Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-22
which gives a view Of the

telescope which gives q view Of the
seascape.
Come up here" he said, "and take
a look"
FELTON, climbed to the small platform
ON which the captain stood Just be-
fore him was the eyepiece Of the perl
scope, and at sign from the captain
he peeped into It. Pictured on the
lens was the dismantled wreck Of the
Argyll, down by the head. helpless,
sinking wreck.
"She's floating on five compartments"
said the captain. II just filed the
sixth, and I think we'll an two at
once this time. BY the way, what did
you fellows butt In fort It was my
fight. hit her last night and blew
up the forward magazine. Then I lost
her In the dark"
''But, say" answered FELTON,, (which
side are you on in this mix? You blew
up the turret, you say, and the air
ship destroyed her. But the crew Of
that airship displayed mortal fear Of
you and jumped overheard at sight OF
you"
Exactly. They would have gone of
at a tangent If they hadn't. It's bet
ter to die on your planet than to be-
come q comet for oil eternity"
Like the airship. I see. But how
did you do 1t, II / may ask"
II reversed his polarity; that's all.
See that? look and listen"
The captain turned a lever, and a
dynamo near by began to revolve,
while an arc lamp suspended from
above glowed, glistened and sparkled
as the current passed through the car
bons. Soon it began a curious, mu-
steal buzzing, and the captain shut 1t
Of.
Merely an alternating current
through an arc" he explained. "But
the electric impulses sent out by that
singing arc are of wave length and
frequency produced by no other means.
They are Just right to turn his two
magnetic poles into one, and away he
goes"
81 don't understand. Yes, under
stand that you might reverse his polar
ity or combine 1t, as you say, by some
wireless method. But which side are
you on3'
"The side Of the Lord"
"Look here, captain" said FELTON, an
grily, that is the answer your double
gave me when I asked him the same
question last night. 1t means moth
ing. l am either q prisoner OF war
or a guest entitled to consideration.
Why do you treat me like fool"
Because you are a fool. You be-
lieve in the invulnerability Of the bat
tleship. Well, there is one Of the best.
Look at her."
II see. Destroyed, but not by you;
By an enemy of yours, one who feared
you"
"Yes, as mediocrity fears intelligence,
as the child fears the dark, the savage
the gun Of the civilized soldier, human
ity as a whole the unseen, the unex-
pected, the invisible. The airship Is
potential, but not final; she can be
seen."
Gard shot," said FELTON, doggedly.
"Did that battleship hit your air
ship? You know that she could not.
The airships limitations are contained
In her visibility. She cannot be hit
by Slot or shell, but she can be seen
and projected into space"
Granted. but suppose she dropped
bomb on to your back before you
saw herT
"She could not, except in the dark;
then she would have to strike knife
edge, and it would be an accident, one
chance In millions. We are construct
ed like razorback hog to defect fall
ing bombs"
"But you cannot defect horizontal
torpedoes," said FELTON,, looking up at
the dome of the submarine. 1t looked
curlously like the dome shaped roof OF
the airship. "I know WELL" he went
on, talking as WAS his wont among his
fellow officers, that If / could see
your perlscope tube with telescope
I could hit you with one of my tor
pedoes."
"Your torpedoes?"
II am torpedo officer Of that battle
ship was on the turret top when
you blew it up last night and went up
with it. / landed Oh the airship."
You are member Of that battle
ships crew.
IL am" Fe.tcn dropped his eyes at
the menace in the captains voice. On
the way his glance took in the curving
walls Of the submarine. They had be-
come semit: ansparent, and even as he
looked they vanished, leaving clear
view Of the sky and horizon with its
string Of fighting ships, pursued and
pursuing. lie was again In the air
ship. and the upright stanchions that
he had first observed as anomalies In
submarine now served their legiti-
mate purpose Of supports to the roof.
"Thc d. ..nl:." lie murmured, while his
brain swan and his sound!ngs disap
peared III a INST. They've drugged
me-"
"You belong to that battleship?'
roareI the captain, but FELTON, had
sunk to the Lcor. Incapable Of volun-
tary action. The captain blew a whis.
tie, and his crew answered.
"Back to the battleshipw thundered
the captain. Load him into the tube.
Expend that torpedo and make
ROOM"
Men sprang to the tube and turned
levers. The captain sprang to the perl
scope. Right" he said. "rll finish
her."
How an a,iship could fire torpedo
was beyond FcltCn's benumbed facul-
ties at the time. lie was struggling
weakly, trying to strike, but unable to,
pounded on the face and body by the
implacable victim Of his fists in the
former fight, hclplcssly borne along to-
ward the tube, now emptied Of water.
"Back to the battleship~ they cho-
rused. "In with him"
! Powerless to resist, he was 1ammed
head first into the tube. He heard the
door sreak into place behind him: then
he felt the impact Of cold water. Then.
family as tie voice of telephone.