The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-12-13
CHAPTER v.

him could be had. No rescue was pos
sible.
Donald clung to the edge Of the
boat and scrambled In. He saw the
amazed recognition flame out on Ida's
face. He knew then that she loved
him, and his impulse to seize her In
his arms was almost ungovernable.
But at the same instant, looking
past her into the. sea, he experienced
the same illusions that had beset him
within the house In Baltimore, and
again outside it-that of woman's
misty form outlined upon the water
Donald made cup Of his hands.
Davies, fling out rope!" he
bawled.
But the submarine was some dis
tance away, and In moment q wall
Of fog came down, blottlng her out.
Ida Kennedy watched Donald with
approval. She had always liked him ;
shaken as she was now, his advent
seemed the work of Providence. She
had questioned her heart before she
sailed, for she had known that her
future was of her own choosing,
whether 1t was to be spent with him
or no.
Donald continued to call loudly, but
the F55 was drifting In the mist and
quite invisible. 1t was In fear Of this
sudden happening that Donald had
told Davies to make for Fair island
II he could not get rope to the boat.
Fair island, less than six miles
away, was the secret rendezvous
where the oil-ship and biplane were
to await the F55, the former to re-
plenish her fuel supply, the latter to
accompany her back to the mother
ship.
Donald picked up a pair of oars
from the bottom. He realized that he
would have to pull toward Fair island
alone as soon as he got an inkling Of
Its direction, with the chance Of being
picked up by the submarine when the
fog cleared. But 1t was approaching
sundown, and the probabilities of their
spending the night in the boat seemed
strong.
He sat with the oars In the row.
locks. AS he allowed one to drift
through the water he discovered, to
his surprise, that 1t was apparently
plunged into mass Of some jellylike
substance. He dipped his hand into
It and scooped some Of 1t up.
The water was apparently curdled,
like thickened milk, and on both sides
of the boat, which rolled In 1t heavily
and high in the viscous medium.
AS he withdrew the oar Donald had
the sensation of pulling 1t from be-
tween the clinglng fingers Of child.
He looked down. 1t occurred to him
that he might have got thu blade en-
tangled In some marine growth; but
the water was clear, almost black, and
Of the same strange, Jellylike consist
ency everywhere.
Then, to his amazement, he realized
that the boat was moving!
It was not like the pull Of tow
line, which is sequence of crescendo
and diminuendo, of starts and jerks,
Us the rope grows tight and slack al
ternately. 1t was constant impulse.
1t was an Intelligent impulse.
1t was beginning to grow dark, and
to row seemed useless until the fog
dispersed. 1t was impossible to gauge
the direction. Besides, to pull against
that force would have been arduous,
and to pull with 1t might have led to
unexpected difficulties.
Donald backed water in experiment.
Instantly he felt the force Increase.
1t was an effortless, persistent push,
than his own powers, and
Donald realized that he could not re-
sist it.
Suddenly he felt stinglng sensa-
ton on the back of his hand. He
pulled In the oar. Five small, red |
spots had sprung out on his wrist, ana !
the flesh seemed to have been cupped. |
Donald clapped his other hand down |
on it, and encountered something |
clammy and cool, which seemed to
slip away. 1t was like the fipper of
little seal, or, again, like the hand of
q child or monkey.
At the same instant Ida screamed.
Donald saw that she seemed to be
with some invisible adver-
sary. The boat was tipping danger
Dusly. Donald flung his weight over,
and he heard the thud of soft body
against the bottom
The thing-whatever 1t was-was In
tho boat!
Donald leaped forward and clasped
Ida about the waist. She writhed in
The clutch of the monster, and there
was look Of intense horror upon her
lace. She seemed to be lifted bodily
toward the water. Donald felt the
slippery fingers Of the invisible being
,lude his grasp. His hands moved up
md down over smooth, blubbery
body. 4
And tncn ne knew what 1t was. 1t
vas such creature as he had seen