The Washington times., 1912-03-14

The President presented the most pit
liable sight of all. Like the rest, his
bloodshot, his face was ghastly, and his
tall silk hat, WHICH he had jammed
down upon his brow, had been softened
blows into the form Of a closed ac-
Gordon. OF the women and children
II Is needless to speak; no description
could convey an idea OF their condition.
In these circumstances, the real
strength of Prof. Abiel Pluddcr's mind
was splendidly displayed. He did not
lose his head, and he comprehended the
situation, and what 1t was necessary
to do, in fash. He got out some pro-
company. In some cases actually fore
ing them to eat With his own hands
he prepared coffee, with the apparatus
always carried by express aeros, anu
bade them drink 1t.
When all had thus been refreshed he
approached President Samson and
shouted in his ear:
I'VE shall have to stay here until the
downpour ceases. To guard against the
effects of tempest II one should arise,
we must secure the aero in its place.
For that need the aid of every man
in this party. We have, fortunately,
struck in spot on the mountain where
we are out of the way of the torrents
of water that are pouring down through
the ravines on either side. We can make
our lodgmcnt secure, but we must go
to wOrk Immediately
Stimulated by his example, the presi-
dent and the others set to work, and
with great difficulty, for they had to
guard their eyes and nostrils from the
driving rain, which sometimes, in spite
of their precautions, nearly smothered
them, they succeeded in fastening the
aero to the rocks by means of metallic
cables taken from its stores When this
work was finished they returned under
the shelter of the cabin roof and lay
down, exhausted. SO worn out were
they that all of them quickly fdl into
troubled sleep.
1t would be needless TO relate In de-
tail the Sufferings. mental and physical,
that they underwent during the next ten
days. While they were hanging there
on the mountain the seaboard cities of
the world were drowned, and Cosmo
Versals Ark departed on the remark
able voyage that has been described in
former chapter. They had plenty of
provisions, for the aero had been we'll
stored, but partly through precauton
and partly because OF lack of appetite
they ate sparingly. The electric gener-
ators of the aero had not been injured
in the wreck Of the craft, and they
were able to supply themselves with
sufficient heat, and with light inside
the cabin at night.
Once they had a strange visitor-a
half-drowned bear, which had struggled
up the mountain from it's den some
where below-but that was the only
they saw. After gazing wistfully at the
aero from the top Of a rock the poor
bear stumbled into one OF the torrents
that poured furiously down on each side
and was swept from their sight.
Fortunately, the wind that they had
anticipated did not come, but frequent
ly they saw or heard the roaring down
pours Of solid watcry columns like those
that had so much astonished Cosmo
Versal and Captain Arms in the midst
Of the Atlantic, but none came very
near them.
Prof. Pludder ventured out from time
to time, clambering a little way up and
down the projecting ridge of the noun
tain on which they were lodged, and
at length was able to assure his COM
panions that that they . were nu on the he north 6th
est peak OF the Appalachian range.
With the aid of his pocket aneroid,
making allowance for the effect of the
lifting of the whole atmosphere by
edge of the locality-for he had ex-
plored, in former years, all mountains
in this region, he arrived at the con-
cIusion that their place of refuge was
elevated about 1000 feet above the for
mer level of the sea.
At first their range OF vision did not
| allow them to see the condition OF the
valleys below them, but as the water
rose higher it gradually came into
view. 1t Crept steadily up the slopes
beneath, which had already been strip
ped of their covering of trees and veg
citation by the force of the descending
torrents, until on the tenth day it had
arrived almost within reach, Since, as
has Just been said, they were 1900 feet
above the former level of the sea, it
will be observed that the water must
have risen much more rapidly than the
measurements of Cosmo Nersal indi-
Gated. Its average rate of rise had been
three instead of two inches per min
ute, and the world was buried deeper
than Cosmo thought. The cause of his
error will be explained later.
The CONSERVATION of the little party
when they thus beheld the rapid drown
ing Of the world below them and saw
no possibility of escape for themselves
If the water continued TO rise, as 1t evil
IDENTIFY would do, cannot be depicted.
Some of them weHe driven insane, and
who retained their senses from throw
ing themselves into the flood.
Pludder was the only one who main
| tanned a command over his nerves, al
though he now at last believed in the
nebula. He recognized that there was
no other possible explanation of the
flood than that which Cosmo Nersal
had offered long before 1t began. In
his secret heart lie had no expectation
of ultimate escape, yet he was strong
enough to continue to encourage his
companions with hopes which he could
not himself entertain
When, after nightfall on the tenth
day, the water began to lap the lower
point of persuadinG the party to
Chamber up the rocks in search of
some shelter above. but as he step
ped out of the door of the cabin to
reconnoiter the way, with the aid of the
searchlight, which he had turned up
| along the ridge, he was astonished to
| find the rain rapidly diminishing in
force, and few minutes later 1t ceased
hn Cta ghn n
The sudden cessation OF the roar up
| on the roof brought everybody to his
| feet, and before Prof. Pludder could
communicate the good news all were