The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
CHAPTER IiI-(continued.)


face. strike the glass wall opposite.
and continue at q right angle, turning
again and again as the creature con-
tinued on its steady course. The SEN
satfon was uncanny. Captain Mas
terman's words came back to Donald:
give brought my specimen home" He
was aware of an impulse to bolt. In
stead of which. however, he concen-
trated all his attention on the tank
The movements in the water sub
sided. Donald had the impression that
the invisible creature had stopped ana
was regarding him. He saw gentle
swirl as if body stood upright with
In the tank. Then n sound from the
second tank drew him toward it.
It was musical ringing, exactly
like that produced by drawing the
finger tip around the top of bowl of
water-a long-drawn sound, sweet and
clear. Donald looked into this tank,
which was open at the top and not
connected with the apparatus. But he
could see nothing there, either
He turned back to the first tank,
and all at once he perceived two black
specks. close together, halfway be-
tween the top of the water and the
glass roof Each was about the size
of small currant. Donald went
nearer He saw them move. Then he
started backward, overcome with hOr-
ror.
The black specks were the pupils of
pair of eyes fixed on his and fol-
lowing them
Like all sailors, Donald Paget was
not free from superstition. Any known
danger he could have faced bravely,
but this unknown thing was terribly
ing. He felt his knees give under him.
His impulse was to fly.
He turned, and at that moment
something descended upon his head
and struck him, half conscious, to the
floor
Dimly, through the gathering mists.
he made out the form of q middle
aged bearded man. He saw the red
face, the shrewd gray eyes that looked
into his. and recognized MacBeard.
Beside him lay the sandbag with
which the man had felled him.
Unable to move, Donald felt Mac
Beard rifling his pockets one by one,
until he came upon the envelope con-
tanning Masterman's communication.
MacBeard drew it forth with d grunt
and stood up under the gas to exam
fne It
A brief survey satisfied him that he
had found what he was seeking He
grunted again and looked down at
Donald. Apparently satisfied with his
work, he turned toward the water
tanks. He must have heard the
Splashing of the monster as it re-
sumed its journeyings, for he started
an instant. and then, as if curious,
ne drew nearer to the first of the
tanks with the air-pipe attachment.
He stood quite still, looking at the
thing in the water. Donald wondered
whether he had discovered it, and
whether he had perceived the eyes.
He knew in q moment, for with a
yell AIacBeaFd started backward. He
stumbled against one of the palms
and sent it crashing to the floor.
MacBeard, who had fallen with it,
picked himself up and ran in terror.
Donald heard his footsteps pattering
along the flags outside. He heard the
slam of the creaking gate. He knew
that the professor, having obtained
the document. was not likely to re-
turn. And he could not blame him for
his NERVOUSNESS, IOE lie ndu dluOSt
done the same thing himself.
Donald staggered to his feet,
clutched at the wall to steady himself,
and remained thus, while the swim
ming room gradually grew still. The
light from the gas-jet fell upon the
water tanks. And, looking at the far
Their tank, Donald had Il queer illu-
sion.
He thought he saw the very misty
outlines of the body of a beautiful
woman, the merest shadowy shape
which swan before his eyes and was
gone, and reappeared, yelled in a sort
of prismatic blend Of cOIOring
But before he had time to convince
himself that it was or was not the
result Of his injury. to his horror he
: perceived very clearly a cloudy form
beginning to take shape within the
nearer tank.
The outlines grew clearer momen.
tarily. He saw what seemed to be
the body of hairless monkey, sup
porting itself upon webbed feet, OF
flappers. Budding out from the sides
were two similar arms the webbed
hands pressing against the sides OF
the tank.
The outlines were at first so vague
as to be almost imperceptible Their
the crystalline body became opales
cent and milky, resembling the white
OF an egg 1t hardened and, as II
hardened swelled. Donald saw the
chest heave. the gaplike mouth con
torted.
And suddenly he realized that this
grotesque. pitiful thing was suffering
He saw Immediately that the pro
fessor's fall had disarranged thS
tubes that led from the tank That
and the removal of the glass lid. which
EIacBeards tumble had knocked tt
the floor, had reduced the air pressure
to normal. The creature was suffer
ing because there were only Is pound:
OF air upon each square inch of its
surface. 1t suffered just as a human
being suffers on a high mountain.
1t squirmed and writhed, and tn,
water was churned up by its flappers
The gill openings beneath the ear.
tapped convulsively. Donald could
do nothing. He knew that it wa.