The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-03-14
T. he Terror OF
TankerVi11e
~ GEORGE n. BEST.
s..s..s..t,s*.*.*s.s,&s*.*s.E.*.*

= = y - = y r - = =, - ~ y ? =
gT1HROUGH the mist which hung like
a pail above the waters of an UNI
familiar sea, the sun appeared blood
red and angry. In the high valley,
away to the westward, the pillows of
new river were still rushing madly
towards the inundated lowIands in
the wake Of the first great wave which
the treacherous wall of q hillside
reservoir had set free in the darkest
hour before dawn.
In the bed of the River of Death lay
the demolished town of Tankerville,
its submerged streets still illuminated
by the glow Of dozen incandescent
lamps, which distorted into weird
shadows the many gruesome objects
that rolled by in an endless procession
just beneath the surface.
And, high on the hillside, the en-
gines of the Generating Station were
still clanISing noisily; for the engineer
had long since fed from his post to
gaze in silent horror upon the strug-
Cling forms which fioated by, in twos
and threes, on the relentless tide be-
low
In the center of floating table a
man sat tailor-wise, grasping a re-
yolver in his right hand. His face,
framed by long tangled beard and a
mass of unkempt hair, was cruel and
repulsive. His shirt, open at the front,
showed newly inflicted wound on the
breast. The human derelict was an
outcast and felon who had been 81
often described by the police as the
"Terror of Tankerville" that he was
known in the district by no other
name.
The frail raft spun like top on the
eddying tide; but the outcast chung
tenaciously with his bare feet to the
few yards of wood which formed the
deck OF his craft, holding the shining
thing in his hand high above the reach
of the water.
A hand shot out suddenly from the
center Of the whirlpool, and three
fingers grasped the narrow ledge of
the table top, causing the raft to heel
over dangerously. The three fingers
worked convulsively for a moment,
and the fourth, mere stump, moved
in nervous sympathy with the others.
The pistol spat viciously towards the
submerged side, and the raft gently
righted itself. In the Whirlpool astern
white face revolved slowly for mo-
ment and then disappeared
A child's voice rose, clear and shrill,
above the roar of the rapids and the
crash Of grinding wreckage. The man
with the pistol lowered his weapon
for the first time, and turned cautious
~ round in the direction of the sound.
At the same moment some floating
vessel, in the shape of large bath or
cistern, struck sharply against the end
of the raft and capsized, leaving a
tiny form struggling on the surface of
the water, within arms length of the
ontcast.4
The engineer on the valley side shad-
ed his eyes, for the sun had changed
from blood red to gold, and the float
ing objects on the great lake were
bathed in a dazzling white light. For
moment the raft appeared indistinct
and shadow; then it glided down the
stream on s silver ray, and the figure
Of man and child stood out in bold
relief against a dark background of
bracken and fir.
"Where are we goin' to, grandad ~
asked the child, gazing up at his
strange companion with a pitiful
smile.
TO Kingdom come, mos likelyi''
replied the Terror" grimly. "Hold
on tight, an don't git askin me cues
tions, an'-an' don't call me vour
grandad, eos / amt"
Il always call old men grandad .
said the boy, eonfdentially. II had a
real grandad once, an he was some
thin like you-but prettier; YES. ever
so much prettier! ] s'pose Kingdom
comes long way off22''
mot SO very, judgin' by appear
ances."
SIS it the same Kingdom come as
say in my prayers, JUS before Thy
Will be done? r." }
'.Mebbe it isl
rs il a comfortable place, like
home?'
IT couldn't be much wuss nor this.
anyway"
t'NVill dad an mann be there, too?"
Il reckon they've arrove already.
Where did you leave your dad this
mornjn' 2"
IL was standin' by the bedroom
window An the room was all
50 full Of water that the chairs were
fioatin about like ships. An
dad held me up an kissed me lots.
Then he put me in a bog bath which
hadn't any water in, an told me to
hold on tight, an an d can I remem-
Der any more grandad
With a groan ths outcast hurled his
pistol into the water and drew the boy
close to him.
why, you've hurt yourself, gran
dadi" exclaimed the boy. at sight 81