Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-22

Jump, VIII your yelleo tne captaln,
gesticulating earnestly. "Pm In COM
mand. I must be last to 90. Over
with you! Over with you all"
They were crowding to the rail,
where one after another the rest Of the
crew took the leap. With no fur
ther thought about the matter, FELTON,
reached the rail and, without looking
down, drew a deep breath and leaped,
a victim of suggestion.
Three hundred feet Is a long jump.
He turned over twice In that terrible
descent, and once, looking upward, he
saw the sprawllng form Of the captain
and above it the quiescent airship.
With consciousness nearly gone he
struck the water feet hrst and was
almost split in two by the impact, but
the cold shock brought back bis Laps
ing senses, and he found himself fee
bly, swimming, in which direction he
could not tell, for 1t was pitch dark.
Suddenly a light appeared. 1t was not
q dim glow like diffused sunlight, but
a spark, a point Of yellow, that grew
larger and became a disk. 1t was ap-
preaching, and now another appeared
beside it, fainter and crescent shaped.
On the other side appeared third.
and, dazed with physical agony that
reached from lungs to brain, he rec
ognized the dead lights Of q subma-
rine's coming tower. He looked for
the hull beneath and saw 1t, dark
blur that was growing In size.
It came swiftly at him, and just as
he was reaching out to ward himself
from the pointed nose there was a
coughing thud, and something brush
ed by him in blast Of bubbles and
went on. Then, with many sharp
knocks on head, ribs and knuckles, he
was sucked with the inrush Of water
squarely into the open tube that had
Just discharged its torpedo. he heard
clang behind him, the shutting Of the
forward tube door, then whistling
sound.
The pressure had nearly burst bis
ear drums before the tube was emp
tied Of water, and the inner door was
opened. With a gasping call for help
he crawled and hitched along the tube.
and men reached in to him. They
pulled him out into the lighted han
ding room, where, too weak to stand.
he fell to the floor, breathing in deep.
convulsive gasps.
A man brought a bottle, lifted his
bead and poured a generous portion
Of some stimulant down his throat.
FELTON, had just strength to swallow,
and it warmed and aroused him. He
sat up and, being a torpedo expert,
had little difficulty in assimilating his
first impressions.
The craft resembled the convention
al submarine that he knew. But there
was this difference that he noted when
able to turn his head: The boat was
stiffened with upright stanchions Of
about the size and length Of the stan
chions in the airship and placed In
about the same position along the
sides. Another similarity struck him
at his first glance around, and he won
dered why he had not remarked 1t IN
the airship-the air TASKS, trimming
tanks and spare torpedoes arranged
along the sides occupied the same rel
ative positions as did the steel cylin-
ders in the other, while the steering
gear Of both was amidships and the
motive power aft.
"What have you caught this time,
Bin7' called a voice from the wheel,
strangely familiar voice.
Dunno" answered the man with
the flask. "It's a sheep, I think, or
maybe a dog, but it looks something
like horse. Have another drink and
tell US what you are"
FELTON, did not refuse second draft
It brought him to his feet.
"Tm a man." he answered, with spir-
it Are you guying me in this ex-
igency7 I'm near dead"
"He says he's man, SIR" called the
man.
"All right. Send him aft"
FELTON, was pushed rather than led
to the man amidships.
"How do you do?" he said kindly.
$50 you thought you'd visit US. We
catch all our fish this way"
my God, captain" answered Eel
ton, I'm not visiting! I jumped out
Of an airship and was sucked into
your tube. I'm glad I'm alive"
And then-was the liquor affecting
his braini-the captains face, line for