Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-04-15

llNSlH W Cll'tli vi. All ISL COIlIuiu
more or less OF the substance. The
smell of smoke tended to this idea. If
the huge fish breathed fire and smoke
there must be fuel in its belly. That
fuel was more than likely to be oil or
some other fatty substance. While
these things were passing through the
captains mind there came a sound
which seemed to come from the throat
Of a huge gander.
jim muttered Il prayer. The cap
tain's cupidity gave way to his fears.
and he stood %irresolute for awhile; then,
pulling himself together. he resolved
to get a sight of the monster under the
fog.
Call up the crew." he said.
Bunsby. who was glad enough to get
something to do to divert his mind,
went below md came back, followed
by the mate and a dozen seamen.
MIR. Hawkins" said the captain to
the mate. there's some sort of a ma
rine animal near us. l wish to get q
view Of him from the water surface.
Lower a boat and put in the largest !
harpoon aboard"
Aye, aye. sir" responded the mate.
But just as the men grasped the ropes
that held the boats to the davits the
snorting recommended. Every man
stood still, and all turned pale. In a
few moments swirls of foam came to-
ward the ship.
Its swimmin' away from u.s." said
the mate.
Hadn't we better let her go?" cried
Tim Bunsby.
Let her go? We can't help our
selves with no wind. We may be los
ing Il hundred barrels of OIL"
The fog thinned. and through it those
on the Molly Stark could discern a
dark mass, a %protrusion on either side.
the whole resembling a huge duck with
wings partly stretched. But the vision
lasted only a moment. for the fog
thickened again and shut it Off. The
shorts grew fainter, as did the strik-
ing of the feet of the huge bird on
the surface Of the water as it padded.
It's not a whale" said the mate;
its a mammoth duck"
DuShS u "SD ioOlSu, SuSScSlGu
one Of the men. This thing doesn't
draw back it's feet through the water:
it hits the surface every time"
The snorts ceased, the hammering on
the water stopped. the foam swirls
came less rapidly and soon ceased al
together.
Thurs a leetle breeze. cap'n." said
Bunsby. Don't you think we'd better
take advantage of it to git away"
The captain paid no attention to this
timid request. He said that since the
thing was of the bird rather than the
fish variety there was no hope of get
ting oil from it, but there might be
feathers such as the world had never
seen, and a fortune might be reaped
by securing them and towing them
into port. But the mate was of opin.
ion that feathers were only used in
America TO decorate women's hats
and, judging from the size Of the bird,
Il woman to wear it's plumage must be
400 or 500 feet high.
While they were debating this mat
ter the fog was suddenly Illuminated
and a horrible Kissing sound emerged
from the monster bird. This noise
awakened 6ll who had remained asleep
and they came pouring up the com.
%panionway.
what is it," asked the captains
wife in terror.
w don't know" replied her hus
band. There's some strange monster
varmint out there that's been padding
about and snorting and blowing fire
and smoke"
Dear me. will it sink us?"
, 1T certain will, num-" Tim Bunsby
I broke in. unless you can persuade the
cap'n to get out Of it's way"
The Kissing sound continued. Har
riet Nicholson listened to it, but appar
emily without any terror. She was
, the only one Of the party who haG
, heard the sounds made by a steam en-
CINE. Some twenty miles from bel
home a railroad was being built while
/, she was on a visit there. and she hat
, heard the sound made by the blowing
OFF Of steam
There's Il steam engine out there
, she said.
5 "A steam engineer exclaimed her ia
Their. Whats a steam engine doing
On the ocean? I've heard they pull
stagecoaches on the land, but how cal
, a track be laid on the water?"
Il don't know" persisted the girl
5 but that's a steam engine. I've heard
one before"
Suddenly the fog lifted, n there il
plain view was the dark hull Of one
OF the first ocean steamers ever built
Amidships was a stack vomiting smoke
. on either side was an arched box, be
meath which the paddles of the huge
t wheel were visible beating the water
A stoker was shoveling coal into the
open furnace door, and the fires cast a
bright light through an open port.
] Terror On the part Of those on the
Molly Stark gave way to wonder as
the stern Of the steamer grew smaller
! in the distance, giving it the appear