The Monticellonian., 1915-11-25


 When Woodward, Arnold and the at taeking party had discovered me un- conscious in Del Mars study, there had been no time to wait for me to re- gain full consciousness.
 Now, however, I slowly regained my senses and, looking about, vaguely be- gan to realize what had happened.
 My first impulse was to search the study, looking in all the closets and table drawers. In corner was large chest. l opened it. Inside were seE- eral of the queer helmets and suits which l had seen Del Mar use and one of which he had placed on Elaine.
 For some moments l examined them curiously, wondering what their use could be
 Then my eye fell on the broken panel. l entered it and groped cat tiously down the passageway. At the end l gazed about, trying to discover which way they had all gone.
 At last. down on the shore, before a wharf I could see Woodward, the strange old hermit. and the rest.
 l ran toward them. calling.
 
 By this time the soldier who had been sent for the submarine tele- scope arrived at last, with the tele- scope in sections in several long cases.
 'Good!" exclaimed the old hermit, al- most seizing the package which the soldier handed him.
 He unwrapped it and joined the va rious sections together. It was, as 1 have said, a submarine telescope, but after a design entirely new, differing from the ordinary submarine tele- scope. It had an arm bent at right angles, with prismatie mirrors so that it was not only possible to see the bottom of the sea, but by an ad- justment also to see at right angles, or. as it were, around a corner
 It was while he was joining this con- trivance together that l came up from the end of the secret passage down to the wharf.
 Why, here's Jameson" greeted Woodward. I'm glad you're so much better"
 Where's Elaine?" interrupted breathlessly
 They began to tell me.
 Aren't you going to follow?" I cried.
 Follow? How can We follow?"
 Excitedly l told of ny discovery of the helmets.
 Just the thing" exclaimed the her init. Send someone back to get them"
 It was only few minutes later that in Del Mars own ear, drove up to the wharf again and we unloaded the curious submarine helmets and suits.
 Quickly Woodward posted several of his men to act as sentries on the beach, then with the rest we climbed into the launch and slipped off down the shore
 The launch which Woodward had commandeered moving along in the general direction which they had seen Del Mar and his men take with Elaine. With the telescope over the side. we eruised about slowly in circle, Ar hold gazing through the eye-piece All of us were by this time in the diving suits which I had brought from Del Mars. except that we had not at tran hn hnl
 Suddenly Arnold raised his hand and signaled to stop the launch.
 Look" he cried indicating the eye piece of the submarine telescope which he had let down over the side Woodward gazed into the eye-pieee and then l did. also. There we could see the side of submerged subma- rine a short distance away, through the cayelike entrance of what ap peared to be great underwater har- bor.
 What shall we do?' queried Wood ward.
 Attack it now before they are pre- pared" replied the hermit decisiyely. Put on the helmets
 As soon as We had finished, one after another We let ourselves over the side of the boat and sank 10 the bot tom.
 On the bottom we gathered and slowly, in the heavy unaceustomed ele ment and cumbersome suits. we made our way in d body through the en- trance of the harbo-
 Upward through the archway We went. clinging to rocks, anything. but always upward.
 As we emerged q shot rang out. One of our men threw up his arms and fell back into the water.
 On We pressed.
 
 Elaine sat in a corner of the office, mute, while the man who was guard ing her, heavily armed, paced up and down.
 Suddenly an overwhelming desire came over her to attempt an escape. But no sooner had she made a motion as though to run through the door, than the man seized her and drove her back to her corner.
 Take your positions here," ordered Del Mar to several of the men. If ly, 'buttermilk.' I laughed, but in all seriousness he went on to enlarge on