Middletown transcript., 1917-11-17
CHAPTER II.
In the March Hares' Club.

81 hope not, captain" answered
Donald.
I'm afraid there isn't any doubt of
it." answered Masterman. Its an
old organic trouble, likely to carry me
off at any time, and progressive In
character. Before left for the Shet-
lands, the doctor gave me year.
That was ten months ago, and my
experiences haven't heightened the
respite. You've followed deep-sea ex-
ploration, haven't your"
"A little" answered Donald. 1--WE
Americans seem to have taken the
lead since the days Of the Challenger"
Eyes, Yankees have done good
work." said Masterman. "But I've got
them all beaten now. Nobody will
bother his head about the earlier dis
coveries after the next few weeks.
You've heard about the known forms
of deep-sea life, haven't your"
Without waiting for reply, he be-
gan to speak about the strange or
ganisms that had been dredged from
the ocean bottom, so that Donald saw
the whole picture in Masterman's
brain. He saw the eyeless fishes that
had abandoned the effort to see, and
fishes with eyes as large as dinner
plates, with which they caught the
CLEANS of phosphorescence that be-
tokened the pursuit of wandering sea
scavengers. There were fishes that
carried their own lures in the form Of
luminous tentacles.
In the abysmal depths, in realm
of perpetual night, these organisms
perposuated an inferno Of slaughter,
preying upon each other, rowing on
their Unsuitable quest for food.
Masterman leaned forward and
spoke emphatically.
"When they are brought up-up
through three miles of water-they
explode mostly, Donald" he said. IF
they didn't-well, I've seen things that
would make stout man faint, my
lad"
Paget shuddered as his mind con-
ceived the picture that the old cap
tain painted. He saw the giant mon
sters of the abyss lurking among the
yellow, carnivorous lilies that bend
and sway in league-long gardens,
catching the plankton, the floating or
drifting organic life of the sea, that
comes down like finest meal from
above, but always ready for larger
prey.
Its murder enthroned, Donald, y
said Masterman. '"There isn't love
not even maternal love. Nor pity,
either. Suppose our world were like
that!"
He was watching Donald keenly as
he spoke.
"We take life as we find it," Lieu.
tenant Paget answered. 'But, thank
heaven, life has it's compensations
which make it worth the living"
He was thinking of Ida Kennedy as
he spoke. 7
"But once our life was like that
persisted Masterman. "And we've
risen above it. Don't tell me there
isn't a God when we've done that
lust as the beautiful birds evolved ou
of vicious reptiles. You know, o.
course, our ancestors were sea crea
lures. That's why the specific grav
ity of Ahe human body is about th'
same ls that Of salt water. We wer'
ma 20 live in the sea. We come
fz ~ You believe that?"
g.1 Two schoolace tells us so.'
in Wilmington you've studied a
men OF the secoH only read in books
FITS, in wireless THAT there was a tim
he end that such.s were warm, steamin;
e army as capalhe steam formed clouds
sun had never been seen
esting new ffSun appeared, the worlt
;ollege, Newaf ( fused light and darkness
chorus sinoi answer to your Bible crit
/, lono boor Ely Genesis Is all wrong, be
,thrs;o,.;. Jays light was made befor
!. 49, Light did exist, before tn
dreamed of, so far as man i
ton, begahed.
day last lire right. sir" answsred Don
ter the