Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08

over the globe in a grotesqhely helpless
fashion. Some one waved handkerchief,
some one else tried an Intellectual cheer, q
MILDLY was counting slowly, Eight, nine,
ten Another roll, then with a jerk
and splash the thing righted itself. 1t
seemed to be stationary for a moment to
grow rapidly smaller, and then the water
closed over it. and it became visible. en-
larged by refraction and DINNER, below the
surface Before one could count three it
had disappeared. There was a flicker of
white light from down in the water that
diminished to speck and vanished. Then
there was nothing but depth of water 60
ing down in the blackness, through which
a shark was swimming.
Then suddenly the screw Of the cruiser
began to rotate. the water was crickled.
the shark disappeared in a. wrinkled con-
fusion and a torrent of foam rushed across
the crystalline clearness that had swallow
ed up Elstead.
whats the idee?" said one able seaman
to another.
We're going to lay off about a couple
of miles. fear he should hit us when he
comes up said his mate.
PART II.
The ship steamed slowly to her new posi-
ton. Aboard her almost everyone who
was unoccuped remained watching the
breathing swell into which the sphere had
sunk. For the next half hour 1t is doubtful
If a word was spoken that did not bear
directly or indirectly on Elstead. The De-
cember sun was now high in the sky and
the heat very considerable Hell be cold
enough down there" said Weybridge.
They say that below a certain depth sea
waters almost just about freezing"
"Wherell he come up?' asked Stevens.
I've lost my bearings"
That's the spot" said the commander,
who prided himself on his omniscience. He
extended fhooc
And this, l reckon, Is pretty nearly the
moment,' he said. Hes been thirty-fiye
minutes
How long does it take to reach the hot
tom of the ocean," asked Stevens.
For depth of five miles, and reckoning
as We did-an acceleration of two feet per
second, both ways. is just about three
quarters Of minute"
Then he's overdue" said Weybridge.
Pretty nearly" said the commander.
Il suppose it takes few minutes for thai
cord OF his to wind in
Il forgot that" said WeybridRe. evident
ly relieved.
And then began the suspense A minute
slowly dragged itself out, and no sphere
shot out Of the water. Another followed.
and nothing broke the low. oily swell. The
sailors explained to one another that little
point about the winding in Of the cord
che rigging was dotted with expectant
faces. Come up. Elstead!" called one
hairy-chested salt. impatiently, and tn.
others caught it up and shouted as though
they were waiting for the curtain of a
theater to rise. The commander glanced
irritably at them. .'Of course il the accel-
eration's less than two." he said, he'll be
all the longer We aren't absolutely GER
tam that was the proper figure I'm no
slavish believer in calculations" Stevens
agreed concisely. No one on the quarter
deck spoke for couple of minutes. Then
Stevens watch-case clicked.
When. twenty-one minutes after, the sun
reached the zenith. they were still waiting
for the globe to reappear, and not a man
aboard had dared to whisper that hope
vas dead 1t was Weybridge who first
gave expression to that realization He