Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-11-08
NoW7H

dream, the worst in The man-if one
quality was worse than another-had
come to the top. He meant to keep
Ida and still achieve his purpose.
Donald's maneuyer in bringing the
herd to Norway by the submarine
method had completely deceived Mac
Beard. He had thought all along that
the monsters had followed his motor
boat in obedience to his tuning fork.
He had not heard the call of the
queen, because its swift vibrations
were audible as sound only for very
limited distance, in spite Of their effect
upon the men Of the F55.
Now he resolved to lead the herd
back to the European shores and COM
plete his work of destruction. He had
scattered the obsolete navy that was
sent out against him. He would go on
ward with no idea of mercy. He would
annihilate humanity. He would make
himself sole master of mankind.
And Ida should be his mate, but
not his equal, as he had planned. He
would vent his rage on her. He would
the only other human being existent
then perhaps she would begin to I'M
derstand. He shouted all this to her
He overwhelmed her with sarcasm and
rhetoric.
Ida, however, missed the keenness
Of the points he made. She saw only
mailman, fOaming at the mouth, and
she took pride in her sacrifice. She
looked back toward Donald. She saw
him between the two other figures
upon the shore, very little, and very
far away.
MacBeard saw the look and under
stood. He raised his hand again to
strike her, but he refrained. Instead
he reached into the cabin of the mo-
torboat and took his tuning forks
from under the seat. And by that act
Of treachery he wrote the last page
of his history.
He slung them about his neck, and,
taking the rod, he sounded the G note
to call the swarm together.
The note rang true across the wa
tiers. Exhausted by their efforts. the
monsters were incapable any longer of
condensing the hydrogen, but the i'm
pulse to reply remained. From every
part of the inland sea they swarmed
toward him.
The sea rose into a choppy surge,
The motorbOat, riding the waves like
a cork, heaved and pitched. Ida saw
MacBeard, his eyes alight with tri
umph, his face blazing with hatred,
now above her, and now below, as he
sat in the pitching stern.
But the death Of the queen had been
the death-call of the swarm; instinc
single purpose that had animated the
herd was gone. Anarchy had replaced
order. The swarm had become mere
blind mechanism, and devoid Of pur
pose.
Anarchy possessed them, and it was
furious, as everywhere. SO it is in the
state, when it obtains power. SO in
the human body, when the cells rebel
and organized life flares out. The
swarm came On, mere discOrdant
multitude.
MacBeard, seated in the stern, felt
five sharp pricks upon the hand that
dangled toward the water. He drew it
back hurriedly. He imagined that
some insect had stung him. Then a
f1ipper dashed him across the face,
Two more seized him about the body,
An instant later, ald he was out of
the boat, which, released from his
weight and from the sea devils, rlghted
itself again. Then he began the strug-
gle for life which he had always
feared. The nightmare that had brood
ed over his dreams had at last come
true The Infatuated monsters had
turned upon the author Of the call
He chung to the gunwale, calling
wildly for aid. He heard Ida's screams.
He knew that her impulse was to save
him. Perhaps that was as bitter as
the physical torment; perhaps some
inkling Of higher law did reach his
mind before the end.
But if it did, it was only a momen-
tary flash of insight.
He felt the cold embrace of the leath-
cry bodies. He heard the swapping
Jaws. He was torn from his hold.
shrieking, and tossed into the air, from
beast to beast. His cries were so fren-
zied that they even reached the ears
Of those who watched on the shore.
He shrieked and fought, but he had
as much chance for life as primitive
man caught by a herd of dinosaurs.
For few moments his bobbing body
was visible, grotesquely sprawled upon
the reddening waves. Then it was rent
limb from limb.
It disappeared, and. fighting over
their prey, the sea devils played the
last act of their own drama. They fell
| upon each other. It was the tragedy
Of the hive-the annual massacre Of
| the drones; only they were all drones.
Nature had no more use for them, now
that their queen was gone.
Never had such a spectacle been
seen by man before. The entire face
| of the inland sea was a tumult Of
| fighting monsters. The dead grew into
visibility as they became thicker. The
floating patches Of white almost OBJ
scured the waves. And still the fight
| became more frenzied.
They tore each other and them
selves, they dashed the waves into
| foam; animal debris foated from end
to end of '''e ford. AS the dead drift
| ed toward the shore the struggle be-