The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER v.
Tho Sea Of Jelly.

him could be had. No rescue was pos
sible.
Donald chung to the edge of thu
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, ne experienced
! the same illusion that had beset him
( within the house in Baltimore, and
again outside it-that of a wOman's
Donald made cup of his hands.
Davies, fling out a rope!" he
bawled.
But the submarine was some dis
lance away, and in moment wall
of fog came down, blotting 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
future was Of her own choosing,
whether it 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
if 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
shutdown, 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 it was apparently
plunged into a mass Of some jellylike
substance. He dipped his hand into
1t and scOoped some Of it up.
The water was apparently curdled.
like thickened milk, and ON both sides
OF the boat, which rolled in it heavily |
and high in the viscOus medium.
As he withdrew the oar Donald had
the sensation Of pulling it from be-
tween the clinging fingers of child.
He looked down. It occurred to him
that he might have got the 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 q tow
inc. which is sequence q crescendo
md diminuendo. Of starts and jerks,
IS the rope grows tight and slack al
ernately. 1t was a constant impulse.
It was an intelligent impulse.
It was beginning to grow dark, and
o row seemed useless until the fog
dispersed. It was impossible to gauge
he direction. Besides. to pun against
hat force would have been arduous.
ind to pull With It might have led to
diMcult3ea.
Deoaid backed water ID ekperiment.
he felt ne force increase.
t was an e3oEtless, persistent push,
ItEoogse than bic own powers, and |
Donald realized that he could not ~
dst It
Suddenly hs fsft 4 stinsing sensa-
ion on the back Of his hand. He
'uiled Ia the or: Five small. red
pots had sprung out On his wrist, and
he flesh seemed to have been cupped.
Donald clapped his other hand down
70 It, and encountered something
:lanmy and cool, which seemed to
lip away. It was like the flipper Of a
little seal. or, again. like the hand Of
child or monkey.
At the same instant Ida screamed.
Donald saw that she seemed to be
truggling with some invisible adver-
ary. The boat was tipping danger
usly. Donald flung his weight over,
nd he heard the thud Of a soft body
lgainSt the bottom.
The thing-whatever it was-was In
be boat!
Donald leaped forward and clasped
da about the waist. She writhed In
he clutch Of the monster, and there p,
7as look Of intense horror upon her
ace. She seemed to be lifted bodily
Oward the water. Donald felt the
lippery fingers Of the invisible being
Jude his grasp. His hands moved up
nd down over smooth blubbery
Ody. =,
And then he knew what 1t was. It =.
as such a creature as he had seen i,
the glass tank In Masterman's
0pse. but larger and more powerful. =,
He saw the rays detected from the