Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-29
BEYOND THE GREAT OBLIVION
BY GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
Copyright. 1910. by Fraak A, MuHs,y compan,
(Sequel to "Tho Vacant World'')


gulRr being, even as n sick man recovering
from etheriEation raves and half secs tho
nurses and doctors, yet dreams wild visions
In the midst Of pain
The man. however, only ahook his head.
and. with a broad, firm hand, again held
the engineer from trying TO sit up Stern.
understanding nothing clearly, relnpsed 10
quietudc. To him tho thought came: This
IL only another dclusion after all 1" And
then vast and poignant woe possessed him
IA wonder where the glrl might be, But
under the compulsion OF that powerful hand
he lay quite SIN.
Half consciously he seemed 10 realize that
ne was lying prone IN the bottom OF some
. strange kind OF boat. rude and clumsy
strangely formed Of singular materials, vet
safe and dry and ample
To his laborlng nostrils penetrated n rank
and pungcnt odur Of fish, with another the
Ike of which he never had known-an odor
not UNPLEASANT yet kconly pengtrant and
all-pervadlng. Wet through, the engineer
ay reeklng In heat and steam, wrapped In
MS suit OF heavy furs Then he heard "A
ripple OF water and felt the motion OF the
cratt aH Il was driven forward
Another voice spoke now and the strange
man answered briefly. Again the engineer
hRt seemed to comprehend tho meaning.
though no word was intclligibe
where's the glrl, your" he shouted with
all his might What have you done with
herr II you hurt her, damn YOU. you'll be
sorry where-where In ahe?"
No answer II waH evident that eng
lish speech conveyed no meaning To his
cHptors, stern relapBad with "A groan ~
anguish and sheer pain.
The boat rocked. Another man came
creeping forward. holding 10 the gunwale
10 steady himself Stern raw him vaguely
lhrough tho drifting vapor by the blue.
Green light or tho eressct a, the bow.
lie was clad In a coarse kind Of brownIsh
fNa
woven. His long hair pure white was
twisted up In kind Of topknot ana fas.
tened there by pins OF dun gold. Benrded
he was, but not one hair upon hs head
or chin was other than sllvery whlte--n
color common TO all these folk, as Stern
was soon 10 know.
This man, evidently seeing with perfect
clarity by light which permitted ths
engineer only partial yulon also examined
stern and made speech thereto and nodded
with satisfaction
Then no put half n dozen questions 10 the
prisoner with evident slowneas and an AZ.
tempt TO speak each word dlstnctly. but
nothing came Of this And with con.
icmptuous grunt he went back to his paddle
Hold on therer cried Stern. Cant YOU
There we're two OF u.s. In a. |
machine, you know We fell Fell from
the surface of the earth--fell all the way |
down into this pit of heil whatever Il is
Where's The giFl7 For Gods sake tell meF' |
Neither man paid any heed. but the elder /
suddenly set followed palms TO his lips ana I
hailed and from across the waters duly /
irift6d an answering cry.
lie shouted sentence or two with a 4
volume of noise az which the engineer mar. /
seled. Tor 20 compressed was the air that |
iterna best EFFORT could hardly throw a /
sound nfty feet This character site OF the /
atmosphere he well recognized from work /
he had often done In bridge and tunnel 1
'aissons And wonder Possessed him. 1
despite his keen anxiety, how amy race OF 4
men could live and grow and develop The /
,yident physical force % these people under /
conditions 30 unnatural
Turning hla head and wrenehing his neek
'idew-se, he was able % catch a glimpse
lf the water over the low Hunwale--a /
;unwale made. like the framework OF the /
'oat itself OF thin metallic strips eleysrly
ivetsd
There approaching through the mists. he
'ot sight OF another boat, also provided
With rs Cressat that fung au uncanuy shafi /
4 blue across the letty expanse-a hnaf
iow drawing near under tha urge OF hale
cen oarsmen And. farther s;lll. another
orch was vislhle and beyond that a dozen.
score or more, All moving with dln ana
mostly slowneas through The blind abyss
4 foE and heat and drifting yapora
stern gathered strength for another ap-
cal
swho are you psoplef' cried he. passion.
teiy What are you going 70 DO with us9
Where are we-and what Kind Of a piacs
re Ne iu2 Any way 10 get out out 10
be world sgaing Aud the girl--that Eiri
u. great Cod Caut you answer so1na-
lingf
No reply. .only thar same aloa. stronz
addiins. AWFUL Il rs purnoaeful deiihs4a-
On zttrr questioned in tfaHfh. Spanish
~ German. bal sqt nat eesn ihn aalIs'
aeti4a "a aliraeanE ia4|f atIaallan -
tns ah4i t4a 4 o 4IIa ana