The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04

d burning sensation IN ms throat,
gathering, rushing, roaring sound in
his ears and II pain in his head such
as he had never felt before. Only one
sensation could he place--the odor in
his nostrils, the astringent action that
he knew so well. Then dis position
and plight came back to him by de-
grces. HIS last light had burned out.
His air plant was still working, but
TIE poisonous gas was escaping. How
and why?
lie reached out. Eel, the supporting
column " III" engine and located him
SER; then he CrIwlcd TO the different
parts Of his pipe and fan system. in
speeding them 10y the sense of touch.
Everything was ~ lie had left it
the wires still fed bubbles into tho
pipe 10 the upper fan, the last fan
stil caught the air as it rose from
the acid and sent u over the motor.
Perhaps the motor would now work
the pump. He found the switch and
controller in tho darkness, turned on
the current and felt his way back.
The armature was turn!ng-just a
ii;tle faster than before Shutting of
tine current. he coupled on the pump
and again gave power 20 the motor,
only 10 find that the pump stopped II.
The solid. inert, incomprcsslble water
IN the Induction pipe could not be
stirred.
Yet there was power in the motor
ne had tried TO stop tho armaturc
with his hands, but could not. Two
men could not. nor three, by the way
II felt. II he could multiply that
power? II he could give IL pur-
chase? II the water were more yield
ing-compressible-so that the motor,
once started, would go on? Compras-
sible. like air?
Air-compressible air. He had too
much air-bad air. too. II gave him
the pain IN his head and the roaring
in his ears. Crawling forward as far
as he could 20, he found a sweeter
atmosphere and thought 1t out. There
was little logic or coherency in his
thoughts. he only wanted to devise
means to get rid of that poisonous
flow Of gas. which came from ne knew
not what defect in his apparatus but
which he could only stop by stopping
the supply or oxygen.
The air compressor motor was
burned out. otherwise ne could DUMP
air into any of the tanks and out
board when the pressure was great
enough. Could he turn that rotary
bi!ge pump into an air pump? Could
he make an aperture in the induction
pipe above the water?
Crawling aft into thc sitting atmos-
phere near the motor he found an ell
bow in The induction pipe made up
OF I joint and a plug. Securing
wrench that fitted he removed the
plug and laid 1t on the motor bed.
Then he turned on the current. assured
himself that the motor was turning
over and crawled forward out OF the
fumes.
Here he remained and after a long
time when new sound as of
came TO his hurdened ears over
the uproar he shouted approval
and again was happy lie wa
pumping tad ar ou' ~ The boat, aud
all was well with MIN He was not
even hungry or thirsty. bur after
Il time, when the Clappiug OF that
valve IN the outlet pipe had become
a familiar sound and hs head had
stopped aching he felt somewhat
sleepy. and as the pile OF machinery
on which he lay was hard bed
he crawled aft a little. where the
greasy oilcloth flooring was softer. He
went 20 sleep here face upward.
directly beneath the coming tower
hatch.
Years. generations. centuries passed
u n hA fDs ~ ~.
once or twice In a decade. listened
L. far away. roaring sound pune
tuated by the clarping OF a valve and
went 10 sleep again He wasted no
energy in thinking about these sounds:
they were the only sounds in tho
universe, and beyond his care and
control.
But at last new sensa ton came
70 him, one that affected not his
ears or his organs Of tHste or smell:
these were dead, killed long ago by
that terrible hlistcring gas. The
sense Of touch wa lost ir the all per-
Nal!ng pain that saturated his whole
body. The sense nj i.sA- was but
q memory, lost IN the darkness that
had cuGuifcd him with tho burning
"ul Of the last hu.h. lip, now as
he lay there ON his back the sense
of light and sight seemed returning
Through his half-closod eye4.ds u
dim glimmer of yellow and gray came
into his brain. lie opened them wide
and took in the details Of the coming
tower ladder. the circular tower tus:
above, and an occasional f'ckcring
image of the starhOard headlight NOV