The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-01-10
CHAPTER I.

The Mad Sea-Captaln.

Lieutenant Donald faget, eHeTSinb
from the navy office in Washington In
a state of high exuberance at having
received command of submarine, col
hded violently with tall, elderly man
Of singular aspect.
The stranger was dressed In quasi
nautical costume of his own devlsing'
resembling nothing known to any navy
In the world. His iron-gray beard
swept down to his waist, giving him
the aspect of a twentieth-century
Noah; and Just then he was very angry
indeed, for, standing stock-still at the
entrance Of the building, he shook MS
enormous fist at one of the porters,
whose black and highly shocked ex-
preston indicated his unhappy frame
of mind at this breach Of decorum.
"Confound you. sirw exclaimed the
lieutenant angrily as he recoiled from
his impact upon the sturdy figure on
which the collision had made no more
impression than II he had fallen
against the Washington monument.
"why don't you look"
Then, catching sight Of the long
beard-"why, Captain Masterman
ne exclaimed.
'Donald Paget!" cried the elderly
man, grasping him by the hand. "Ex-
cuse my being upset, but these jacks
in-office will be the death of the repub-
lie one Of these days. I have just
been trying to see the secretary on
matter affecting not only America-in
which case his indifference would not
surprise me-but the entire human
race. What do you suppose they told
meT
81 am inclined to think that you got
no further than the porter, captain"
replied the lieutenant.
"Right, sir!" exclaimed Masterman,
beginning to grow ongry again. AND
II were not q man Of superhuman
patience, combined with inexhaustible
tact, singular clarity of mind. and te-
uac,ty Of purpose-in fact, IN obsti-
nate old mule-I should let the human
race 60 hang"
Lieutenant Paget took the irate old
man by the arm. II wouldn't do that,
captain" he said, smiling. "Come and
tell me all about 1t, and let us see
whether we cannot devise some means
of saving the race. You see, now that
the navy department is so busy on ac-
count of the war, perhaps little leni-
ency with Its shortcomings might be
In order, eh?"
"The war3 What war2" demanded
Masterman.
"Why, our few words with the Ger
mans, Masterman."
"What's that? War with the Ger
mans? You don't mean to tell me we
are at war with Germany"
do you mean to say you don't
know that America and Germany are
at war7" demanded Paget incredu-
. lously.
"No, sir! And. what's more, II
doesn't interest me. How the deuce
should know all the gossip and frivol'
tiles Of the day when only returned
TO the capital yesterday"
"But. my dear captain-gossip and
frivolitiesi" exclaimed the lieutenant
"Surely you have seen newspapers, OF
heard people talking about it?"
~ tell you I haven't seen or heard
anything! I've got more important
things to think about. Anyhow. 1t will
have to be stopped ut once" said Mas
terman, half turning. "I'll have to &c
back and see the secretary immedi
ately."
However, he suffered his companion
to lead him out Of the building and
along the street. while the lieutenant
firmly convinced that his old friend
was mad, held him by the arm tightly
and listened to the captains disjointet
mutterings IT, the hope Of discovering
the nature Of his delusion.
Donald Paget had known Captain
Jonathan Masterman when he was o.
Annapolis. where the old man, who
had once been a quartermaster In the
navy, held subsidiary position on thu
Instructors staff. The acquaintance
had continued intermittently. Master
man had risen In life until he obtained
the command Of a ship fitted out. part
ly by private subscription, partly witt
the aid of q government subsidy, fo
the purpose Of deep-sea exploration.
In this and subsequent expedition
he had made a name for himself b.
the remarkable nature Of his discov
cries. He had discovered the prolon
CATION of the submarine spur of tn
continental shelf, extending from tn,
Norwegian coast toward the Faroes
he had invented an improved net TO
scooping up the larger denizens OF III
ocean depths: and then he had nulli
fed all the personal appreciation ant
fame which he had acquired durin
his various voyages by asserting tina
0aunalian hfs existed on the se