Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-03-02
CHAPTER Xvll-continued.

CHAPTER HvII-Contlnueo.
-17-
"There's no hurry now" answered
Donald.
Suddenly Davies voice came up in
agitated tones. "Donald!" he cried.
1T looks as If the monsters are fol-
lowing MacBeard after all! Don't you
see, they are with him, not us?"
'"They wouldn't keep us in the center
necessarily" said Donald. Yesterday
we nearly lost them"
"But then-do you suppose they are
leading us somewhere"
II don't know" Donald answered.
"Full speed!"
Donald. hazarding rocks, drove the
F55 hard between the mighty walls of
granite. In front of him he saw an
open body Of water, ringed with far
away hills. He was in Skiold ford.
But not q vestige of the monsters was
to be seen.
Once through that gateway he dashed
the wheel and went on deck. The
quarry had disappeared. A glance as
sured him of that. The limpid water
of the ford lay motionless before him.
Behind him the passage seemed to have
closed.
He rushed back into the coming
tower.
"Shut down." he yelled to Davies.
'Tell Clouts to let the anchor go. Mac
Beard has beaten us"
Davies, released from duty. rushed
up, to find his chief standing at the en-
trance to the coming tower, q prey to
abject despair.
Its finished, Davies" he said wear
lily. "We're beaten. There's missing
factor iH-that-damned equation of
yours"
And he toppled over into Davies
arms, insensible from want of sleep.
The tension Of his nerves was broken.
Davies and Clouts carried him to his
cabin and laid him down. They re-
turned to the reck, almost equally de-
spairing.
1.-THE herd has left us. Clouts," said
the MILDLY. II don't know-I can't I'M
derstand it. Clouts," he continued.
with a sudden inspiration, do you
think that you could induce the queen
to sound that call again?"
"What, me, sir?" inquired Clouts,
starting back. "Why-she's not q
woman, sir, she's a devil incarnate
Che won't eat, sir" His voice fell to
q husky whisper. "And she won't
wear the captains blankets, sir"
"Perhaps she doesn't like them
ClOuts. However-what are we to
DOR
II say. make for home, sir" said
Couts. II never took no stock in the
whole thing, Mr.. Davies"
'What are you talking about
Clouts?"
"Why, sir, I never believed in it from
the first, and believe in it still less
now. It's all dream. sir. There
never was no monsters"
"But you've seen them. Clouts
You've been under the sea with them y
"Ab, 1 know, sir, that's what VIC
both think" answered ClOuts with
wise smile "Bnt it's Just dream. sir
I expect that German cruiser torpe
doed us, instead of us torpedoing her
or maybe she sank us with her guns
and we're going to wake up in a Ger
man hospital in Hamburg in moment
You haven't pinched yourself, sir?
Davies was shaken. He looked a
Uouts, blandly smiling at him, open
mouthed. He almost believed his the
DRY. Clouts, unequal to the strail
upon his limited mentality, had adopt
ed q solution which seemed, under tn
circumstances, feasible.
Il think we'd better pinch eacl
other, SIR" said Clouts. Mrs. Clout
always used to say. when in doubt
But, breaking of at this juncture
he pulled his mouth organ from hi
pocket and blew the most discordan
medley Of dissonants that ever issues
from the apertyres of that much
abused instrument.
To their amazement, the water wa
lnstantaneously churned into foam al
round them. The F55 tossed like
cork upon the waves. A fleeing mis-
hogan to rise from the surface Of tn
ford.
"Hatches on! gasped Davies, an
thew ran to save the F55 from sui
mersion.
Hardly had they succeeded in thi
and reached the coming tower whe
Donald appeared at the head of tn
ladder below. His eyes were clea
aeafn: It seemed as If his half-hour G
sleep had recreated him.
"What's happened, Davles?" b
asked.
"The monsters! They're all abor
us!" cried the MILDLY.
~well. of course" said Donal'
sYou don't suppose came here on
wild-goose chase. do you?"
"But you said we were beaten, 81
and"
"Nonsense said Donald angril
.srhev've been with us oil the tim
You don't expect that they can kee
on condensing hydrogen forever witt
ont taking a rest, do you? Muscult
fatigue, Davies. Hello!"
He pointed through the Observable
mort, and, about a mile to port OF ther
they saw the motorboat, bobbing upe
the agitated waves.
"We've got him, Davies" said Do
o,A 1T knew it. I knew it all in n
slooo-the solution and-and-it's
ing to be all right"
INV we're amazed at his resolutio
He uttered his orders in firm voic'
he seemed now absolutely sure OF n
success. Through the port tn
watched me motorboat tossing towal