Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-05-27


you are surprised to see me here"
he asked. you want to know how
came? l rowed across the strait this
morning. before the tide set strong. to
give you this" He drew letter from
his pocket, addressed to Haynes, but
unstamped, and 1t was In his daugh-
ter's writing.
Yes, learned that you were here"
said Beyers. And | resolved to place
my life in your hands, for am tired
Of this ceaseless flight Besides,
things are different now. Read your
letter, and then, if you still want re-
venge. we will fight our battle out
here on these rocks"
Haynes opened the letter and hastily
skinned Its contents. He flung 1t
from him with a groan and sprang to-
ward his enemy, who was examining
the gyroscope with establishment. He
did not understand the purpose Of 1t,
nor Of the poles and cord.
1.-THE ship!" screamed Haynes, and
pointed seward. Beyers looked and
tor the first time saw the nearing yes.
sci. She was travelling at a pace quite
perceptible, stern on. and by her mo-
tons 1t was obvious that something as
tonishing was happening to her.
Il ordered her to wait at the en-
trance to the ford" said Beyers. "She
must be coming in search Of me-"
MAN! mani" yelled Haynes, catch
l~ 9TH nv hn
that line Of foam toward which she Is
travelling? That is the maelstrom. Do
you understand? There Is no power
on earth can save her. And 1t Is you
whose life l sought, not that of-my
daughter"
He ragged and flung his arms toward
the sky, and the hum Of the gryoscope
sounded like the death-call to his
hopes. In fact the man had wrought
the destruction not of his foe. but OF
all he held dear. For the letter stated
that his daughter had arrived at Kris.
iensund two nights before. She was
married to Beyers' son. She begged
his forgiveness; she was going with
her husband to seek his father and she
would carry the letter with her IN or
der to send 1t to her father as soon as
she could discover him. And he must
put his revengeful plans behind him.
Presently Beyers touched the other
upon the arm.
Can nothing be done?" he asked.
Remember, If your daughter Is aboard
the Viking, my son Is also. Can we
forget our enmity now and fight to res
cue them?"
His words recalled Haynes to his
senses He looked out. The ship was
travelling at fearful pace toward that
line Of foam, which heaved and shud.
dered as the unclaimed devil beneath
1t reared himself and stretched out his
gaping jaws for his victims. Suddenly
hope. born Of desperation. came to
the Englishman.
There is a chance!" he muttered.
There's one chance in thousand
the gyroscope can pull the ship across
the whirlpool without sinking her-if
the rope stands the strain!" He rushed
towards the machine. Pull In the
coils and follow me-" he shouted, and
the two raced furiously from pole to
pole, winding in the slack Of the rope,
while the gyroscope hummed and
buzzed busily and the oncoming vessel
leaped racing toward the maelstrom.
At last the rope rose taut out Of the
sea. The slack was folded. They
dared look seward again and saw the
yacht turning slowly upon a circular
course that never closed, since at each
completed circle she rode nearer to-
ward a central point, blacker than
pitch In the midst of the spume-tossed
waters. It was the heart Of the mael-
strom,
Yet the tug of the gyroscope was not
ineffective, for, though the ship
plunged like an unbroken colt, 1t could
be seen that she still evaded the pit
that yearned for her, and though she
spun like top upon the dizzy edge OF
1t, the pull Of the mechanism counter.
acted the force Of the maelstrom. And
neither gained, and round and round
that crater of death the vessel raced,
half under water and yet upheld by the
strong centrifugal force Of her swift
motion.
II she could stay thus until the tide
went down and the devil returned to
sleep beneath the top Of the waves!
But even now the force of each con-
tending power was equal, and the tide
was not at the full Two hours must
pass, and long before that time the
gyroscope would fail and the rope
slacken and the maelstrom claim its
prey. Or even earlier the cable might
part asunder
Had the pull been direct 1t would
have parted long ago, for the rope was
by far the weakest Of the three con-
tending forces. But since the whirl.
POOLS power was not direct, but al
/ ways exerted laterally, the rope had
play as the ship circled upon her
course, and hence held, though 1t was
now stretched like taut bridge over
the waters.
A desperate hope entered Haynes
brain.
"Beyers," he shouted, catching at the
others arm like a maniac, IF / make
fast the rope. twining 1t tightly among
these poles, do you think you can hold
In the slack after I shut off the gyro.
scope?"
The other did not understand.
Haynes shut off the machine one In
slant, and the rope shot through his
companions hands and cut them to the
bone. Beyers dropped 1t with scream.
Haynes started the gyroscope, picked
up the rope, and wound it among the
poles, fastening 1t in knots with all the
force that he could try to bear. When