The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-02

''You Have Convinced Me Absolutely
Satsuma in front o. that empty house
on the beach They was a-whisperin'
together, an the minute they saw me
they went inside. P'r'aps the Jap's
got another berth"
No matter" said the inventor i'm
patiently, I'VE can get along without
him. If everything is ready we viii
go aboard"
81 have not confined my efforts en-
tirely to my oxygen-producing sys-
tem," remarked Burke, as he followed
his guest through the circular man
hole in the deck which gave access to
the boats interior. Il have utilized
my spare moments in perfecting one
or two ether devices for use on sub
marines which may also interest you.
This arrangement for automatically
opening and closing the hatchway is
one of them" AS he spoke he indi-
Gated q lever connected with steel
rods which ran up to the hinged cover
OF the hatch through which they had
just descended.
VERY interesting, doctor" assented
Hope, again become the trained naval
officer, quick. intelligent, alert. very
interesting indeed. But it is your
oxygen apparatus that interests me
most"
This way, then" said Burke, open
ing the door which gave access to the
after compartment of the submarine.
Had Hope and Cleo been less en-
crossed in Doctor Burke's explana-
ton Of his apparatus, they would have
been startled by the peculiar behavior
of the cushioned top Of the locker
which was built against the side Of
the room. Apparently Of its own vo-
Htion, the hinged top of the locker
began to slowly rise; so iDperceptibly
at the first that one might have at
tributed it to the motion CT the boat;
then higher, still higher, until through
the narrow opening thus formed ap-
peared human face-a yellow face,
with slanting, cruel eyes.
"Are we submerged YETI asked
Cleo. Her question was answered by
Hook, who at that moment entered
from the navigating compartment.
I'VE have begun to submerge, sir -
he reported, saluting.
VERY good" said the inventor
briefly. Tell the navigator to keep
her at fifty feet until further orders. %
A moment later the cover of the
locker was suddenly thrown up and
from the cofinlike space beneath
slipped the missing Japanese, Satsu-
ma. It was obvious that this nan was
10 stranger to the higher forms of
science and that he understood, in
principle, at least, what each of the
switches, dials and wires composing
Burke's apparatus was for. But it was
evident that the governing principle,
for which this complicated mechanism
was but medium, eluded him.
For six hours the submarine had
been under water. The air, its oxygen
drained by a dozen pairs of lungs,
had gradually become so vitiated that
the breathing of all on board had be-
come 1abored and difficult.
isn't it about time to demonstrate
your invention, doctor?" asked Hope
Its getting pretty close in here"
mot yet" said Burke, who was
seated at the little table in the for.
ward compartment immersed in an
abstruse calculation. There's no hur.
~. You haven't said much, Ieuten-
ant, but know that you're skepticaI
1 wish to wait until can make my
demonstration so convincing that you
viii have 10 skepticism left
Twenty minutes later Hook entered
Don't you think. you'd better give US
little air, doctor?" he inquired anx-
iousIy. The boys in the engine room
are complaining that they can't
breathe
Not yet" said the. inventor. absent,
~. Tell them not to worry.
Look here, Burke" gasped Hope
roughly, staggering across the room
this nonsense has gone quite long
enough. Look at your daughter there
the poor child is suf1ocating. If you
don't set your apparatus to working
and give Us some afr, IN take com
msnd myself, rise to-the surface, and
telegraph to Washington that your In
vention is a fake and that you are e
fraud"
''Mr. Hope" said the inventor. ris-
ing. I'm going to make you retract
those words"