The midland journal., 1917-10-19

fell forward over his oars. He was
incapable of another stroke, but he
believed that he had left the sea devils !
behind. -
He cast his eyes along the horizon.
There was no sign of the F55. He
turned toward Ida. .Ssse4 :
As he bent over her her eyes opened.
She looked at him intently and sighed.
The horrors of that day seemed tenn
porarily to have benumbed her mind
and robbed her Of memory. And Don
aid did what he had never dared to do
before.
He raised her in his arms and kissed
her. E 81
81 love you, DEAR" he said. eff we
come out of this-as we shall-I want
you always. VIII you have me, Ida?"
She raised her lips to his for answer.
And in the happiness of that mo-
ment, which atoned for all that they
had endured. Donald perceived that
the boat had begun to move again.
The respite had been Of brief duration.
Incredibly pertinacious, and cruel
beyond belief, the monsters had once
more taken up the chase. But in the
unhuman forms were minds as shrewd
as his, organizing them for one su-
preme purpose, the elemental one Of
food.
They were swimming beside the
boat. Donald could see the agitated
churnings of the water Were they
pushing or pulling? Taking the oar
in his hand, Donald went to the bow
and drove it down into the sea. But
he struck only the jellylike medium in
which the boat was travelling.
He went to the stern, stepping over
the body of the girl, who had re-
lapsed into Inconsistencies. This
time, as he thrust, there was scurry
among the waves, and he felt the
yielding, blubbery form, and the same
sensation of burst balloon. The boat
stopped. Donald thrust out furiously.
feeling always the contact with slip.
perry flesh.
The monsters were pushing the
boat, not pulling it.
And gradually there followed the
same stupendous incarnation into WIS.,
ible being, the shadowy shape that
grew and crystallized into the milky,
opalescent body. He heard the school
precipitate themselves upon their
prey, and saw it rent and dismem-
bered before his eyes.
Through the increasing darkness
their pupils glared as the monsters
strove together.
Donald went back to where Ida lay
and placed her in the bottom Of the
boat, her head against thwart. They
were moving swiftly.
Suddenly the boat began to tilt up
ward at the bow. Donald heard the
scraping Of the flippers against the
stern. Then, as if heavy dog had
scrambled in, the boat tipped high into
the air and righted itself. Another Of
the monsters had gained entrance.
Donald seized the oar and brought
it down upon the beasts head. The
oar splintered; he heard the cracking
of bone, and splash followed.
The edge of the boat was dragged
beneath the waves. 1t filed and over
turned. Donald found himself strug-
Cling to save Ida in the sea of jelly
that sucked him down. Somehow he
caught her and dragged himself to the
keel. He shouted, and the brutes sour
ried away, leaping and falling with re-
sounding splashes, like sharks at
play.
Donald felt Ida's arms seek his neck.
She turned to him instinctively, not as
her rescuer alone, but as her lover.
He filled his lungs and shouted.
To his amazement he heard an an.
swering shout. He strained his eyes
through the darkness. Surely that
was human cry! He shouted again,
and the answer came once more; and
there was no longer any doubt.
The coming tower of the F55 came
drifting out of the night. She ran
awash, with matches off, and Davies
was standing on the deck among a
group of sailors.
"Where are you?" he shouted.
"Herew Donald cried. Reverse
cuSlAcS1 OuFlcS! SOluluS dUUuIu!
The engines stopped and the SUBJ
marine grazed the sides of the over
turned boat. Donald grasped Ida H.
his arms and clambered to the deck.
And Donald found himself shaking
q mans hand as if he were his brother,
instead of merely Sam Clouts, able sea
man in the navy, trying to keep his
hands from straying toward Ills
mouth organ.
"We were trying to- make Fair
island when we spotted you, sir" said
Davies. II thought we'd pick you up
in the morning when the fog cleared.
It's Zen hard work making anywhere.
There's something the matter with the
sea-"
"How, Davies"
"We're onlV able TO make n knot