Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-05-16

perceived very clsariy cloudy form
beginning to take shape within ths
nearer tank.
The outlines grew clearer momen.
farily. He saw what seemed to b
the body Of hairless monkey, sup.
porting itself upon webbed feet, Of
fiappers. Budding out from the sides
were two similar arms, the webbed
hands pressing against the sides Of
the tank.
The outlines were at first 70 vague
as to be almost imperceptible; then
the crystalline body became sopales.
cent and milky. resembling the white
Of an egg. It hardened and. 70 II
hardened. swelled. Donald saw the
chest heave, the gaplike mouth con-
torted.
And suddenly he realized that this
grotesque, pitiful thing was sufferings
He saw Immediately that the pro-
fessor's fall had disarranged the
tubes TINT led from the tank. That,
and the removal Of the glass lid, which
MacBeard's tumble had knocked to
the floor, had reduced the air pressure
to nOrrnnl. The creature WINS suffer-
ing because there were only 18 pounds
! Of mir upon each square INCH of its
surface. 1t suffered just as human
being suffers on high mountnin.
| It squirmed and writhed. and the
water was churned mp by lts tlappe.s.
The gill openings beneath the ears
| tapped convulsively. Donald could
] n ~r,nA
!; growing visible because It WINS dying.
as happens with the crystalline crabs
| and other invisible denizens Of the
deep sea. Soon the force Of the In
ternal pressure would disrupt 1t.
He turned off the gas and staggered
out through the kitchen into the little
garden. He knew now that Master
mans story had some germ of truth:
he had discovered some species ct
deep-water-senl. and his mind, strained
by his privations. had imagined the
rest. Why, he himself had almost
imagined he had seen woman In the
second tank!
He reached the, gate, opened 1t.
slammed 1t, and ran down the road.
He did not cease running till he pulled
himself up under street light. He
= realized then that he wns hatless:
people were staring after him.
And, looking back, he imagined that
he saw the shadowy outlines Of the
], girls body beneath the light Of the
lamp.
''Tm going crazy!" he muttered.
Its been crazy night. / wonder
I wonder how much Of 1t happened
and how much was the result Of the
blOw!"
And he half believed :sacBeurd had
never existed, and that burglar had
assaulted him.
But, as he thrust his hands into
the pockets of his trousers, he pulled
out the single page Of Masterman's
manuscript, and then he knew that
there was ut least some basis for the
remembrances that surged through his
busy brain.
Under the light Of the next lamp
he read the page.
my dear friend Donald" 1t began.
Then followed the lines which Paget
had begun In the Inventors club, but
never finished. There was the warm
ing against MacBeard, 1.-THE enemy Of
, the human race" Then Nasterman
had written:
So much I have learned. but know lit
, tie. He has the shrewdest brain of the
, century. and 1t Is capable of infinite evil.
Not as tale-bearer. Donald. but out Of
duty to humanity, here set down what
|, have discovered about him. II he knew
that his past was revealed, my life would
be worth less than even the two months
which my doctor gives me.
He has been tracking me, spying on me.
!. learned only today that he has fast
!. motorboat in readiness of the coast to
make the journey to the Shetlands as
soon as he has discovered all that know.
You must thwart him. and under no cir
cumstances let him get hold OF this man.
uscript. His history is as follows:
Donald scanned the rest of the page
hastily. MncBeard's past, though It
seemed shady and criminal, had little
interest for Donald then. He resolved
to put Masterman out of his mind in
attention to his duties.
] OF one thing only he was sure: he
was not going back to the house to
] see whether there were any more
] specimens.
Somehow-he never quite remem-
hercd how-Donald found hotel. exc
planned his appearance to the landlord,
obtained fresh clothing, sent for his
valise. drank three hot whisky toddies,
ind got to bed.