The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-01-10
CHAPTER ix.-continued.

thin. unstable jelly. AS they made
their way along the bottom OF the sea,
the fieshy lily arms reached out
toward them like ehildren's pluckins
fingers. At last the bed OF crinoids
ended. They trod on frmer ground.
Their pace became accelerated.
He had lost all sense of time. He
did NOT know whether he had Jour
neyeu one hour OF three. II halted
because there seemed nothing 10 do.
Then ne began to lead tbs way back
between the two crinoid beds. with the
Intention OF reaching the clear ground
near tine entrance to the '
1There, there might be a chance of
picking up Davies and Clouts; or. at
least. it might be possible from there
to return TO the submarine with Ida
10 replenish their oxygen reservoirs.
These still seemed ample. but IT was
impossible TO determine how much
oxygen remniued.
They threaded the mazes Of the
winding path between the beds. while
from either side tho fieshy arms
stretched out to graphic them. The
t0uch of them was like fiery velvet.
The suction of the branches made
them cling. and Donald had TO exercise
all his might to break away. Some
times their ankles became ~entangled
and they would stumble. Always the
arms hal formed n network above
their heads before they could regain
their feet. and these had "a be broken.
Under their feet the coze was white
with the skeletons of small fish which
the lilies had rejected after deyouring
the substance that covered them.
At length the crinoid beds ended
abruptly. They rested on the bottom,
seating themselves side by side. Dom
aid felt confident that he could find the
Submarine. But the delay "a sweet.
because the disappoip' ment in store
for them might prove unbearable.
Death or a little life would be the ali
tentative. and the difference was hard.
~ p~erceptible,
Donald raised Ida's hand to his glass
mask and pressed the fingers against
II.
She let her hand fall caressingly
upon his shoulders. She rose TO her
feet. and he followed her. They looked
into each others eyes, and. though
xhey could read nothing there. some
ucssage Of hope seemed to pass.
They plunged together late he sea
Of jelly again 1t chung to them, as
&c II, too, sought 10 suck .sem down.
The light of the electric lamps was
rowing obscure. They wandered blind
w struggling ia a medium. shst was
almost impermeable.
Donald hegnn to realize that the ac-
tion OF the caustic alkaIl within the
metallic chamber was becoming q
hausted. He was beginning to choke.
his renr1 carnr- I'm 1vsi ss:..s and he
g-ipeds In the thickoning atmosphere.
Their steps grey7 slower. Ida could
hardly raise har feet. Once she Stun
bled and foll. picked herself up. and
ztnrfed beside Donald again: then she
sank down exhausted. she could not
go farther.
Death. HORRIBLE IN form. awaited
s5aem. Ik wns becoming imminent.
Donald was growing delicious. and In
szrey ha wan strolling with Ida
through meadows piucking lowers,
Taey were to be married on the NOR
rsw. and ne was going TO set leave Of
zsss>e> - kaka her away. where
sAez.1e tAey Rend their honsynloonl
On ne cuask Of the Shetianda why,
ne had been there once, long before
Al the while he was aware that he
was lying On the bed Of the sea- but
his ~perscnAlity seemed divided. and
whgle enc part q him walked In those
E7ysian nelds beside his sweetheart,
the other suffered and choked and
pleaded impotently with Z blind fate
for aid-not for his HAS sake but
for Ida's.
1he GIRLS hand was u~nreeponsive n
his own. Perhaps shs ~ dead al
ready. Donald chafed Il. but wal
hardly able to distinguish II In that
5ollyIike environment. which wal
thfckening perceptIbly now.
The fingers were limp and cold
They were both numbed from the er-
posure-and Ida was dead. He would
follow her. then.
Slowly and with deliberation he I'M
fastened the copper cylinder from
about hfs body. At once the little
~allcfrfc light went out. II had grown
20 dim that only then did Donald ~
msmber that e had been burning.
He unbuckicd the headpiece and