Middletown transcript., 1917-11-10
CHAPTER l.
The Mad Sea-Captain.

Lieutenant Donald Paget, emerging
from the navy Office in Washington in
a state Of high exuberance at having
received command of submarine, col
lided violently with tall, elderly man
of singular aspect.
The stranger was dressed in quasi
nautical costume Of his own devislng,
resembling nothing known to any navy
in the world. His iron-gray beard
swept down to his waist, giving him
the aspect Of q Mountaineering
Noah; and just then he was very angry
indeed, for, standing stock-still at the
entrance Of the building, he shook his
enormous fist at one Of the porters,
whose black and highly shocked ex-
preston indicated his unhappy frame
Of mind at this breach Of decorum.
"Confound you, sir" exclaimed the
lieutenant angrily as he recoiled from
his impact upon the sturdy figure on
which the collision had made no more
impression than If he had fallen
against the Washington monument.
"Why don't you look"
Then, catching sight Of the long
beard-"Why, Captain Masterman !"
he exclaimed.
"Donald Paget!" cried the elderly
man, grasping him by the hand. "Ex-
cuse my being upset, but these jacks
in-office will be the death Of the repub-
lie one Of these days. 1 have just
been trying to see the secretary on
matter affecting not only America-in
which case his Indifference would not
surprise me-but the entire human
race. What do you suppose they told
me?"
II am inclined to think that you got
no further than the porter, captain"
replied the lieutenant.
"Right, sir!" exclaimed Masterman,
beginning to grow angry again. And
II were not q man Of superhuman
patience, combined with inexhaustible
tact, singular clarity Of mind, and te-
nacity Of purpose-in fact, an obsti-
nate old mule-I should let the human
race go hang"
Lieutenant Paget took the irate old
man by the arm. II wouldn't do that,
captain" he said, smiling. "Come and
tell me all about it, and let us see
whether we cannot devise some means
Of saving the race. You see, now that
the navy department is so busy on &C
count of the war, perhaps little leni-
ency with its shortcomings might be
In order, eh?"
"The war? What war?" demanded
Masterman.
"Why, our few words with the Ger
MANS Masterman."
"What's that? War with the Ger
mans? You don't mean to tell me we
are at war with Germany?"
do you mean to say you don't
know that America and Germany are
at WARP" demanded Paget incredu-
lously.
mo, sir: And, what's more, it
doesn't interest me. How the deuce
should know all the gossip and frivol-
lties Of the day when only returned
to the capital yesterday"
"BHt, my dear captain-gnssip and
frivolities" exclaimed the lieutenant.
"Surely you have seen newspapers, or
heard people talking about it?"
Il tell you l haven't seen or heard
anything! rye got more important
things to think about. Anyhow, it will
have to be stopped at once" said Mas
terman half turning. 'T'll have to go
back and see the secretary immedi-
ately."
However, he suffered his companion
to lead him out Of the building and
along the street, while the lieutenant,
firmly convinced that his old friend
was mad, held him by the arm tightly
and listened to the captains disjointed
mutterings in the hope Of discovering
the nature of his delusion.
Donald Paget had known Captain
Jonathan Masterman when he was at
Annapolis, where the old man, who
had once been a quartermaster In eile
navy, held subsidiary position ON the
instructors staff. The acquaintance
had continued intermittently. Master
man had risen in life until he obtained
the command Of ship fitted out, part
ly by private subscription. partly with
the aid of a government subsidy, for
the purpose Of deep-sea exploration.
In this and subsequent expeditions
he had made hnme for himself by
the remarkable nature Of his discov-
cries. He had discovered the prolon-
gaEon of the submarine spur Of the
continental shelf, extending from the
Norwegian coast toward the Faroes ;
he had invented an improved net for
scooping up the larger denizens of the
ocean depths; and then he had nulli-
fed all the personal appreciation and
fame which he had acquired during
his various voyages by asserting that
mammalian life existed on the sea
floor, and by championing the cause
Of the sea serpent.
That was the end of Captain Mas
terman's activities so far as the gov
ernment was concerned. In q final in
terview the secretary Of the navy had
said to him:
PERSONALLY I believe in you, Mas
terman. But 1t isn't the discoveries
that count, it's getting the scientific
world to believe in them. I believe in
the sea serpent, myself, because I've
seen three of them; but 1 wouldn't
dare to admit it, even in my club
smoking rom, and we can't get you
another subsidy