Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-11-21
cuAPTER III-(continued.)

.,os Glide forward along the sur
IE sa strike the glass wall opposite,
l1l'' ,oD+fnue at a right angle, turning
'l D,o and again as the creature con-
- IN IFS steady course. The SEN
'l ssn was uncanny. Captain Mas
''.,, words came back to Donald:
s pr-a brought my specimen home" He
ovare of an impulse to bolt. In
.o5 of which, however, he concen-
,,to5 al his attention on the tank.
"r Tbo movements in the water sub
..3.5 Donald had the impression that
'so Invisible creature had stopped and
1 ~, rprarding him. He saw a gentle
.rfrI as if & body stood upright with
:, tho tank Then a sound from the
.,,o7d tank drew him toward it.
+ was a musical ringing, exactly
Flo that produced by drawing the
frror fin around the top of bowl of
r,+or-a long, drawn sound, sweet and
ss,r Donald looked into this tank,
rbicb was open at the top and not
,orrocted with the apparatus. But he
s,rld see nothing there, either.
To turned back to the first tank,
and all at once he perceived two black
,Dsrks close together, halfway be-
rrppn the top of the water and the
gIass roof. Each was about the size
M q small currant. Donald went
nearer. He saw them move. Then he
started backward, overcome with hOr-
Tor.
The black specks were the pupils Of
, pair Of eyes fixed on his and fol-
bTing them!
Like all sailors, Donald Paget was
not free from superstition. Any known
danger he could have faced bravely,
butt this unknown thing was terrify-
ng. He felt his knees give under him.
4 His impulse was to fly.
He turned, and at that moment
Bmething descended upon his head
i and struck him, half conscious, to the
floor,
Dimly, through the gathering mists,
hs made out the form of a middle
lsed bearded man. He saw the red
face the shrewd gray eyes that looked
into his, and recognized MacBeard.
Beside him lay the sandbag with
which the man had felled him.
Unable to move, Donald felt Mac
4 Beard rifing his pockets one by one,
until he came upon the envelope con-
+ ailing Masterman's communication.
N2cBeard drew it forth with a grunt
sli stood up under the gas to exam
lie it.
A brief survey satisfied him that he
bad found what he was seeking. He
4 Eunted again and looked down at
Donald. Apparently satisfied with his
York, he turned toward the water
naEs He must have heard the
Elasaing of the monster as it re-
Nued its tourneyings, for he started
an instant, and then, as if curious,
he drew nearer to the first of the
@aEs with the air-pipe attachment.
He stood quite still, looking at the
hing in the water. Donald wondered
whether he had discovered it, and
Slerher he had perceived the eyes.
DE knew in a moment, for with a
s yell NacBeard started backward. He
stumbled against one Of the palms
tla sent it crashing to the floor.
A2cBeard, who had fallen with it,
ao6ed himself up and ran in terror.
uoaald heard his footsteps pattering
l0ns the flags outside. He heard the
nam OF the Creaking gate. He knew
.aI the professor, having obtained
le document was not likely to re-
,'a' And he could not blame him for
.S nervousness or he had almost
1'le the same ming himself.
Oonald staggered to his feet,
o1lched at the wall to steady himself,
a1 remained thus, while the swim
lug room gradually grew still. The
-sl' from the gas-jet fell upon the
aN'5' tanks. And, looking at the far
tO1.
ne thought he saw the very misty
s1~IAeS Of the body of a beautiful
s sSlan' the merest shadowy shape,
. .-'Ca swan before his eyes and was
.-5 ana reappeared, yelled in a sort
pnsmatie blend of coloring.
OUT before no bod ti,,,a 70 convince
~-Se1 that it was or was not the
, ,.sulI OF his injury, to his horror he
L..sT'ed very clearly a cloudy form
,.s s,lalng to take shape within the
'eafer tank.
h,rD outlines grew clearer momen-
a.? de saw what seemed to be
-, ~ cody Of a hairless monkey, sup
s,-ls itself upon webbed feet, or
M .pe'S Budding out from the sides
h,S TWO similar arms, the webbed
De tank "s"inS' Tue SUES -
~ outlines were at first so vague
a. " oe almost imperceptible; then
IN, oSSIaliine body became opales-
a al. ana milky, resembling the white
h,s- egg. It hardened and, as it
6ss. .Ieu' Swelled. Donald saw the
t,,,, 1eaYe, the gaplike mouth con-
re, 11 suddenly he realized that this
L, Stae' pititul thing was suffering
l. sd" Immediately that the pro-