try has been at war with
Japan, and it was only natural we should suppose that you, as one of
those most nearly concerned, would be aware of this fact."

Parrington, regaining his self-control, said: "Then the cable
disturbances--" He stopped, then continued disjointedly: "But this is
terrible; this is a surprise such as we-- I beg your pardon," he went on
in a firm voice to the German, "I am sure I need not assure you that
your communication has taken me completely by surprise. Not a soul in
Manila has any idea of all this. The cable disturbances of the last six
days were explained to us by a Japanese steamer as being the result of a
volcanic outbreak, and since then, through the interruption of all
connections, we have been completely shut off from the outside world. If
Japan, in defiance of all international law, has declared war, we here
in Manila have noticed nothing of it, except, perhaps, for the entire
absence, during the last few days, of the regular steamers and, indeed,
of all trading ships, a circumstance that appeared to some of us rather
suspicious. But excuse me, we must act at once. Please remain on board."

The _Mindoro's_ whistle emitted three shrill screeches, while the
gunboat steamed at full speed toward Corregidor.

Parrington went into his cabin, opened his desk, and searched through it
with nervous haste. "At last!" He seized the war-signal code and ran
upstairs to the bridge, shouting to the signalman: "Signal to
Corregidor: 'War-signal code, important communication.'" Then he
himself, hastily turning over the leaves of the book, called out the
signals and had them hoisted. Then he shouted to the man at the helm:
"Tell them not to spare the engines."

Parrington stood in feverish expectation on the bridge, his hands
clinched round the hot iron bars of the breastwork and his eyes
measuring the rapidly diminishing distance between the _Mindoro_ and
the landing place of Corregidor. As the _Mindoro_ turned into the
northern passage between Corregidor and the mainland, the chain of
mountains, looking like banks of clouds, which surrounded Manila, became
visible in the far distance across the blue, apparently boundless
surface of the Bay, while the town itself, wrapped in the white mist
that veiled the horizon, remained invisible. At this moment Parrington
observed a dark cloud of smoke in the direction of the harbor of Manila
suddenly detaching itself from below and sailing upward like a fumarole