The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-07
PART III.


The ship steamed slowly to her new
position. Aboard her almost everyone
who was unoccupied remained watch
ing the breathing swell into which the
sphere had sunk. For the next half
hour IL is doubtful if word was spoken
that did not bear directly or indirectly
on Elstead. The December sun was now
high in the sky and the heat very con-
siderable. Hell be cold enough down
there" said Weybridge. "They LAY
that below certain depth sea waters
always just about freezing"
'Wherell he come up?" asked
Stevens. "Tve lost my bearings"
That's the spot" said the command
er, who prided himself on his om-
nisciencc. He extended precise finger
southeastward. "And this, / reckon, is
pretty nearly the moment" he said.
"He's been thirty-fiye minutes"
slow long does it take to reach the
bottom of the ocean," asked Stevens.
"For depth of five miles, and reckon
ing--as we .iid--an acceleration of two
foot per second, both ways, is just about
-qusrters of minute"
"Then he's overdue" said Weybridge.
"Pretty nearly" said the commander.
81 suppose it takes a few minutes for
that cord of his TO wind in"
II forgot that" said Weybridge, evil
IDENTIFY relieved.
And then began the suspense. A
minute slowly dragged itself out, and
no sphere shot out OF the water. An
other followed, and nothing broke the
low, oily swell. The sailors explained
TO one another that little point about
the winding in of the cord. The Iig-
ging was dotted with expectant faces.
"Come up, Elstead!" called one hairy
chested salt, impatiently, and the others
caught IT up and shouted as though they
were waiting for the curtain OF
theatcr TO rise. The commander glanced
frritably at them. "Of course If the ac-
ccleration's less than two" he said,
'hc'll be all the longer. We aren't alb
solutely certaiif' that was the proper
figure. I'm no slavish believer in calcu-
lations." Stevens agreed concisely.
No one on the quarter deck spoke for a
couple OF minutes. Then Stevens
twHteh ease clicked.
When, twenty-one minutes after, the
sun reached the zenith, they were still
waiting for the globe to rcappear, and
not a man aboard had dared to whisper
that hope was dead. 1t was Weybridge
who first gave expression to that realiza-
ton. He spoke while the sound of eight
bells still hung in the air. 81 always
distrusted that window" he said quite
suddenly to Stevens.
'Good God!" said Stevens, "you don't
think-Y
"Wcll." said Weybridge, and left tho
rest to his Imagination.
"I'm no great believer In calcula-
tions myself" said the commander, du-
biously. $50 that I'm not altogether
hopeless yet" And at midnight the
gunboat was steaming slowly in
spiral round the spot where the globe
had sunk. and the white beam of the
electric light fed and matted ond swept
discontentedly onward again over the
waste OF phosphorescent waters under
the little stars.
"If his window hasn't burst and
smashed him." said Weybridge, then
it's cursed sight worse, for his clock
work. has gone wrong and he's alive
now, five miles under our feet, down
there in the cold and dark, anchored
in that little bubble of his, where never
ray of light has shown or human
being lived, since the waters wcro
gathered together. He's there without
fpod, feeling hungry and thirsty and
scared, wondering whether he'll starve
or stiie. Which will ii be? The Myers
apparatus is running out, l suppose.
How long do they last?"
"Good heavens!" he exclaimed. "What
little things we are What daring little
devils! Down there, miles and miles
ci waterfall water, and oil this empty
water about us and this sky. Gulfsl"
lie threw his hand out. and as he did
no little white streak swept noise-
lessly up the sky, travelled slower,
stopped. became IA motionless dot as
though new star had fallen up into the
sky. Then it went sliding back again
and lost itself amidst the reflections Of
the stars. and the white haze OF the seas
phosphorescence.
, AT the sight he stopped, arm extended
md mouth open. He shut his mouth,
opened il again and waved his arms
with an impatient gesture. Then he
turned, shouted "El-stead ahoy." to the