The midland journal., 1917-12-14

| the Key-COne OF Lnolr language.
Unfortunately for MacBeard, he had
been unable to learn much more than
this. The last page of the manuscript,
as well as the first, was missing. Mac
Beard was sure that Donald had kept
possession of them.
Had he possessed them, he would
have learned that the power of utter
ing these calls rested with the queen
of the swarm alone, a human organ
ism, the type of the race toward which
the monsters tended, differentiating
from them as the queen bee differs
from the worker or the drone.
He had discovered that the search
for food was the one purpose of the
creatures existence. 1t had assumed
a religious aspect. Their god, their
altar stone, the sacrificial rite were
all the souls instructive cropping up
ward, based upon the dominating ami
NAL impulse.
The tune that Clouts had played,
with it's discords, had been the deep
sea equivalent of an artillery salvo.
The terrified monsters had dispersed
in all directions, letting down the cur
tain of condensed hydrogen. Fortu-
nately for the professor, the main per-
ton of the herd had kept together, and
this afforded him medium in which
he could, with difficulty, breathe. But
their rapid movement kept the hydro
gen stirred up. and he was nearly as
plyxiated before he reached his refuge
within the cave. He did not like In
haling carbonated jelly.
Seeing Donald and Davies upon the
island, he had attempted to open nego-
tiatlons with them. Repulsed, he fed
in terror, and on rounding the point
saw Ida alone at the caves mouth. At
once his scheme was born in his mind.
Pushing ashore, he entered the cave
by the narrow way toward the rear.
He came upon Ida suddenly, and
grasping her in his arms, he placed
one hand over her mouth, preventing
her from crying for aid. Then, drag
ging her to the top of the precipice, he
sounded the assembly call.
Instantly the water beneath began
to dissolve. Thick clouds of steaming
hydrogen rolled up to the caves roof.
Soon there was natural passage,
three hundred feet deep, from the in
terror of the cave to the crater below.
He carried Ida down the descent.
The girl who had contrived to drop
>her handkerchief, was no match for
the professor. She screamed once or
+xxrsoo h,,+ %I,o oohooe, of tho oovorp q h.
sorbed the sound of her voice. And so
she found herself again within the sub
marine temple.
MacBeard released her and stood in
front of her. devouring her with his
gaze. He could not understand whence
this novel emotion in his heart derived
it's power; and, now that she was his
captive, he did not know what to do.
Geometry, physics, mathematics and
Il the calculus all failed to help solve his
} problem.
Overcome by the presence of the
woman he loved, the professor STAN
mered like youth with his first sweet
heart.
"Why have you brought me here?'
, asked Ida.
Because-because I-er-I love
you," answered MacBeard.
, Ida burst into ifonical laughter. The
situation was so impossible that there
; was room for no emotion but amuse.
, ment. And in that laugh the professor
! felt thousand arrows of jealousy
| rend him.
"Listen to met" he exclaimed pas
sionately. ''You don't know who am
or what am trying to do. am going
to obliterate the earth. as it is known
{ to you. I command the Man of the
J Future. The Man who is to come. The
new race of the sea, which is to sweeT
away the puny monkey-man. And
) want you to share my power with me-
) Ida laughed Historically. She could
| not help herself. MacBeard glared al
: her. He did not know what to do
'You shall see!" he cried, beside
himself with anger. "You don't be
lieve what tell you? I'll prove it."
"It doesn't make any difference, pro
fessor. am not blackboard" an
swered Ida. "Will you kindly take me
!, back TO the place you Drought mt
: fromT'
r "No!" shouted MacBeard. "You'l
: stay here until you learn to love me
: Why can't you love me?" e
/ Ida's look was touched With pity
. She did not answer him.
MacBeard sounded his tuning fork
4 and Immediately the monsters gath
: cred about them. The hydrogen haz'
e rolled higher, disclosing the entire in
5 terror of the cave, and the idol. Mac
Beard sounded another fork, and thu
4 creatures began edging Ida toward th'
f recesses of the cave.
f "If I sound the sacriflcial note yol
die" snorted MacBeard.
!, Ida, perfectly passive, waited. Th'
0 monsters guarded the entrance. Sh'
e twas alone. Outside MacBeard pace'
,.~ ord DOWN honaafb fha COO In frrv