The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER I.

The Mad sea.captain.

a state of high eXuberance at having
received command of submarine, col
Iided violently with tall, elderly man
of singular aspect.
The stranger was dressed in quasi
nautical costume of his own devising,
resembling nothing known to any navy
in the world. His iron-gray beard
swept down to his waist, giving him
the aspect of twentieth-century
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, STRIP 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.
ssWhy 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-ofice will be the death of the repub-
lie one of these days. I have just
been trying to see the secretary on
matter affecting not only American
which case his Indifference would not
surprise me-but the entire human
race. What do you suppose they told
met"
ST am inclined to think that you got
no further than the porter, captain"
replied the lieutenant.
Fright, STRIP exclaimed Masterman,
beginning to grow angry again. "And
If / were not a man of superhuman
patience, combined with inexhaustible
tact, singular clarity of mind, and te-
uacfty 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 it's 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-
lousy. =. ~ -
"No, sirl And, what's more, 1t
doesn't interest me. How the deuce
should know all the gossip and frivol-
tiles of the day when only returned
to the capital yesterday"
[ "But, my dear captain-gossip and
frivolitiesl" exclaimed the lieutenant.
"Surely you have seen newspapers, or
heard people talking about it?"
ST tell you haven't seen or heard
anything! I've got more important
things to think about. Anyhow, 1t will
have to be stopped at once" said Mas
terman, half turning. "rll have to go
back and see the secretary immedi-
ately.'
Ho ever, he suffered his companion
to le. 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 the
navy, held a subsidiary position on the
instru tors staff. The acquaintance
had ntinued internationally. Master
man I'd risen in life until he obtained
the &C nmand of a ship fitted out, part
~ 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 a name for himself by
the remarkable nature of his discov-
cries. He had discovered the prOlon-
CATION 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 multi,
fed all the personal appreciation and
fame which he had acquired during
his various voyages by asserting that
mammalian life existed on the sea