I raised my glasses to see how preparations were going on upon the warship.
As I looked I had a momentary fear that my eyesight was giving way.

At one moment I had the deck of the warship focussed with my glasses, and could see every detail as the gunners waited for the word to begin the bombardment with the great guns of the barbettes.

The next I saw nothing but the empty sea.

Then in another instant there was the ship as before, but the details were blurred.

I steadied myself against the signal-gun, and looked again.