bar rage had been built ; and mines hail been laid. "I've got a cousin in the engl- j neers," said Jack Milliard, who had managed to get himself drafted to Clem's battalion. "Ho says tho tun- | : nels are mined right up to the i north." I "Sure to be." Clem answered. He I : was glad to have Jack beside him, : since Jack was associated 'In his mind j with his visits to the Hilllards' home j with Lois. With his brown hair oiled back, and his face smooth with the | after-shave talc. Jack reminded him i of the dapper young man whose ,regu-i lar features adorned the magazine | advertisements of collar manufac-; turers Clem wondered how long ' Jack would be able to preserve that ! dapper appearance. Then he began i to dote: and his thoughts turned to Lois. Three days later they detrained j at Goondiwa. the northern terminus i of the east coast railway system. At | Newcastle, Brisbane. and smaller ' towns along the route people had ; cheered them, and flung eatables, cigarettes and flowers into the carriages. Suddenly they found themselves cut off from civilian life, breathing a new atmosphere. At Goondiwa Australia was concentrating an army of 100,000 men. Though the artillery was eo weak as v be almost negligible efllvietit. machine gun sections hail beer, organised. and the infantry ami cavalry. of tlio same blood us the aim zacs, coil hi lie iletnMiitc-il upon to tight with A i c courage height. -n-.-i! ' by the desperation nl mui deteaiiini: their -hoine land. Consisting cub liy : of men Ui«4 to hnms and tli<? busii ! country, the cavulry UUvlv :»»t prove at k-iisl equal to that of tin; Marulubiun. A» to th« infantry. It must fiht undor the handicap of inferior tnlninjr and deficient/ sup-i plies of machine \pxnx and muni- j lions. Fro in an insignificant nnd tempo-rary terminus Goondiwa had !«een transformed into a military base of| intense uvtivity. Transport sections I were busily constructing field depots. ' In the country far beyond aeroplane surveys went on continuously, and engineers were setting up field telephones and bomb-proof shelters. Suddenly Clem was aware of a limiting of his Individuality, folt the pressure of the machine of which he was but one of a mjTlad wins. "The stage is set," he mused. "Tlie buglers are ploying the overture. Now for the puppet play, the war game."
CHAPTER XVIII. The Trenches at Goondiwa Out beyond Goondiwa the scouting 'planes, racing at 230 miles an hour three miles above the earth, rwept the sky on cruises of 350 miles. When clouds forced thern to fly iovrer, Clem, who was camped with Ids squad in a gully ten miles from the base, would watch #tliem. wondering how soon he should sec them at grips with Megal-asian scouters. . The squad was mining the rocky mosses at the head of the grully. which constituted one of the practicable routes to Goondiwa. a; uigm, wrappea ju ineir omnKeis round the dying fire, they fought In imagination the battles which must follow. "What was there to prevent them from landing up in the Gulf of Carpentaria— eay at Normanton — and coming at us from the north?" asked Jack HiJIiard. who was getting the last puffs out of a cigarette before turning in. "You've never been up In that country," said Dick Bradshaw, a lean, brown-faced prospector who had passed years in testing the Gulf country. 'Take Normanton! They'd be lucky to get 3 7 or 18 feet of water outside Karurnba. The port's no good for transports. They couldn't land their guns and equipment. And they'd be no nearer to a railway than they are at Darwin. No, they had to seise & real port for the start. If they had landed in the first place on the eastern coast, say near Sydney or Brisbane, they would lmve been hampered by attacks of .some sort. They needed a big base, with euor-I mous supplies, in the country before ithey could hope lo over-run it. Be-I sides, by landing in the north and i arguing that it was practically vacant I territory they gave America a chance of keeping out of the war without losing dignity. And that was a possibility they were bound to make the most of. If it had come off they might have forced Britain tocom-promlse." "How the deuce are they going to i send an army across from Darwin?" j invited. "Throiich hundreds t <>-! "jr.! i. (>i rou;:h country, lots of It MVV rM'ioi'U" "pr-K't know." Rrrnjahaw grunted., "but Th"v had r. couple of hundred : nub s or more of railway from I>ar- ' win it. Lenin with, nnd they've been; pushing on the read right from Hie; start." ; "it> going in be nn air war for the j most part." Clem volunteered. 'That's why wv'vf :U1 got gas musks. The strategy of the past can't he applied tu this "war. What's to prevent them." I h« argued, "from dropping an army out of the fiir. provided they have enough airships V The snips in the London -Sydney service have been carrying a hundred passengers, and where comfort hasn't to be conbider-»?d the Megnlaslans could put two hundred and fifty men aboard a dirigible for a short trip. Give them four ships, and you have a thousand men a trip. In a week they could land ten thousand men out there beyond the range of our scouting craft." That's not an army," Jack objected. "It's enough for an air base. How do you know there Isn't a big air depot a couple of hundred miles away, preparing a terrific surprise iiiju nnu bu ' vauvi i/viii ua . "Don't be so damn cheerful when the country's in danger," Bradshaw grunted, rolling over into his blanket. "He had hold of your leg." Jack laughed. "I'm tipping the advance won't come from Darwin at all." "3 think, though, it'll be chiefly an of-riu! war. with from- supporting thefi attack?," Clem said more seriously.!; "Coir n»b is to hold the niiUmul if we) ran. and if w» run':, to dcJny their advance and blow up the line :is we r«trv:it. W«- v. got to bold them up. at' lea«i till the war's decided on the sea." Australia was. in fact, making considerable preparatb ns for aerial defence. Many aeroplanes hud been built, engines and essential parts being received from England. Several dirigibles and a birge number of 'planes, too, hud been gathered from Singapore and the Dutch possesions. With n tormidiibiv oast u««w esisio llshed at Darwin the Megulusmns wore in a position lo support themselves foi a long period even if their ea communications should b£ cut. The question which agitated tho Australians was — would Darwin be a jumptng-off place for other landings? The disappearance that they had been with-auggested that they had been withdrawn northward to join the main fleet, and further sea operations seemed unlikely. Tho early reports of refugees that the Meg&luians werji preparing to j advance from Darwin south-east to , Goondiwa were conflrmed by a party of blacks, who came wandering along the overland telegraph route near Tcnnant's Creek and fell in with an operator. Away in the north, they told him. "big pfeller track" wns being hurriedly constructed by the strangers. (To be Continued)
I|||1II|MI Stirring I Story \ JI ALARM| By BARBOUR GILBERT ? T' r M iit'i in ii tllnflrrbrlWImii rtnt-' 1 '' i """"T | Begin f | Today g _= j £ rmiMiiMummiiiimiMiiHHiiilCHAPTER XIX S37 MAKES A CAPTURETwo days lnler Bomo moro aborlgl-3 strayed across tho tologruph rolilo bringing similar news. People ronikrod nt tho Immensity of the ) ... .1— Invadors had sot themselves.but It seemed obvious Australia must suihs her troops at Goondlwa. About 00,000 men wore, 111 fact, encamped the railhead, whllo at Brisbane, ,lt Sydney, was posted a dcfonslvo fnrco of 20,006, supported by n larger body o1 volunteers who drilled Inces-'"/('wlrolcss from tho scoutor S37 o r\p morning sot tho air buzzing with tho ound of rising aoroplanos. "Have dcliled strniigo machine," It ran, "landing nbout 12 miles westward nt my position." First on tho scene, tho pilot of tho 837 found tho strnngor making unsuccessful efforts to take oft on an almost trceloss patch of grass. ., Ho circled overhead, gradually dosc'ond-Inr and was proparlng to land when ha was Joined by tho flight of scout-cr, which hnd boon sont out on tho. receipt of his signal. Ilcnllslng tho position, tho strange pilot got out of Ills maohlno, and, (landing besido It, spread out Ills bands in a gosturo of liolplessness, : .(.rugging Ills shoulders. Ho wore j ,bo jlegalnslan uniform. While tho I pilot covered tho strangor with his i Lyolver, tho S37's observor advanced and called on htm to surrondor. Tho Mcgitusliui smtlod. "I liuvo no choice," lio said, ilght-I |ng n clgarctto. And thon, waving I bis hnnd toward tho machlno: "A mishap to a cyllndor." j Having verified this explanation, I tho Australian examined tlio cabin. on tlio seat lay tho pilot's revolver. I Ills eyo turned to tho dlstanco motor; I it registered 211 miles. "Where did you take oft?" ho I asked. I "From tho base, naturally," tho I Mognlnslnn answered. Conconllng I the slight shock this . Informationcaused In him, tho Australian pointed to tho 837. "I can offer you A seat," ho remarked, and tho other, understanding perfectly, climbed In. UsinE her helicopter propellors. the S37 roso almost vertically, mid, tollowod by tho other scooters, rcturnod to tho Hues. Tho capture served to nUoncc those sceptics who hnd boon asking whether tho advance from Darwin wore riot a myth, and whothor tho Australian army should not be kept ready to lie thrown nt any point oil tho const; whoro a landing might bo attempted. Cortnln pessimists hnd demanded through the press to bo luformod whether the Mcgalashui transports, 'wore still at Diirwtn. In particular a mounted policeman who hnd been out on a two-months patrol nt Arnhom Land hnd reported (hat lie had observed some excitement among tho wild blacks who wero tho only inhabitants of tho region. At ono camp ho had beon warned not to approaoh, and at others tho attltudo of tho aboriginals was so threatening that ho had been unablo to camp near- them, lie had, noticed that overy lubra was docked, out In beads and blankots of a kind 'different from those Issued by tho Government, and, that food was more plentiful than usually. Ills report had excited suspicions, and tho Govornmont tvlrod an order that the blacks who had crossed tho overland telegraph routo should bo questioned. It was found, however, thftt they had vanished, having apparently returned to tho north. With tho arrival of a further 20,000 men, drawn from the forces stationed at Brlsbri.no and Sydney, excitement grow nt Goondlwa. Most of tho troops had yet to hoar their first shot fired In earnest, and wOro young enough to regard a war as the supremo adventure. On inspection parados they woro tho characteristic felt hat turned up at one side, brown loggings, and uniforms of sand-colored drill. At work, however, erecting bavbed-wlro entanglements, honoy-combing tho ground with trenches and dug-outs — they preferred sing-lots ahd "shorts," and all were nowsun-tanned to the shade of their leggings. With tho eagerness of voluntoors burning to defend their homeland, they throw thojnsolves into the Strange tasks of the battlefield; and with a facility that conscripts, never knew. they mastered enough of tlio ar,,?f Far. to make them formidable soldiers in the kind of .fighting the circumstances seemed to involve.
CHAPTER XX. THE SURPRISE As he splashed the water over his face from tho little stand-tub near the tank, old Jim Telfer caught a glimpse of several strange-looking clouds away to tho north-oast. He splashed tho water into his eyes, and after a brisk rub with the towel, looked again. Ho was so astonished by what ho saw that ho repeated tho process. "I wanted to take sure I'd got the sleep out o' my eyes," he used to say afterwards. Work was heavy In the caneflelds just then, and ho was up before the sun. But there was just enough light above tho rango to show four airships passing over the crest. /It was Incredible; -Goondlwa lay several hundred miles to the westward, and the Mcgalaslan a!v base which the captured scouter had revealed was said to be far beyond Goondlwa. "With a chill of fear, Telfer watched the dirigibles come closer, descending. On race days ho used to sling and old pair of flold glasses over his shoulder when he drove off in the Ford with his family. He thought of them, lying on the family Bible in the little mat-covered living room, and went inside. Coming out to tho tank again he focussed them with a shnlcy hand. No room for doubt! In the shelter of the spur the airships were lying close to the ground. He vcould even, see their grappling cables; worse than that, he could see tho troops they carried descending by sloping ladders, which were hinged to tho gondolas, their free ends suspended by ropes; Running his glasses over tho uniformed flgures, Telfer calculated that 250 men must havo been packed into each airship, which meant that a thousand enemy troops were landing on tho Queensland Beaboard before his eyes. Irresolute, he stood tugging at his short, grey beard.. Should he get his family aboard the car and make a dash for safety? That would mean abandoning the form,, leaving the small homo for loot, such as It offered, or later, tho flrostlck. Hard choice that was to bo made by many anothef settler in that pleasant and fertil land. . While he hesitated, his wife, who had seen him enter for tho glasses, came out and Joined him. In the brightening dawn her, eyes needed no help, and she turned to . him, white-faced. ' J VWhat should' we do?" she wh'ls-peied. Telfer was silent for a while. "I thought of the car," ho muttered, in, a strained voice. "We might — make a bolt down south. . . . Than It's good-bye to the' homestead." He looked at her appealingly. , Suddenly . she caught him by the arm. "There are tho two girl3," she whispered. "Get the car . out, Jim — you must!" Tears were rolling down her sunburnt face,, and, wiping them away with her apron, she hurried into the cottage, meaning to gather quickly a few cherished possessions. Telfor stumbled off to4 the shed, (To ho Continued)
1 ALARM | By BARBOUR GILBERT CHAPTER XX. — Continued
Ton minutes duter tho car, with its four passengers, was at tho slipralls. Mrs Tolfor had a largo bundlo on her lap, and various small articles woro piled on ino iiour. muiiy, only twolvo yours old, bogan to cry at tho sight of tho two cows and of Brownie, tho horso-oC-all-work, nibbling at tho odgo of tho ploughed ground. . "Don't loavo Brownlo," sho boggod, as her father replaced tho slipralls. "Don't cry, dour," licr mother assured her. "We'll ho coming back soon. . And Dinkio can coma with us." Dinkum, ill fact, wuitlng Cor them ahead nil I ho narrow rod track, was already beginning to bark Willi impatience. Tho car moved forward, travelling slowly along tho deep-worn ruts till it reached the publlo rouu. Having at length made up his miiul, Tolfor, not trusting himself to look back, dashed at top speed down tho road to tho south. "Oh, Jim!" his wife burst out. "Too late!" she cried, and flung Rn arm round each of the childron. At a turn in the road stood half a dozen soldiers, with rifles ready. Telfer haB pullod up, and tho sergeant In charge, holding out a sheet of paper, stejpped over to tho car. ' While tho women shrank, trembling under tho gaze of the foreign eyes, Telfer road tho notice. "Return immediately direct to WiinrlrnhUIn RHV." it l'an. All outlets aro guarded. Tho penalty 1 of disobedience is death." Obviously tho sergeant could not speak English, hut no one could have spoken more plainly than the notice. Telfer backod tho car, turned round, and drovo slowly pnst the homestead to tho settlement on tho hay. Tho 4 a.m. wlroloss watches had ' 1 scarcely adjusted their headphones when a short message set their oars tingling. "S.S. Malaccan," tlioy hoard, approaching Mundrabllla Bay. . An — enemy submarine lias risen ahead ot us and signalled st — . . ." There followed a confusion of noises, which suggested that a shot, fired at closo rango, had carried away tho aerials. IC tlie Malaccan had . steamed a few miles farther north, she could have reported moro than a submarine: for her ofllcers would have seen, turn-' lug Into Mundrabllla Bay, tho same transports which had causod the "mlrago" at Thursday Island, ana had shocked the internationalists of Darwin out of tlielr dreams of tho millennium. Jim Tolfor, too, as tho water camo into sight at a bond of tho road, could not repress a groan. Tho hay was oovorod with transports and ship's boats, and already tho beach was black with troops and equipment. Overhead hung tho four dirigibles,, and tho air buzzed with tho noiso of. aeroplanes. Springing Into tho car, a soldier pushed Tolfor from tho wheel, and drove to Fender's homestead, which was tho largest in tlio district. There the Telfors woro ordered out, being allowed to koop their bundles, and, commandeering tlio car, tho Alegal-. asian returned to the bay.
Already sovoral settlers, with their families, had reached. Fender's place. "In effect, it's an internment camp," said tho owner, sadly, as ho shook hands. "There's a cordon round the district, and.no news will got through for days. By that time they'll have landed and dug Jn. Tho surprlso is. completo." ; "We've beon bamboozled, Fonder," Tolfor agreed. "That yarn about tlio advance from -Darwin, and the air base beyond Goondlwa! If they'd examined the- ground where that 'piano let itself bo captured, they'd havo found a sound cylinder part chucked away into tlio bush. That machlno camo from Darwin under escort, and the distance meter was rigged." "Tho blacks, too," said Fondor gloomily. "What a yarn! For a fow blankets and a caso of canned beef tlio wild tribes would report anything." Ho turned away to greet some new arrivals. Tho landing was Incredibly audacious, and yot, in the circumstances, easy. On tho four-days' sail round tho coast from Darwin tliero were no warships to dispute the passage, and tho small craft which still ventured to creep through those seas had no moans of conveying their alarm to the Australians when Megalasian submarines, ploughing along 20 miles ahead of the transports, rose closo by and took them in charge". No! Whilo submarines were stationed north and south of Mundrabllla Bay, and the shore was covered by an air force and a thousand Infantry with a hundred machine-guns, the landing was easy. Nature, In the shapo of the Great Barrier Reef, guaranteed calm water. And tho army of defence, with its face to the northwest, lay several hundred miles away. Tho surprise, as Fender had said, was complete. Though such a secret could not be kept for long, by detaining all persons entering tho sleepy district and maintaining a close cordon, the Me-galaslans could effect the landing without danger. Eventually tho disappearance of settlers must have causod an Inquiry. , but in fact only a fow days had elapsed when the news was carried south by a tramp, who, happening to be making a short cut through the hush, caught a glimpse of a Megalasian r.niforin. By turning ill his tracks, Instead of risking capturo by investigating, he rendered a service to his country, for within 24 hours scouting 'planes, flying at great height, had surveyed the position and reported that a Megalasian army had landed and entrenched near Alundrabilla Bay., A shudder passed through the nation. It was impossible to keep the secret, and the Government had no alternative but to announce the fact and assure tho people that they possessed an army capable of defeating the Invaders.
Opinions woro divided iii- tho Council ot Defence. Some were for rushing reinforcements to Brisbane, on the assumption that tho Alcgaluslalis would lie tempted to mako a dash for the city, and gould then ho attacked liy tlio main army on flank or- roar. In tho opinion of tlio majority, how-evor, tho Australian army should not be allowed to attack from any direction but the south, so thnt if it received a che.ck it might ho able to Call back on tho main lino of communication. Within an hour of the receipt of tlio news Hold headquarters at Goondlwa had the orders for evacuation, anil tlio race back to Tulla-mulla had begun. At this point the line from Gondiwa joined with the consul 1 lino which ran within striking distance of Aluiidrabllla Bay. the two forming a trunk route to Brisbane and tho south. It was a junc-ton that must he hold at all costs. As strategists had agreed in predicting, it was the civilian population which was to suffer first, if not most. The drivers of locomotives travelling on the line to the coast wore startled at tho sight of aeroplanes flying overhead, and one, putting on speed for a dash to Tuliamulla, 'was obliged to pull up when a scouter, shooting ahead, dropped a bomb which blow up twenty yards of track. Flying along tho northern side of tho track tho airman flung half a dozen tear gas bombs, and the train was hurriedly flTiiftHfifl tliA noart? nnuaaiuvnHa
Hlriking out past the damaged section lor tho nearest township. It was soon discovered that an aerial patrol had been established along: tho line, from which it was concluded that tho enemy, having obtained possession of all the rolling stock on the rails, Intended to movo south-west from Mundrabllla Bay till thoy reached tho railway and then ndVCTrco along it to Tuliamulla. Their progress would, however, on account of their limited resources in rolling stock, necessarily bo slow. Unfortunately tho coastal lino, . being no moro than a branch, had not been mined. Its capture and use by the invaders recalled Kitchener's comment that "railway construction had resulted in lines that would appear to bo more favorable to an enomy invading Australia than to tho defence of tlio country. They would provo of considerable value to an enemy who had temporary command of the sea." With their relatively great railway resources the Australian forces had no difficulty in reaching Tuliamulla and in pushing a few miles beyond it to a favorable position. Detraining at Wakool Creek the first brigade, which included a considerable proportion of veterans, entrenched on a lino of low hills commanding the stream. Utilising tho experience gained at Goondlwa the tyoops worked feverishly, mining tho area beyond the first lino of trenches, and erecting barbed-wire entanglements. (To be Continued)
ALARM iBy BARBOUR GILBERT 1 1tnaaU.'.-'c. |fliiiihimmnilniiiiiiiiiiiinir | Stirring | 1 Story j Ttniiiiiiiitiiiiiimiinmiiiiiiiifr"""""""""""'""""""'I " Begin | Today | :CHARTER XXI ' Hcfore Hie Buttle ClosedIt was horo.that most ot tho troops hoard cnomy flro for tho first ' tlmo. Tlioy worked to" tho crticlilo ot inachliio-guns, for In tlio; air Lho battlehad already bosun. Isolated oncoun-lors boLwoon scouting 'pianos developed gradually Into a general engagement, In which tho cncmy. much outnumbered, wns driven buck. For ton miles beyond tho bridge tho track was hastily mined, but left Intact, as the few heavy gunH available might be mountod on.nrmored trains. Behind lho lines there was an Intense activity. AVhllo the railways resources .wero eo n contratud on transporting tlio army anil lis equipment front Uoondlwa the roads from Tulla-mulla as far south' as Melbourne were co.vorod with requisitioned motor vohlclos gathor'ng fobdstuiTs' from country depots and munitions from the. manufacturing contrcH of Sydney, Molbourno, Nowcustlo, Cloelong and Lltligow. Plants of all kinds had boon convortod .to munition-making, and supplies, which at the time of tho first lauding hud. boon almost non-existent, wero now being produced In considerable quantity.Reserve Reserve foreos, too, wore being swiftly- organised' and -rushed over tiie Queensland border for training In tlio country In which tlioy tvoro likely to be required. Tho vulua of Australia's compulsory service scliemo was now demonstrated, for, apart from those' with war experience, tho (lrst-lhio troops had to a mnn undergone seve-' ral years' training in the mllltln forces. Their training wns limited,' certainly, to ovcnsioiinl drills and a week s Held service annually, but each man knew the elements of the soldiers craft ajid could use n rlllo! biiico the mobilisation they luul been intensively Ifriinctl, .nncl in scmU guerilla warfare, 'it was. expected, they would prove ' themselves . troops of tho first qdallty. Tho reserves, too) had. largely been partially trained; Above all,, their physique and moral wero unsurpassable. Tho army's weakness lay. of course, in its lack oC adequate artillery. By tho aid of Britain the ulr. force now wns littlo Inferior to that of tho enemy, and It was unlikely that the latter -in- view' of tho: great trial' of strength pending "on -the -sea, could bo reinforced;. Tlio Megalnsians' base must bo -conntitutcd by their transports, but they wer.o assured of tlielr communications with Darwin until tho fleets should dccido the war, Tho shadow of that event had begun to lopm when the- huge guns of tho British bnttio fleet roared their salute to tho American warshlpn in tho harbor of Singapore. The mcct-Ing-oC thoso two Armadas wns a spectacle which, mirrored world-wide by television, thrilled millions of bo-holtlors in all I he Ave. continents. For some timo there had been hourly reports' of the preparations for the great advance, publicists had speculated on its objective, and its chances — and then, silence. "Tho allied fleet is ready to sail . from Singapore." a communique lind announced; after which the world had. to guess at where the fleet, might bo. i One communique had been published so often that the public lost Interest, and tho matter was taken was usually, to. the effect that "J3neniy aircraft attcinpl'ed . ' L$ . ftbnpb? the Slhgaboro base, and,.th'6 oUVwcUs atMndnl, but wero driven off with loss." it was ovldont both that tho Canadians must have rocelvo'd their baptism of flro, and that tho Megalnsians .had already, begun tho war In tho oast. with a Campaign in tho air, Thoro ,yero . porslstent rumors, too, that Hong Jvong. had suffered severely, and that It; was. only a strong iforco of submarines that prevented its devasta- i Hon by tho bombardment of capital , ships. | At Tollamulla meanwhile the armies wero closing .In 'battle. Tho gradu.nl Intensification -oMhb air fighting indicated that- the .Mqgalasians wore advancing in force— as 'indeed was continually reported by refugee HctUors. On cither sldo of Tllllnmulhi the screen of light' horse, -sent out on rceonnaissuuee- duty with orders to avoid coniact with enemy outposts, was beginning to fall back. The rc- 1 >orts deepened tho frown on tho foro-icnd of General M'Ardlic. In his bomb-proof shcltor bo listoucd silently to tho conjocturcs of his staff. "They won't content thomsolvos with a frontal attack," Upton was arguing. "Tho question . is whether they can mako an nccurnto estlmato of our reserves. If . they can, in my opinion they'll attempt to turn our flank from tho south-cast." "And If they can't?" queried Con-cannon. "No need to ask," M'Ardlic grunted. "They'll como. round on- tlio north if they credit us .with ' moro reserves than wo've got. Tlicy'ro bound to consider tlio ' clinnco of a counter-move from, tho south-east, whereas tlicy'ro perfectly well" award thoy vo got nothing, at all to fear .from tho north. They'll try to turn our flank from the north-west." This was tho reason, in fact, why a column or. Light Horso.>was already on Us wnv to occupy the township of Cool-abri, which lay -seven 'miles north on the main north-south motor route. Conditions in the trenches were vastly different from those on ,tho Western Front in 1917.. "it's dry, at nil events said Clem, cheerfully, picking up a cigarette Jack Milliard had just pitched tor wards him. This was the sixth night they had shared n dugout on the ridge. "Dry, but damned hard," Jack responded. "The sun's HUposcd to have been baking this clay for a hundred million years, and that's the .way it feels." "We could do with some rain. Were not likely to have so much as a mist, which mentis sighting is easy. They'll be bombarding us at maximum range, and with three or four decent naval guns they can do us a lot of tin mage/' Away to the cast the faint detonations that told of the incessant air lighting were growing louder. "Machines coming closer," said Jack. "Wonder what that . means?" The answer camo a half-hour later, when . a terrific, explosion brought the occupants of thousands of dug-outs tumbling out into tho trenches. Grasping their rifles, Clem and Jack peered like the rest over the parapet, trying to pierce the darkness over what had, as it proved, in that instant become a no-man's-land. Rumor, ever swift in war, was soon 011 the wing, and tho word was passed front company to company that a dirigible hud made a lucky hit, dropping a. ton of high-explosive insldo the front-lino trenches. More significant in Cloni's cars . sounded the news, travelling a few minutes later, that for the first time in Australia's history her troops had on their own soil heard the call for stretcher-bearers. . . i;x-. . .. (To lie iCQriUhticd)
This was printed as chapter XVII not XXII
I"" J Stirring J Story tttiiimiiHiMiiiimimiimiiiii'ALARMBy BARBOUR GILBERT"I I 1 Begin J 1 Today I 1 iillMlttflltlllttltHimiUtlltirH7CHAPTER XXII.Over tlic Top .It was the first of many shells which fell that night in tho Australian lines. . Tho troops had endured the bombardment for almost an hourwhen ihoir strained cars caught the sound of firing closo at hand" oh tho mined section of tho railway line, unci tho word was passed round that their own armorod trulns wero in action. AVith aircraft directing their fire, two of tho available heavy guns had, in, fact,, been .brought Into. use. Their projectiles roared away to tho eastward,- find by, ten o'clock tho Megu!-aqlaris. had conned shelling, having caused some casualties and ascertained tho calibre of the Australian ordnanco. "Down south the pcoplo -learned that tho; fighting "had begun. "Keep down l" 1-IUllnrd could hear Captain" ITtidlolgh growling out a fow yards to his' loft." . Ho passed ,tho caution on to Clem, just vislblo In tho faint dawnlight crawling forward thirty ted away on tho other side. "You don't imitate tho action- of tho tiger nowaduyfl," Clem was thinking in a sort of daze, "It's the- action of tho snake. An army fights on its holly, said a soldier of tho 'past: That's literally true now: here aro two thousand of us wriggling into the fight on our bellies like' Ro many snakes. Thoy shouldn't bo ablo to spot us, it's too dark for us to -see any snakes." In uo-nian'H-land the earth was so ploughed up by shell flro that no snake was likely to have survived. .Grenades In hand, the troops woro crawling over hard sun-baked clods, behind shuttered tree-trunks and round charred stumps. When the sun rose thoy would havo its rays in their eyes, but it wanted half an hour for dawn. Five minutoH ,tn the znrn hniid Timorder was' given to halt, nml' tho men lay fiat. In strange confusion Clem's thoughts passed from tho ndvonturo before him to tlic peace of Wahroonga, where Lois would ho still asleep. In deep sleep, Mrs I-Illlinrd has assured him, tlic spirit could leavo tho body and travel swiftly to mysterious destinations. Clem had smiled at the notion, hut now ho wished it might bo true, slnco Lois might so, as the phraso went, bo with him in spirit. With no feeling of incongruity ho put down his bomb, and feeling with the same hand in the pocket of his tunic pressed her letter against his breast "Two minutes!" Tho cautioning words -woro carried past him, and his hand closed again on tho bomb. He waited, his heart thumping against the ground. With appalling suddenness tho artillery roared Its mcssago of death. In tho stillness of dawn the noiso was oar-smashing, monstrous. An instant later the pain had spread to their eyes as star-shells nnd rockets raced up from the Mcgalnslnn lines.' Two thousand men lay waiting, quivering with a desperate excitement in which merged the tension of suffering nerves und the awakening battle thrill passed on with the blood of fiercer forefathers. Clem heard orders being shouted. The barrage had lifted. Now he was on his feot, staggering, falling, leaping over the broken ground, through shattered wire entanglements, towards tho parapet of thoMlrst-Hne. trench. Tho dlnv was greater, was doafening him. But the eerie greenish light allowed him to. see; to poor down on thrusting bayonets, on distorted faces, on arms whirling small spheres of death. His bombs were gone, ho must havo fiung them, and his arms wero thrusting like the others. Through tho uproar he could hear shouts and curses, cries In an unknown tongue. Now tho din . was less, tho barrage was bursting farther on, excopt underfoot there wero no Megaiasian uniforms In the trench. Ho stumbled off to tho loft, looking for someone, and came upon Jack' Milliard, who was pulling a steel splinter out of his leg. The collar manufacturer's artist, would have scorned him; his tunic was covered with soil, his hair and face with dust. "Scratched," ho jerked out. Putting hisImiul to his cheek Clem discovered that blood was trickling down from his toinplo. "What's ?" Jack crlod, laughing a trifle wildly. "Advance, counter-nt-tnck, what?" Clem could not answer. Was It a nightmare? Tho nlr" seemed to have been struck Into flame, It blazed, down on hltn, it shrieked and screamed. Before him tho earth was rising, a volcano was belching up at his foot, lie rose. with It, heard its-uproar, saw the dirt and rocks it flung Into the air. . A matter .of seconds — yet in .the paralysis of liis senses ho lived through It with the slowness of a dream. Then suddenly It was Hashing past -him, ho was fulling, pelted with stones and soil. . . The weight- was crushing; It covered him, pressing him down, unbearably. ... -Ills feet stuck out, nnd tho strotcher-bonrers were able, to find him. ' "Not serious," ho heard someone mutter as ho revived at the drpssing station. "Must havo struck , soft . soil." Other voices droned Into his car. "Hadlelgh said they'd just enrriod the first trench. But tho beggars had mined it."
CHAPTER XXIII. Tho Refugees. When tho red roll began to bo called, tho Red Cross .heard tho call also, and Lois found herself In one of tho first detachments ordered north. On the southern sldo of tho Now South Wales border tho surfaco of Ufa seemed unchanged. Onco Into Queensland, howevor! Lois .began to notice tho ravages of war. Her brief . training had not been able , to stqel hot against the sight of K tho ! ambulance trnlns travelling slowly south; At tho windows sho saw pallid fnccs, heads swathed in bandages; and she could guess at tho nature of the cot cases in carriages which had been cleared of their seals and partitions. Detraining nt Wongalilla, her unit sot out for the baso hospital. Lois was amazed at tho appearance of tho countryside. Along every road streamed refugees, who oven . In the brilliant sunshine made a pitiful spectacle. Tho luckiest had motor-cars and trucks, and tho majority had farm carts and wnggons. Most of the men walked beside them, while children and women unable to walk sat among tho piles of belongings. Occasionally a roomy army transport waggon, ceded place by the rest, rumbled past, loaded in. the same way. It would have picked up three settlers' families who, spending overmuch time in gathering their possessions, had seen their horses carried off. Tho baggage allowance was threo hundredweight for each family, which meant that most of . the small homes were abandoned iqtact.A A profound melancholy fell on Lois' heart as the sad procession went by: the frightened eyes of little children, the tear-stained faces of mothers, the absurd pnthos of those very bundles, bulging with such a miscellany of most-treasured possessions. Tho refugees were trekking south, nnd In tho temporarily secure country beyond tho border farmers were offering to billet them, usually refusing to tako payment out of tho sustenance allowance granted by tho Federal Government. . More terrible impressions crowded out those earlier ones when Luis reached the hospital and began her duties among tho huts. She learnt with relief that sho would havo minor tasks for a few days; she needed time to recover from the impingement of sights nnd sounds that shocked her. 'At ten p.m., beforo turning In on her camp bedstead, sho decided to seek peace for her excited nerves In a short walk through the silent bush up to the top of tho ridge. Climbing slowly for the last few yards, she emerged from the scrub behind a huge boulder. On either side of it she perceived a faint reddish glow, and, her curiosity aroused, sho made her way round tho rocjc. (To Iks Continued)
Neto Serial StoryBegin Today: ALARM:Bu BARBOUR GILBERTCHAPTER XXIII. — ContinuedClutching nt her bronst. sno cn u her eyes: sho was back in tho bungalow garden, nnd past bpr nilnds oyo flashed tho vision which was fho rn.iiitv. Lean-ing nvlnst tlio boulder, she looked out again, down tlio alopoatulacross tho plain. From tho zenith tho glow brightened, until along the horizon .t bocamo a fierce red glare. Iho burning farms," sho thought miserably. How many of those refugees were already homeless? Sinking to tlio ground, sho rested her head on her knees, finding a measure ot relict in tears?. After a little she pot up and walked back, and- undressing in the brown canvas tent sho was to share with three others, told Nurse Clark-yon, who had Just come oft duty, of tho terrifying light in tho sky. "It's tho cane-Holds farther up," said tho nurse sleepily. "Anything might havo started it; perhaps an aoroplano falling In flames. A lot of farmhouses havo been burnt." "And tho owners?" Lois wondered. "You saw them on the road. It's always liko that In war." Nurso Clark-son yawned, nnd almost immcdintely was asleep. Wearied out by tho endless impact ot strange Impressions, Lois fell asleep too. Clem had watched that glaro on the horizon for threes successive nights, and, like Lois, ho was saddened by tho tragedy of iL It was still in Ills mind when ho set out with Jack Milliard for a smoko and a walk in tho country behind tho lines. Both had extra leave, having spent a week in hospital with minor injuries received in tho charge on the trench and in the explosions that followed it. Standing together nt tho moment the mines woro detonated, they had fared in much the same way, being struck and buried by soft soil. Fow of those who went over the top with them escaped as easily. "Time for a spell," said Jack as they sat down on a log at tho side of the track. "More light horse making for Coolabri," he added, pointing through the trees to a line of cavalry cantering northward half a mile away. "How nuiny's that we've seen today? There's aoino big movo pending up Coolabri : pretty generally known they'll j try to turn our flank from that side," Clem answered. "And theso lighthorso mean that thero's an enemy column working round through tho bush country north-east of Coolabri." "Aren't thoy risking an ambush?" Jack suggested. "They know they're oaf© enough with aeroplanes scouting in a screen in front and at each side. Their pilots would detect any forco big enough to cause trouble. Then they know they can retreat without being cut off, because M'Ardlio's job is to hold the railhead nt all costs, and he's so hard-pressed ho can't spare so much as a company for anything else. Besides — " ho stopped, silenced by an idea which had flashed into his mind. "Besides what?" asked Jack. But Clem was on his feet, and pulling him back along tho path. "I'll tell you something," Clem cried In sudden excitement, nnd as they hurried Jack whistled nnd slapped Clem vigorously on the back. "It's good, If I'm to bo at the party," ho declared. "Bet your life!" Clem laughed. "And now for tho O.C." Back in tho lines they found "Tippy" at tho small table In his bomb-proof shelter. He owed his nicknamo to his habit of ejaculating "Typically Australian" whenever n flno bit of work demanded his commendation. Tho phraso concealed a shyness boforo his own men that was equalled only by his enso of manner in tho firing line. Tippy was much too tall to accommodate himself at asmall table, and this, with tho solemnity ot his dark, long face, made it difficult for Clem to look serious. "Very audacious," ho commented when Clem had finished speaking. "None of the authorities record such a manoeuvre. Not, of course," he added apologetically, "that the text books exhaust all the possibilities of tactics." "And of course there are no rules for guerilla warfare," Clem suggested. "It's tho element of surprlso again. A manoeuvre has a good chance of succeeding tho first Uino it's tried." "Quito so," Tippy hastened to agree. "Tako the initiative, you mean." Clem waited for the familiar phrase. "That's typically Australian." Thinking it over, ho brightened a little, and finally. In sudden enthusiasm, got up and told Clem to follow him to field headquarters. "I'll put It to tho C.-I.-C. as urgently as I can." Tippy evidently had eomo difficultyIn finding words sufficiently urgent, for twenty minutes passed boforo tho orderly camo out for Clom. M'ArdUc regarded hint rather suspiciously. "Tho Idea Is good— provided it works," ho shot out, rubbing his short black moustaclio. "You can pick your ten men, and then take your orders from Colonol Bostoclc." "A general, not a brass-hat," Clem reflected as ho withdrew. "I'll havo Jack Hllllard for number one," he Informed Tippy when thoy returned to tho shelter; after which between them they selected tho remaining nine men. Among Jhcm woro two, Yabslelgh and Nelld, from tho bush scouting corps, composed of men who knew tho country thoroughly. As eager now as Clom, Bostoek Bot about tho arrangements, ordering tho horses and stores required, and working out the details on which tho issuo might depend.
CHATTER XXIV. In Spcargrass Gully At dusk tho party was assembled, and Clem, riding botwoon Nelld and Yabslelgh, led tho way to tho Coolabri road, Tho moon would rlso about $.30, by which tlmo thoy would havo turned off Into tho bush. "Tliore's an enemy column working round to tho north, a strong forco of cavalry with machino guns," Milliard explained to tho others, who wcro tormented with curiosity. "They're advancing across country on a long detour. Of course thoy know the roads aro mined, and that's why they'ro using bush routes and blazing their own trail whero it's nocessnry. Our aeroplanes would have missed them In the thick country, and the farmers havo all fled south. But M'Ardlio seems to havo expected it, becauso he's had tho bush scouting corps patrolling tho bush for miles to tho northward. It was a couple of tho Bushics that sighted them yesterday, and passed tho nows along to tho nearest intelligence station." "And whero aro wo bound for?" asked one of tho men. "According to Yabslcy and Nelld," Jack answered, "they can choose their route till thoy reach Yurnbl Creok. Tho country's so rough round there that they'll have to follow tho bod of the creek or olso go through a gully about four miles on tlio other side of it, Neild's a prospector and he's camped all over theso parts at various times."Clom Clom had produced his orders at 13 of the half-mile posts, whon Nelld turned off tho road into the scrub. Dismounting they gave tho horses .a spell, and had smoked a couplo of cigarettes each when tho moon, which was In tho third quarter, rose over a ridge on tho right. Clem gavo tho word to mount, nnd with Nolld in tho lead they rode ahead slowly. Five miles farther on they wero at tho beginning of the hills, and here it was decided to camp, as tho bush was almost impassable except In daylight. Selecting a dry spot on tho top of a small rise thoy tethered tho horses and rolled themselves in their blankets. A watch was unnecessary, since tho enemy was separated from them by a two days march through tho roughest country, and it was undesirable, becauso then at least two of their number would bo fatigued when the morrow's hard work bogan. (To 6o Continued)
SERIAL STORY UJSHg as, mE R H A fl| 1HH8 -Barbour uilpmses CHAPTER XXIV — Continued . Hardened to sleeping in tho' dugouts tlicy found tho earth comfortable onough, and slept soundly till dawn.' Whllo tho othors built fires J Tabs''! leigh employed his -buslicraft to -find' water; v-horoupon, leaving Jack in' chargo of tho billies, they took tho! horses to a crook in which tlio summer's heat still left a trickle. "Bully bc'of for tea," Clem announced on tho return, "but Tippy wangled a. ration of -fresh steak for broakfast — eleven pounds of it!" vsui-o it isn't, fresh goanna?" called Tabsloish as Clem -unrolled tho sur-prlso parcel, which ho had carried on tho pommel of his saddlo. "Steak, Buro enough," Clem responded. and began to distrlbuto the ration for grilling on green forked twigs. Before tho Bun had climbed abovo tho ridge, breakfast for men nnd horses was over, and with Nelld at tho head, followed by Yobsleigh, Clem and tho others, tho party had taken tho bridle track, which ran northwest, in slnglo file. After covering n onnnln of miles Nelld turned off and led duo north, picking his way with the bushman's instinct. In the henv-ily-timborod country progress was slow, nnd twice it was necessary to turn back and find a more practicable route. At sundown they mado Yurabi Creek, and camped for tho night. Though not impassable, tho country was rugged enough to bo dilllcult oven for cavalry. Tho low hills rihiong which tho creek wound were broken by bluffs, front 20 to 30 feet high, which made It impossible for horsemen to reach the open country near Coolabri, except by following the creek bed. There was another outlet by Speargrass Gully, flvo miles long, about four miles to the northward; and Nelld and Yabsleigh, after riding next morning to tho spot with Clem, were satisfied that t ho Megnl-aslans would chooso that routo. on account of the roughness of tho creok. which was at many places tsrown with large boulders and partially blocked by fallen trees. Tho gully, on tho other hand, though its sides were thick with spear-grass higher than a man's head, growing among the stringy-barks, was nowhere less tlinn a dozen yards wido at tho bottom, and offered' comparatively little obstruction to men riding in single file. Clem had noted the long grass with the keenest satisfaction. When tho horses were watered and breakfast was at its end ho despatched HilUard, with" another trooper, to ride to the gully's eastern outlet, taking care to avoid being sighted from tlio all', to a bluff which Nelld pointed out. Keeping tho strictest watch, they were to remain there till Bun-seL With tho others Clem followed, and at a point about half a mile from the outlet ho called a halt. The horses were tethered in a patch of thick busb, where they would be invisible from tho sky; after which Clem passed the morning examining the ground on cither side of tho gully. "A regular trap," Ncild admitted, when they had finished. "Still, the country's been . evacuated, and . it's possible that they'll regard the light horse in front of Coolabri as M'Ard-lio's only answer to this move of theirs." ' "Scouting's out of- tho question horo," said Yabsloigh. "Thoro's Just room for the - column ltsolf to come througlit, so they'll rely on aeroplanes (lying low ahead, and on each sido of them." r- "I liopo thoy do," Clom rosponded. "If wo lccop under cover no 'piano can sight us." -At sunset his scouts camo in, and Hllliard mado tlio interesting report that about four o'clock an noroplano, obviously on rcconndlssanco, had ap-poarcd over tlio hills to tlio eastward, and after approaching to wtihin a niilo or two of their lookout, had turned back, no doubt with the information thnt tho nroa ocntalned neither civilians nor troops. Clem was delightod. "They'll bo in contact tomorrow," ho exclaimed, "and tho day after--but we'll see!" ' That night tiioy told stories of ambushes, discussing tliolr own chances of success, not forgetting a bot or two on tho conclusion.
M'Arillo nnd his staff also wcro speculating, anil not- very cheerfully. There seemed to lie nothing for it but to fail bnclt oil prepared positions. Hitherto tlio armies bail been fairly evenly matched, and Uttlo ground httd been lost. Tills wns because tlio lighting, luid been carried out largely In tlio nib. and the Mcgaliisiaii artillery bad been hampered bv incessant bombing , with gas and oxploslvo. Tlio aerial plvaso soem od. however, to bo passing, tlio reason being that both sides hail lost heavily Tlio conditions were different from those of a European war In that tho aircraft lost could not bo replaced; for neither tlio allies nor tho Mcgnhisians could send replacements at tlio risk of weakening tlioniselves in tlio decisive conflict approaching 011 tlio son. Britain could spare 110 more, slnco sho dared not noglect her own defomco, and nooded all hor resources to maintain adequate nlr forces with tho fleot anil lit Singapore. By noroplano attack or tho tiro of anti-aircraft guns every dirigible had been destroyed or pflt out of action, and in tlio raids and duels which liad continued night nnd day tlio available aeroplanes liad been brought down in «"such numbora thnt both sldqs wofo disposed ' for tlio present to restrict theii uso 'of tho' rimninilcr- to reconnoitring. " This whs pni-6 of tho gonornl slowlng-iluwii .of tho warfare in Australia by comparison with ' tho conduct of wqr in tho old -world; Tito Invaders' resourcos were, after nil, limited to tho mcp, munitions and supplies tiioy lind boon ublo to transport over thousands of miles of oecnn. Australia wns hindered by tho sanio difficulty in obtaining supplies from Britain — a necessity imposed by hor policy of depondenco 011 primary industries anil consequent backwardness in manufacturing power. With tho cxlinustlon of tlio air forces- tlio ciunpnlgn was becoming ono of infantry, enlivened by cavalry brushes, occasional air raids, nnd gas attacks. With this phase, too, M'Ardlo's troubles wcro 'increasing, for ho was distinctly inferior in heavy nrtlllory. and ills mind wns haunted by a vision of big naval guns being swung ashore from tho liblds of transports in Mu n-drnbilla Bay, to bo limbered up on armored trains. In imagination lio could sco them, twenty miles awayjfar beyond his. own range, hurling terrlllc charges that mado chaos of tlio do-' fenders' lines.
CHAPTER XXV. THE AMBUSH Out by Yural. Crook tho scouts — II of them — wcro in position nt dawn. Today, Clem was certain, his iden would bo put to tho test. Ho had a slnglo nnxiely — tlio wind. Yesterday tho light brcezo Nelld had predicted liad duly arrived, late in tho afternoon, blowing from tho nortli-oast. If it would only conio today! Ho began to whistlo, remembering tho sailor's belief In Hint simple spoil. With no surpriso Clom saw Yabsloigh, shortly after nlno o'clock, approaching, parting tho long grass, across the gully. Ho wns on foot, for tho horses had boon taken to Yurabi and left, in chargo of ono trooper, in a sheltered position half n mile on tho southern 6ido of the creek. "A 'plane," ho announced, "about ten miles off. From tlio position I'd say they wcro taking tho gully. And on that road, if tiioy get through by sundown, they'll bo lucky." Clom was slialton by a thrill of excitement. "Ivocp whistling," ho cried, "it all depends on tho wind!" "It'll como," Tnbsloigh declared, glancing at tho sky. "And anyhow, tho way I've showed you it doesn't matter whether thoro's a wind at all — so long as there's nono from tho west, and that's unlikely." By noon thoy knew tho gully would be usod, for Yabslclgli, posted In a treo at tlie eastern entrance, had caught a gllmpso of Megalasian cavalry winding round a bluff. Ho returned to report, and Clem, bolng now nblo to complcto his preparations, coo-eed for the othors. Dividing his littio force, ho posted live men, under Noild, on tho southern sido of tlie ravine, and detailed himself, with tlie other four, for tlio northern slope. They had tlicir orders by heart, including tho bird call by which Yabsleigh, who was to slny with his leader, would givo tho signal to.Neild. (To bo Continued)
o SERIAL STORY Bu BARBOUR GILBERT 1 ALARM ti j CHAPTER XV.— Contlnncd
II By two o'clock tho flrst seoutor had 0 | swept overhead, tho pilot scanning -, tho country on clthor sldo. IIo could soo nothing, tho bunhcraft of Noild J ami yubslolgli having ensured tlio i comploto Invisibility of tho Austrn-J linns. After having anxiously watched 1 tlio sky tor nonrly two hours, Clem i was clioorod by a slight rustic among j tlio leaves ovorhond: "Tho broozo," ho muttered to Yabslcigh, who smiled grimly. _ 1 Though their brushwood shelters screonod thom porfcctly, thoy Instinctively lay flat wlion tho tramp of i horses began to bo nudlblo. Soon J ' tlley could distinguish tho jingling of 1 arms and equipment; and within ton i minutes tho hend of the column an-J poared on tholr Toft.., Riding nine or 1 .. ten abreast, the ' Megalasians went bv I at it wallting pneo. their noroplnno's J circling overhead, directing thom to-3 wards tlio open and untenanted country flvo miles beyond at tlio gullv's 1 outlet. The troopers wero ifeavfly burdened, and many of thom lod horses whoso pneks contained ma-Iohino guns or ammunition. Thoy .1.2. somo minutes In passing, j Thero must bo close on a couple i of thousand of thom," ciom whls-J Pernd. Now for tlio call!" I FJ." a folded lenf botwoon his llns J Ynbslulgh save the bird whisUo agTCOd upon, and thoy hoard It ro 1 tiliatitdnnBVial t!mes' growing fainter J till it pnaRod across tho cully. I ,, Actually they'll havo plenty of 1 Ynhsiiun-h throu»h," said Clem, and j Yabslcigh nodded. "But thev'll he 1 Stampeded, and before thoy can ro-J Gain anything like ordor, the light hoif, wi | bo out from Coolabrl." I turoHfMi-r.7ni "the ?e tho bush crea-offho' Flrod EM8 a" thrS' the ca" i 55 s< K w«" ss 1 broken apparent causo; snorteand I h'r/(nrt0exacS'' h,l- "P.
. """ At tiiat moment t i ml /n Mrso bccan>0 restive, nnd I tiled to throw his rider, and the . troopers eyes began to search the I rm011 skies of tho EUllV. hiiV/i c0,,'ld flnd no C'tuse for alarm, h?fl ' " wl'0S« former owners ?/'" U'/UY a time (wurred them before tlio racing flaiAe of the spear-grass, had smelt lire, and Would not I rostrnindd, 'i'lio trookers, too hMo?nSVl0li '"Of'.horno on tho faint breczo that blow from behind thom. Thsir commanders' strategy had allowed for all the porils tho. soldier had aomo to know in tho older lands, hut in the parched bush of tho only continent which ltnow nothing of war lurked a danger thoy had not reckoned on. Down tho gully it drifted, the hrcnth of the hush Are; and tho horses, romombet'lng or aware by Instinct of itq terrors, wero thrown into confusion. Their -panic grow as an aeroplane, flying low so that tho pilot might fling clown tt scribbled warning came up tho gully, its engines whirring loudly. Whllo the commanders i hurriedly consultod the column was brought to a halt. Suddenly a roar of shouting ended tholr deliberations; It came from tho rearguard, which had sighted the advancing line of nre, una passing along thQ lino Increased Its disorder.
Assured that there was no hostile force in front of him, tho commander ordered an advance nt a gallop. Loss than two mNos ahead was safety! Through tho ravine resounded tho thunder of hoof-boats, to which was added a babel of snouted orders and neighing of horses. Already tho bag-gngo animals, imperfectly guided, wero falling on tho broken ground, causing moro confusion among tho horsemen. Torrliled by tho roar of tho flames, which could now bo clearly hoard, thoso In tho rear pressed on tho othors, till ordor was lost and the march was turned Into a stam-pndo. Somo dashed up tho sldos of tho gully, only to bo rcpolled by tho dense bush. Along tho bottom boulders and charred logs, tho latter tho debris of tho Inst flro, mndo progress difficult. Abandoning all effort to control tho baggago animals tho troopers galloped each man for himself, and their horses, as instinct was quickened by terror, took tholr own direction, avoiding tho larger rocks and leaping over stumps nnd boulders. A fearful steeplechase! Tho gonl was in sight now to tho leaders. Tho Bides of tho gully were lower, tho rough road was widening, was less encumbered. Fivo minutes after tho airman had flung down his warning tho first of tho fugitives woro dashing down the slopo upon which tho gully oponed. They dared not draw rein, for behind thorn the hoofs still thundered, and to stop would bo to bring down others with themselves. Emerging on to tho slope the baggago horses galloped on unimpeded, carrying wtih them tho machine-guns and ammunition. Many of tho troopers, too, unable to throw off the panic Influence, galloped forward unhoedlngly. Reining and turning In an attempt to rally his men, tho commander was struck by a baggago horso and hurled to tho ground, where ho lay till one of his staff coming up contrived to lift him and curry him, injured and unconscious, to safety. As Clem, who had had no wish to make a holocaust in tho gully, had estimated, tho Mcgalasiansoven those jmio nua been injured and picked up by others who had kept their heads-reached tho open well before tho fire, fanned only by a faint breeze, had travelled far along the ravine. He had calculated correctly that the smoko would bo sufficient to stani-. podo tho horses. Tho flro had bcon started quickly; a match In tho long,. « fifass would have been enough, without tho kerosene, of which each of his men had carried a four-gallon tin. Utterly disorganised; cut off from retreat by a barrier of flame, practically unarmed through tho loss of their transport (for the led horses were straying over tho countryside);, tho Megalasians could offer llttlo resistance to tho light horse which was now pouring out of Coolabrl. So high up as to be invisible an aeroplane watch had flashed tho signal to advance, when tho. smoke began to rise from tho gully. Tho Australian cavalry, working In perfect order in familiar country, occupied tho re-: malnlng hours of daylight in rounding up stragglers, and charging wherever a few of tho enemy had gathered to mako a stand. Tho valuable booty of the baggage animals could be recovered next morning. Tho attack on flnolnhr! hnil fnflml
(To be Continued)
ALARM"ml STORY ...... ,,By BARBOUR GILBERTCIlAI'TF.lt XXVI. i(1 -c l;I;AT OX BRISBANE'c. . had an opportunilty ; .,1 , neai iy two weeks 1 , , tlio confusion of the ... |f,Ht touch with one"uo rotront! Clem often . h his success had not ; ' ; that the. .'Yurabl in ..x 'i, I encouraged the, do-V. !i 1 P«lhly averted a 11 , ,i ::inlt, which would , „ ./ .nLor; A\;hurouB tli'o;re-'. in- t .-.rrlllc' flro of the ,, h««:;vy guns, which sooinod r., !,... iiumbor ouch day, , '".j1;1. 1.,, i;i d by -tho Auatrfilitln' j,!,,; no nltonmtlvOrbufc to 1,. , .red positions',. t-ivcnty 1 ; Tullamullu. %Tt was \ n,,. ' a longer rotchat; as , J,,. »i. ilnsians, repairing, or i 11., . ullway, brought, .u,p , ' t l V c . i ianeo tho Australian and tlio retreat n .j. Where will It end? At Brisbane, por-,«.uld Biisbniio be hold? , ins to the south woro ,(l , , d pooplo woro offor-u r hnssnges by 'motor q Would Ihoy capturo T! 1 > would ho roi'Iou8 in-r j. v .i-ijo would bo tho. loss s-. v - «r Its. steel ami con 1 . i defence. With New-, . .... nands tho position of , , . .... : i.'i hopeless; -its -popu-n , t to bo inovod, would !,' <- t for. raids from sea, . . , 1 the field," Dola criod her dcliglit nt the -iin was wearing on ip. They wero stund-; anno to tho nurses' . . . \ough -she was over-/. r,,. , 101 embarrassed; sho , -i . honor, sho wanted j him/ too. -Cleni, , . : . : i of other, eyes-' that. , , : ; lously from- the hiilf-,, won. decidedly om-,1 5 iking, Lois' hrm ;per ,, j «) for' a 'stroll Jn. tlip i ... . mi hospital, ho- made .I ait . the; adventure of . ai'oleas , Syiiotliei4 iislie. . tood leaning against v jiis/ /iirms, .com-. : ! ongth./ . Sho needed i ; 15. \va% exhausted by thV. wounded, and . . 11 . vihg on fis the nrmy < . ' '. en thq- ovder-' would was asleop,' anil- no; od many hours" later . . mi 11 \ o the hd'ded strain. h ho. did not hcliovo . ivouhl soon bo dvex ti. .nd encouraged., heiv. talked of what they, .)eaco had como, day-lovo and a cottage. ' : they returned, to.tho : i never far front the , hi Australian; and, bo-1.; that day news from " ; korig was snfo — am 1 to supplement it by i - .- i; ard from Bostock. !' : riain that tho fieeti than to a bay on the v m There tho French . .. It a point d'appul— ; establish tho mobile ups have been walt-Ihe meaning of the r., Hong Kong being , i stioned. ; » like ;bark of a>handy i s.ve w a /rodgh ' Sketch. Tlio allied Jleot can't ;'"Jctly from Singapore. . y'evoii tor attack vtho Wc. must havo an ml tho only ono nvnll-ung. You see, tho fourteen proved that re than six hundred-useless. Tholleot . damaged ships can't just , leaked .out that ' 1 boon desperately nt-" sido, and apparent-been saved by the lining to the. support It must have been zols whispered, "even . 1 tits we've lmd aro .. . I- suppose." ' :ein ngreod. "They ! : Britain couldn't send : its -by sea, but rushed t . i- roo oyer tho French : -China and just rain-om tho air till the gel round. But Idon't want to bo talking war whon I'm with you," ho added. "Hero's a paper V'Uh an artlolo by tho wlacacro whose stuff wo read that day in tlio gardens.' Yon can lenrn«t!»e position from thai af(or 1 go hack." Strolling along tho paths ttmt bordered . the ploughed fields they went back to thoir day-drcamlug, trying to forgot the confilet. Thoir time together paused nil too quickly', and at Bunuet LuJa' found herself back at the 'rest tent; waving a tearful au revoir. That night she war at work at tho dressing station, und an she passed along tho row .of Rtrotchors n namo road from an ' identification disc caught her ear.. Spddonly pale, she, turned to tho othorrow. .Though she could not lmvo rocognlsed him, tho brushed, and mud-Hpattcrod body had been Jrick>; HUliaril. " In l t.> fitii-go.: of fbolliig f she : rCmombored Joyce and Sirs.' HHIiiird; the. porch, and /CiCm coming' up tho steps. Her , faintness growing, . sho ..mviiyod, .clutching at a streteh.er-beftror; .. / '"BomoonQ sho knew, a relation perhaps,' ;NurSoi ClarkHon,.oxplalridd. as sho usko'd ;two soldiers -to .'carry, Dois: to tlio tent. ' > '« . In the ofilnors' mess Clem found, Bostock and Captain Dftlrymplo in (irgumont about tho naval- campaign. "Thero must bo at lonst- as tnany Amoritan battleships ; as British, -Tippy doclarod. "Britain -ean't pos-slhly scud; all her- bu.ttlbahlps"far from her own coast and'.'loavo liorsoU unprotected." . % . ' ' . "Do you mean to argue that tne Americans rolioved HOjng, Kong, too? asked Dalrymplo» - . "I do not. Tho hattlo-crulscrs that havo savoil Hong Kong, must bo British. It's ono of the puzzles of naval strategy that the American navy has always been deficient-, .in such ships. The moro so that a modem son battle can't bo fought without adequate forces of battlo and light ' cruisers, working ahead of tho capital ships. "I suppose tho bit of news about ITong Kong is tho host wo'vo had yet," Clcim remarked. "Hong Kong had to bo held at-any cost," Rostock- answered. "The main fieot can't opcrato (it moro than a thousand miles, at tho very , most, from < lis base, and so It couldn't fight dirbctW from Singuporo. : MW.hat'pAbQ-Koud of it,;then?" Dai-rympio intorjected. : ''Of- SinapoVo? -Tho.goodj Of it is that <it's. naturo's narrow" gateway . botweon oaSt/and' west, and without It yqU'/ bourdif'.tjjiaintaln Hpng1 ICong. But ' wlflt'Oa' ,'poworful . advancod' base at Hong Koug, , and a' strong point d'apput'soutlr of It on tho-Indo-Chlna coast; tho Allies have a reasonable ;6hanco.of reeovorlng tho Philippines .-or even of engaging the enemy battle ficct.!' Bostock reached 'for a, map and unrolled it 011 tho table. "Look nt this. ' All tho roasons that 'make Slngnpore unaultablo na an. advanced or ' lighting bnso for munoeuvr6s;;nedr the Philippines apply with, greater force to Hawaii, which is1;. 5000 miles from Manila. In this. 1: war ,/HiijvaU can't piny a-moro doclsivo' part than that of protecting the American . coast and American sea-borno;-c6mniorco from rulds by. Megalaslan submarines and fast cruisers." "Another thing," Bostock wont on. "The position of the Anglo-Americans, based between Slngaporo and Hong Kung, aiul tho Mcgalasians -holding Cavito and Covregldor in thb Phillp-pnies. superficially resembles that of the Allies and Germany in tho war of ninctoen-fourtceu." "I wonder." said Clem, "if there'll bo anothor Jutland?" VTlie Allied battleships .can't fight very far from Hongkong,; and the 'MogalasiansVfm>ln. UecL.jsn't;' Ukelysto come soutli from seds where it's vastly Hupoi'ior in bnao?«, to rialc mooting a fioot numerically, suporior. There's a" no-man's-sea botweon tho. area whore thcTMogalasians-can fight- with advantage and the parts whore tho Allios can hope to win." "Just, as risky, I suppose,, as no-man's-land." said Dalrymple. '"Sure. Tho. Paclflc/you might say, 1 is tho ocean of magnificent distances. And long. before this war -strategists, could soo that the.: naval problom of the Pacific is unsolvablo— I moan by theorotlcal considerations. Tho out-como can only he dectdod by the accidents of actual fighting." "Then what aro you tipping?" asked Dalrymple, and Clem smiled with him. "A stalomate," said" Bostock seriously. "\\ro may havo. to wait oh the evolution of lighting machines adapted to a larger theatre of war than the North. Sea." I "StaTom'ato wouldn't be much use, would it?" Clem suggested. . (To.bo Continued)

m'cnlAL STORY By BARBOUR GILBERT [?] i rtiAPTBIt XXVI.— Continued
8L my opinion," Bostock answered Hg " ..una it's really tho opinion tactician than myself— tho B. . ar0 well chough basod for nn V ol nn tho rnilippines, iijoukxi Br. daren't vorituro north of Ilong-Hr' If tho main onomy llcot olocts "ff.nii tho Islands' It must accept B»i narllously far to tho south. And B ?q to recover, the Philippines K 1 ha a- real sitooess." for ex-ampin'". Ualrymplo. broko Bavvtl for cxamplo, It would, pro-Hi the Allien with a now baso, and B. nre.lt.clns Its own supplies. -It B . 11 lie a blow to- Megalaslan pros-B? It would cut their lino of coin-W' with their troops In Aus-B,, If lliev couldn't hold what R.. hail seized they'd linvo to nd-K (hole Inferiority In oA'cnslvo." Rwiilch would amount to bolns on the defensive," Dnlrymple Bnmioclt put Ills .finger on tho map Klio name South China Sea. "It's B ' mo Mogalaslnns will do tlielr Rmmloiit to keep our fleet from K ,,r through. But It'll get in tho end, and rocovcr tho Kiiiifnl'ncs. Aftor thoy'vo landod EE and troops from tho Hong-. K jarrlBon they'll adopt tho strat-K of the blockado." Bind how will It ond?" Clom asked. BS'ihnl'n whero the diplomatists will HLe In " Bostoclt answered sadly.
CHAPTER XXVII B the nn st cixAsn op rum 1 fleets Kjv,. bv day the retreat went on; Bd as the armies enmo closer to libane, the ally's population dwln-Htdawav. By tho tlmo tho booming Btl-e suns could bo lienrd faintly HL' die north, only one-fourth of K inhabitants remained. These Hhslstul chiefly of single men, c-lrl-Hs to see what would happen, and Bb.ce tibo were less afraid of a B-o than unwilling to abandon their sm and belongings. Bin t|ic retreat, cvory mllo had been Brcclv contested. M'Ardlle knew Bit lie oeul<1 not hPo tor victory; In, at .my cost, ho must delay the Haador'a advance, so that when tho Bet should end the war, Australia B;bt not, by losing Its hostngos 111 K capital eltles, constrain tho Al-Bi ncLi.'tlators to accept dlsas.ious "llchvoon Molbourno and Syd. Bf a leconrt Ausirallan army had organised, and was almost Ljv I" tahe tho field. To the First tho defence of Brisbane was BtriislCfl. It would, therefore, ceuso I |.c of u.io for general operations, Hjd this task would dovolvo upon the Hr- divisions. it was most Improb-however, that tho Megalaslan Bro would cense to angngo tho Army, slnco, by advancing Into Snath Wales they would invito agister by being hammored between hostile armies. The capture of Hlstmnc must bo their first ob-Httivr. fenircnchcd a day's march from tho Hklml, M'Ardlla prepared for a des-gctc resistance. To' retreat farthor g: be to occupy the. outer suburbs, tl to precipitate tho shelling of the g; yet. despite his confident mos-M la Canberra, , In his -heart he' Hnt that tlie heavy guns would Bkn his present position as unton-Hr as die ntliers. He could do llt-Inn speeulnie on tho progress pf g >oa lighting, and hearten his Bh« with assurances that the big hunt Hill reselling squadron "would grtly inako tho sLrugglo even. KThoiigli the. approach '.of a. British ic.lrou had been unknown, cvon' to Australian Government, M'Ar.l-riniililcnco wiis well founded. BB' Valorous, a faBt battlo-crulsor, lonibauieil by the light . cruisers ycr, Devon and Sussex, and scroen-gl-y eight destroyers, rirrlved off Bih lie ilay after the First Army |) lech on Its filial position outside H'1"!1'. The destroyers escorted < tnnl supply ships to a point Le-id the horizon, after .which the Badroii resumed Its voyage. To keep battle-cruiser's presence secret," ulniost precautions wore taken, cc leaving Singapore, she hnel not B'1 r wheless, depending on Uio I'"' rrnlsers, wliieh steamed ahead HHlrnmc visual range. ITiol and Hres wero again replenished at sea ships sent out from Melbourne Sydney. B'lwugh the voyage down the west-B," was of considerable length, V"'3 out f tho question that tho ships should attack Darwin, which, was unapproachable through tho lnying of oxtonslvo mlno-flelds, or vonturo to forco Torres Strait, which was known to bo guarded by onomy n'uhmnrlncH, and proioctod by mliins. Timely as was tho squadron's arrival. It wna too Into to prevent another bombardment of tho coasts of i?— J11!'1 i1""1 Now South Wales. ?,,m, rr?1 ,n cl l1 8 "kipping connections )>.. „iil. wero bumpered by tut sinking of flvo stoamors which wero caught running tho gauntlet of iLrmnrcamn"r Ca' by u ®>iuii«lrun of armor od cruisers. Dividing their thlTi'ii'0 MegulunluiiM boinbnrded cl.nni i . ow Zvf'tnd's western ? it,""1 fl' »tn»dlng out of rango or Ncwcas ieK,UnnH' H,!bJccle'l Sj'dnty mid 2? ? to a devastating barrage. Tho pnulc of tho inhabitants mivo n'mi,ncCi,> n"x oty for tho fato of Kbin» dofenders when tho war-' snips passed northward, and thev could not be cneouragod with the news of the British squadron's a i -' tlonn0 ccoS,u f ,th "necess of its Oiicra-T ?n ff depend on tholr secrecy, cnemv ibm" ca,n0 tI"1 neW3 ships wero n Moreton Bav and ho'7n Cl,y a»"v«yds the roport of Kt?n,lbr-ni,» t ! ,rul3cr stationed near :® inland. Aftor a short en-danumo n m W l,lcll 3,10 contrived to cralw7 Megalaslan submarino, the sfnIHne 'orPdood by tho lattor. sinking with soveral hundreds of her -,'" ,."'"ent It was presumed that tho . P'nnned In somo SJ assist tho land forces In tho attack on Brlshano. nwh,Ie» off Byron Bay, tho Valor-,c<?mpa cd by bor destroyers, had ,'?r 00lbj0 to north-north-east, leaving tho crulsors to steam at ro-auccd speed northward along tho coast, on reaching tho latitude of Brisbane she ngnln changed lier courso, and. turning north-west, took up her posl-i i? ,t 0 northern sldo of Plnjarra island her destroyers searching continuously for submarines. As the sun rose on tho following morning the look-outs on tho foremast of a Megalaslan crulsor detected three dark spoclts on the horizon to the south-cast. Tho commander's astonishment must have been extreme, though ?, I0"1"30 f action was clear. He called for steam and went out to light. ,a .L ll1, le l Crom the Sussex, lived "10 ''Y/'ug enemy cruiser, fell more „ i s'10''', "ending a column of spruy n hundred foot Into tho air. An answering shot from the Megalaslan, so fbn n"m ,n??, "kfft. passed between ft!? . !' Sussex, and exploded three-quarters of a mllo boyond thorn. ! j'n J'1'3 f'10 Bfltlnh ships, which had m?,« "'Cuming slowly eastward in slnglo ?' ' VrncJ southward, lino abreast, Increasing tholr speed; and tho Megalaslan admiral, concluding tlint they wero outranged and Intended to draw og. gave clmse. At S.B5, however, kflm- sf i 1 ,bo British were rcgu-their speed so as to maintain an unvarying distance, ho began to suspect a trap. If tho Brtlsh, apparently out-sb0tM M0r. "V" uutking no attempt to show their heels, they must bo Inviting pursuit- Their arrival had been a surprise, and ho had no means of ascertaining what other surprises might await him beyond the horizon. Perliaps even a division of capital ships? Con-eluding that tho British cruisers wore endeavoring to ontico him southward under the guns of heavier ships, the Megalasian, Ills tactics logically correct turned about, and at thirty knots made his courso for Mundrabilla Bay. His munceuvrc had been anticipated by tho British commander, who in turn' altered his courso, and, increasing the intervals between his .shins tt» twenty miles, resumed the formation of lino ahead, steering nearly north-north-east, and keeping tho enemy at extremo' visual rango. Aboard tho Calorous guns and tor-perod tubes wero cleared for action. From sunrise tho warship's scouting 'plane had been circling overhead, and the observation watch had been twice relieved before there was anything to report. At 4. 23 p.m. tho pilot, sweeping tho horizon with his binoculars, sighted smoko -to the south-east, ond speeding towards It mado out tho silhouettes of the British vessels. Ills feeling of disappointment vanished as soon as It come, for nearer tho coast his clrclo of vision suddenly gathered In the Megalaslan cruisers. They wero extended In lino abreast, and tho foam at their bows revealed tho speed they . were making. Wireless being prohibited, as certain to indicate to tho : enemy thb presence of other ships, tho pilot doubled his courso and descended with Ills news on tlio Valorous' air deck. (To l>o Continued)
1 lAL STORYBy BARBOUR GILBERTI ALARM A!« (W-: OTAPTKRXXVin.i t'jiio would watches by ;! television,t) Shells had boon falling for twelve 4 hours in nod IIIIl whon il'Ardllo got -3 s lieavy guna into ponltion. It was M . 'n, rilling moment whon the firsthi nrojcctile aped up from tho Austra-$ nn lines. Along tho front tho fight-$ lie went oil a a hoforo; trenches woro "intureil ill llio dawn, and won again in under llio grecii llnro of etar sholls; 4 .rivalry nuipusht enmo llorcoly to Sffl rrlir" end mnohlno-gunn poured their 1 i. i llots across no-man'a-iaud. Instead & f In dev pair, people cheerfully asked 4 he old (|iiestlon, "Can they take Brlu-?1 i.'.iio7" Hut they did not aide It serl-'>5 Iislv now — (or M'Ardllo had tho guns. 'i'hoiiKli to tho Australians tho con-'4 niri Of tlio armies was of absorbing ill interest tho world nt largo thought B rhirlly of Hie wal" 0,1 11,0 fien' Through (heir remoteness tlio two southern '& Dominions stlli rcmnlncd unfamiliar. 9 'rhr millions of tho old world read In the' newspapers that Sydney had been ('..nilmrded, that Melbourno had boon ' l.iiinlieil, that Aficklnnd had suffered " 1, raid— and they turned to tho news - iri.i'ji tho sen. They did not know that ovilnry wns a city bigger than f.tver-Q liool licit Melbourne's lnliabltants inin'ombcreil those of San Francisco P or i.ns Angeles; nor did they rolled -> . nn t Now y.ealand enullcd the youngest '£ ill"! not least vigorous of tlio nations. ? Tills was, however, nntural nnoiigli, iarnr I lie magnitude of tlio destructive V movers of tho nuvles which faced each '( oilier in the Western l'uclllc tlirlllerf ® the Imagination, For woeks tho world,7 IOdKI'U IMl, vtiv.iaj' i»iiun,ii(, viau teiaj Uue sUlo or tho other would littsii tho fearful panorama of warfare t «t on tho television screens, which <n t million cinemas shared attention with the films. Day and nlpht tho x cinemas were crowded, and nono could 3 cav when tho moving Images of some 1 irrcsit battle might not offer tho thrill of reality. Already thc circling alr-!" ships bnd radioed exciting glimpses v iif the preliminaries of tho approach-'% in" clash. Once tho films hud snd-'7 iitMilv ceased to unwind thcinsolvcfl. 'S mnl on the screens had been cust by % icli'vislon the weird shadow show of !,f n night attack by destroyers. $ Tliut night In the camp cinema, Clem, swaying with tlio surging $ rrowd. Ids iivnis locked round Lois, ti trembled with hor as tlio terrlblo f'S drama enacted Itself. Through the Sj gloom of night on tho ocean plorccd llio white stabs of lights, which 13 lit up for tin Instant tho shapo of a $ racing flotilla-leader with a twenty-:.6 foot wave curling up from her bows. star-shells and flare-rockets spattered $ tlio night sky with light. In among $ tho light beams appeared white f?i aplastics, which were shell bursts and $ exploding torpedoes, of which tho # onlookers heard the ear-shattering roil ports. For tho television machines ;s broadcast both Imago and sound. | The scene shifted, and an Indication if- was flushed on tho screens: % "Yuu ore looking down from tho cnnOulu of an airship, which Is flying low. Watch the water." n In the area flooded by thc dirigible's ? s'archUghts a shadow could now be $ wi»n Vague at first. It grey smaller, rit'flnlng Itself. "What is It?" Lois whispered, % "A suhinarino rising to attack!" $ was shivering with excitement. £ This was different from watching a K Him, no matter what tho subject. This h was reality: you could not know the f&SiKue. iiiuuL'U .yjnt niigju guess it to be
At this point there is either a tear or tape and the bottom parts of two of the story columns are missing.
of attoclt. A deck port slid open, and tho unsoon gunnoro hurled an norlal torpedo. A sudden blurring of tho Images betrayed tho ulrshlp s manoeuvre to avoid tho mlmillc. Immediately afterwards a bomb plunged down. Exploding thirty feet below tho surface it churned the sou like tho screws of a liner, and In tho foaming whirlpool thc submarine disappeared, sustaining damage that could only be guenRod at. A roar of cheering— and then, mionco, as two words flashed across S "Mcgalasin witisl" In tho shock of disillusionment a murmur of anger, roso from tho crowd. The dirigible, they had Imag-w?9 cHhar British or Amerlcnn. mi.» i i . ! cried Clem disgustedly. Tho Incident had been telovlsuallscd by u Megnhmlan airship. "We saw ono of our own submarines dcntli-charged." 1 Lo H ff>H filnlr. THn a/ uwas horrible. If olio had been watching a fllm she could have comforted herself with the knowledge that the Incident belonged to tho past. But this was happening now. Even as she clutched at Clem tho submarine was tumbling down to the bottom. Try as she might, aho could not holp, In Imagination, following It. Bho naw It rolling over, tho air escaping In AUKLW Chides from tho gap In Its hull. Huddled figures blocked tho paesago-ways. Now It was far below the sur-fnco, and us thc pressure Increased, the dying uenmen woro crushed into unrecognisable shapes. Down— down —the motors still whirring. . . . With an effort she recovered hcr-solf. "Thc sea's clear," Clem wna saying, and opening her eyes Loisround herself watching tho play of lights over the surface. There wna no ship In Right; but In tho hush that followed tho chango of scone could ho heard a gentlo humming. Speculation us to Its meaning was sottlod by nn Indication appearing on tho screen: "You are listening through an Allied crulsor's hydrophones to the motors of n prowling submarlno." "Don't stay," Lois said faintly, "I can't bear any more of It— it's lllce being there." Forcing his way Clem helped hor to thc open air. No one else desired to leave, for Interest In thc innumerable small actions never flagged. Most familiar of all was tho sight of a merchant ship, flying from a commerce raider, calling to Its aid aircraft, which often succeoded In heading off the pursuer. And always there was tho possibility that beyond tho horizon wore the mighty squadrons of tlio capital fihips, whose 20in. guna might suddenly set tho megaphones roaring. Week after week the skirmishing went on, while In far-off Brisbane M'Ardllo realised hope long deferred in the barrages of his new artillery, Throughout tho watching and breathless world the cinemas and halls, oven thc churches, stood open night and day. For In the western Pacific tho fleets were closing In battle, and for the first time since the world begun, there was no limit to tlio distance from which thc ntruggle might ho seen. In effect, each nation was able to cheer on Its fighting men, and tho fighters were upurred on by the consciousness that they s under the eyes of their countrymen. Often the television screens were blank, or showed more stretches of ocean unmarked by ships. But low on tho horizon the Bmoko of four Megalaslan battle-cruisers had been sighted, and It wns certain that their main fleet could not be far distant. Gradually Iho conccntrntlng aircraft covered 4ho,.WfcQlQj&?.,tl?9 ,ktheatro of war, and acquire…
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Chapter XXVIII. — (Continued)
On tho. six Diitlsh battlc-crulscrs the rrow.i \vcro thrllllnc with tl»c anticipation of actual conflict. Twenty miles away, ktenming rorth-north- iU»rth-i€.'ist. were tho tour enemy rhl|»s, newly cmergeO from their bapo.tn the Philippines. Something in tho win«l! tlio sallorn tohl one another, and they waited for It to come. Shortly after seven o'clock It came. In tho shape of a heavy shell, inteiulod to tout tho raiiffe. Ordering an .extra two knolH. Admiral Colburn closed to 2!, 000 yars. and at ,7.20 a.m. slgi r.alJod tho "Open Are!" Tho 'two squadrons wore now on almost tho same course, the Uiitlsh, in double line "nlicad. being slightly to tho;W.eat-wnrd, Tho flrst shells cither passed cvcrUcad or fell short, sending' up vast columns of water. Hy 7.30, 'however. the gunners on both sides hnd found1 tho range, and the projectiles besan- their fearful work. The first considerable hit was suffered by the Vanguard, on which Colburn carried his fl.ag. Falling at a tteep anglo a shell penetrated hor air Jcck, and exploding started a Are and caused a dozen casualties — tho Latter due chiefly to steel splinters from shattered bulkheads. The Bellero-phon soon after took Arc behind her forward smokestack, and the gunnors gritted their teeth. At 8.27, when tho range had short- | enod to 19.000 yards, tho Vanguard, I concentrating her forward' turrots,' j 11 rod a salvo at the nearest Mcgnlcslnn. i Four minutes later Kho wuh aeon to be afire, and within a few seconds W bread flame shot up amidships;' "Magazines Ignited!" cried 'thV Vuu-j guard's captain, nnd Colbiirri., studying tho crippled ship with, his glass, noted with a smile of satisfaction that, sho was sheering off her course, Revenge, however, followed quickly, for, at S.51 tho nearest Mogalaalan, executing n sudden manoeuvre to' discharge a broadside, caught tho Vanguard in her forward turret, and by a lucky shot holed her on tho starboard bow. a fo.ot below the water line. Heeling over under the terrific impact tho great ship rolled heavily, and Colburn waited anxiously for tho engineers' reports, lie learned that through a gaping holo in her side the Vanguard- was making water dangerously, whtlo two of her big guns wcrq out of action. Plainly she would be a handicap to hor sister ships. Ordering out one of the small aeroplanes Colburn transferred his flag to tho Valorous, which led tho other line. To her crew's disgust tho Vanguard, now surrounded by United States destroyers, turned round and steamed back to Hong Kong, At 11.45 the British admiral found his suspicions conflrmod. The enemy cruisers wore still steaming bard north-north-east, when, on tho Jiorl-zon to the 'north-oast smoke wun Mphtcd' T>y the scouting planes,' A't 3 1,55 the silhouettes had boon made out, .and Colburn wa»' certain that « traplmd been' laid. The' batUe-cruT-sers had manawvrod to entice him northward under the guns of their battleships. Straightway his squadron turned about and followed tho Vanguard, reducing speed in order 41 ot tq out-dlsUtjnco the houvy ships. . It was a thrilling, development. Tho main enemy fioot hkd come south; was : willing, perhaps, to accept f. battle! Colburn's courso was clcav. If. ho wirelessed to tho Allied battle float any enemy submarine lurking between himself and his base, would intercept the 8ignul and perhaps, cause tho capita! ships to draw ofV. It meant losing nn hour — yet it might \ mean forcing an engagement. Colburn coded his message, and despatched it by a scouting piano which could make 230 miles an hour. '
CHAPTER XXIX. / THE BATTLE OPENS Less than 300 miles to the,4iouth-west tho Anglo-American battleships wero steaming easily, with nets and paravanes out and screcnbd by a multitude of destroyers, torpedo-boats aiul submarines. On tho Pittsburgh, leading the first of tho .United States battleship divisions, was tho ling of Admiral Springfield, On tho Thun- AVClVllUtS VUO, tuviaicwifc, was Admiral Buckcloy. , Battle formation beliik ;;o longer a matter merely of "lay hor alongside," or even of "lino ahead," tho Iloets, following the tactics ot the manoeuvre developed in tho North Sea during the war of 15M, wero steaming in divisions which wero prepared for Independent net ion within the limits of the Admiral's tactical scheme. Round the American ships their destroyers, each with Its doseii torpedo tubes ready fur discharging, kept up a ceaseless patrol. The British divisions were protected by light cruisers acting as llotllla-loaders to tho destroyers, and by two squadrons of fast light cruisers reserved for special- service. In these vessels, as -in battlo-crulscrs, tho United Stales' policy of concentration 011 capital ships and destroyers lind loft Its navy defielunt. Six ajreraft-curriers followed tho licet, prepracd at an instant's notice to launch several hundred' bombing 'planes. On tho approach of Colburn's scouter, visible many miles away In the clear tropic air, tho crows began speculating excitedly. Its arrival was followed by a consultation between tho Admirals by short-rango radios phono; and when tho "lncrcaso spoed" signal flashed from tho flagships the hundred thousand fighting men knew that tho enemy had hoen sighted. At the same time tho battle-cruisers wore ordorod to turn south-cast, and a squadron of older second-lino battleships reconnoitring to the north-west was dlrocted to move eastward. Shortly after 1.30 tho latter squadron reported that it was- being attacked by light cruisers supported by destroyers. It was the signal for tho speoial service cruisers and' a flotilla of American destroyers to dash to the scene at 40 , knots., (To Ik: Continued)
serial storyBy BARBOUR GILBERTALARMCHAI'TKIl 29.— (C'oiithitictl)Wlion CoIIiiirn Qonpnlcltctl hln ra" "'\Tr? 200 mitou "op.'irat.'J mmnr m .'! ; l"" from the wni Mil, . ln,'r,'n'i« Hpcotl" order URN Rl\IJn Ihn i Itnr.f is i „hour1 T;" M filxty .nllcx 7m At 4.21 tho damiiROd Vnn-m!lin n "Si H R |' 10 th0 north, of tho 5.3 her slstor-shlpu nhoMlu . r? l" 11,0 c"8t)vn.rd. nnd ?,n?. i i?., Lft0,nv,"'<1 tho .McBalnsInn ran : niP? Hl'0WE<1 "P ovnr the hort-ral a„1,k al;out north-oast from ?. J'S'Q-Atnorlcans. tiiHii!. iL'?y ;>antl SPTlnefiold were nm.ii,(! J?.1110 c|)»"on thoy offorcd. Roughly the Allied licet mndo the' an triangle, nt tho other angles of wlileh wero their own Li,mLe"K rs n,1<1 l,) seoond-llno 5 BPr,!d nnd armor of tlie f t.ni-1' , .Vp|c IEl,lt'vcIy Inferior, hut . 1; were effective up to ni"('s. Would tho enemy, face ?.V,P ft ro')'.'entrntlon of gun-power? ... V ?,00'1 t0 come off!" Berltoley ox-Ualtned to his capntln. Anil Hprhig-IloKi enlllng np il moment lator. In nffert echoed his words. -,i,s ",c minutes passed. It became «b,,!n"t,' ,llmv"vcr' that the Megala-slnns lind not como so fnr south-ri'iir.. n,clc,y 1(1 turn back. When M-rli i at n'ls' s|5nnllcd that the v i t 111 buttlo-crulsorH, 20,090 yurtis nwuy, had begun to engage his knew T'i"', l''iR commanders Knew that tho enemy's main fleet, having covered their battle-cruisers and temporarily occupied tho ntten-" ,r J'lr|v sccond-IIno hallleships, had resolved to risk tin engagement. Anxious eves were turned on tho ror tho sun was now Like tho ouenlng of n. tminderstorin, away to the eastward, ..V.- of tho battle-cruisers' guns grew ever louder; while over r„ SR,,t cnmo the fainter thunder rem tho melee of the crulser-des-ri' mo n77 w"'! Kn"cr to precipitate ft linttlo which must be brief tho Al-r 0,t eohhu'tnders ordered tho "Open . - t,U! range was something under .o.OOO yards. At 5.23 a 20-Inch shell, sweeping ovor tho Pittsburgh s smokestacks, raised a column of water that drenchod the vee-sel astern. Tho battlo had bo-gun, .... If tlie sea had never known such a spectacle, no spectacle had over hadsuch myriads of observers. In every ehy. In every village, whero a television screen was to bo found, crowds ot Impassioned patriots or of excited neutrals fought for glimpses of the battle, thrilled or shuddering. Before sundown they -could see tho ntr thlolc with 'planes and dirigibles, which fought among themselves, or, daring tho spitting of the anll-alr-cruft guns, swooped down to hurl llicir holts at tho warships. The sea was churned Into foam by. ceaseless explosions ot shells and bombs. Occasionally n torpedo fired by a racing destroyor raised a column of spray or sent ft cruiser reeling out of the light. On many of the capital ships the flames caused by shell-bursts wero easily visible. In every country women fainted or covered their cars — for through the megaphones swept the actual roar of battle. Before tho light failed, the Allied bnttleshlp divisions could be seen attempting tho manoeuvre of "crossing tho T" — deploying across the head ot tho enemy's lines with tho object of concentrating a combined and overwhelming broadside on the lending ships, Twieo' thc uprush of a broail sheet oC flame told, of a hat-tleshlp stricken by shells exploding her magazines. Then night camo down on tho ocoan, nnd tho spectators grew furious . with disappointment or sick with suspense. Though the voices of the big guns were silent, tbo noise ot the smaller ordnance never ceased. At Intervals the darkness fled beforo the hlazo of a thousand lights, as :t destroyer flotilla dashed at a battleship whose wounds had caused her to fall out of the line. Onco even a dirigible, hovering In the gloom, detected tho phosphorescent track cut by a submarine's porl-ecopo, and dropped a depth charge, which turned tho sea white. The darkness was pierced continuously by the guns of the light cruisers firing at caeli. other's (lashes. Gradually tho tumult died away, and nt 8.10 a communique wns broadcasted announcing that tho enemy battle fleet, boing numerically Inferior, had turned north artcr a sharp brush, in which both sides suffered loss, with tho Anglo-Americans. Convinced that the Megalnslans had accepted the defensive role the Allied commanders turned their eyes toward Luzon. While Berkeley's dlvl-slons, strengthened by tho second-line battleships, followed the enemy ships northward, tho wireless summoned tho fast transports of the American expeditionary force, which In anticipation of their opportunity had al-ra, £ , ,a IIonekong. Two power-divisions of United Staton battleships turned cast, and leading Col-Cavito lmtlo"orulsors' swept down on (To bo Concluded). ,
"ALARM" Finishes Tomorrow
SERIAL STORYBy BARBOUR GILBERTALARMCn.\rTER xxa.v.— Conliiiiicil.At dawn began the heaviest "w"1 bardmcnt ever ni«lo from the sea on shore defences. The conditions or Quant were now reversed, for ine Megnlaslans fire? at <listant moving targets, often oihueurod by smokescreens, while th«$r own defences were an easy mark for the warships j-v-inch shells. Ivy noon their position was scarcely tcn|hl. anil shortly after 4.30 tho warshitu, closing In, concentrated so toriifltt a lire that a retreat could not ho avoided. Running In under the guns r>f the fleet tho transports began to tfhrow ashore an army of fifty thousand. As tho barrage lifted, the tro.ips established themselves amid tt> shattered defences, and the brief ctimpnlgn of Luzon be-gnn. t Simultaneously tho Allies, selling the opportunity offered by tho engagement of the enemy fleet, despatched from Luzon a division of heavy ships, which, descending on Guam, swept the small Island with so devastating a fire that hi ft he absence of support from the sea $10 occupying force was almost nnrrihi Sonio days inter a similar fato hjcfell the enemy troops which had fcr'long been In possession of Wake Island; and here submarines from ; Pearl Harbor established a base. Within about ten degrees of lutltifdc the Allies now possessed a clialt# of strongholds extending across tflie Pacific— Hongkong, Luzon. Guam. Wake Island, Hawaii, Panama. Though submarines might still be lurking in the innumerable islands of thti 'southern Pacific, below the twentieth parallel, the ocean had practically lp&sscil under the control of the AngTp-Amerleans: and the defeat of the fAteguiasians in Australia . was now ynly a matter of time. What n/>xt? the world,, which looking on hryd found such thrilling entertainment wondered impatiently. It knew t'/.at the Allies, not being desperate cold not venture far northward of t.h£lr cluiin of bases into waters mad/ impregnable by battleships, sub-nianes, nod mine-fields of unknown exVnt. Again, from the first numerically Inferior, the Megalaslan fleet, stin largely intact, could no hope to play any part but that 'enee, ami dared not descend teas in which It was secure Into here, outnumbered and fur from t ;cs,\ victory seemed impossible. g across the. Pacific from east s it, .'holding the exits of Slnga-ihd Panama, and commanding ean- below the twentieth paral-' ! Anglo-Americans had begun to o ? along-dlstance but partly-; : :e blockade. Submarine raids on 'hv . nerican coast provoked similar : . Ions by the Allied fleet; yet i'.i tfect on cither side was trifling.Opposing to each other navies whose evolution had boon conditioned by the narrow was of Europe, tho belligerents found themselves hampered by the vast spaces of the Pacific. The world, looking on, came reluctantly 10 recognise that in tho Pacific blockade was much the same as stalemate.
CHAPTER XXX. THE GAINS OF. WAR "The war of our own timo ends llko the wars of tho past," said Bos-lock. leading the talk, as ha had led the fighting, at his last mess with his olllccrs. "When both sides aro at the end of their tethors neutrals step in to conduct a parley, peace is declared and nobody gains much outside his war debts." They were discussing tho peace terms which had followed the armistice. "It amounts to this," said Dal-rymplc. "Britain keeps Hong Kong, which pho had before. America keeps the Philippines, which she had before, And when the Megalaslnns getaboard their transports again Australia will keen her empty north — which she had before." "And everybody keeps ' an enormous debt for war . damage and war loans which he didn't have before." Bostock added disgustedly. "J. told you— that's where the diplomats come In." "You're prejudiced." . said Clem smiling, "becauso you're a soldier." "It's tragic, though," Bostock said solemnly. "When you think of the cnsunltv lists — when you think of the great ships rotting with their crews twentv thousand feet tinder the sea! And when you think of these dominions. tho thousands of Jack HUltards thrown away, the miles of charred . countryside, the smoking rutnr in the -cities." "And ft seems more tragic." Dal-rvmnlc added, "when you reflect that If Australia had had a squadron of decent cruisers; with a small air fleet and a small army, to fling at Darwin or any other polnt on the coast— that no enemy could have got so much as ono foot ashore." ' "We share the blame," Bostock agreed. "Because wo Invited attack wo provoked attack." Clem felt the tragedy of . it. too. Yet he could not despair. Within twenty minutes he would bo sitting with Lois in the Sydney express. Having shaken hands with Bostock and Dalrymnlo he turned to tho door. "See you, then, at the breakfast." cried Tippy with sudden animation, and Clem was out of the tent. In the train they talked, of Jack Hllliarcl. of Coolabri. of all the trials of the war. But soon, in spite of themselves, the future claimed their thoughts. "All we can do." Lois whispered. is to help build a better Australia." "Better built." lie answered, drawing her closer to him. And then, as another image filled his thoughts. "Better loved, better guarded." THE END.

Item sets

Vintage Science Fiction from Australian Newspapers 1901-1939 (Australian)