The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-19
(CopyTight By ". G. Chapman)

/ The news of the expected arrival OF
the F55 having become public, Donald
sent a wireless message to a patrol
ship, ordering her to intercept the yes
sci and bid it anchor off the More
where he could go aboard without pub
| licity. When he arrived early the same
morning the first person who welcomed
him from the deck was Davies.
DO you know, sir" he said, Il think
we shall checkmate that scoundrel
yet
1T isn't possible" groaned Donald
eve have pledged our faith
81 wonder if there may not be
human beings under the sea. sir, who
| rule those devils. l wonder whether
that fish-girl ClOuts has got in the
meSsrOOm may not have some power
over them Tiff we give her her head
1 wonder if we couldn't use her to out
wit MacBeard."
Absurd !" said Donald curtiy. But
let me have another look at her.
''ClOuts :" called Davies down the
engine room tube.
a minute later ClOuts appeared, hur-
riedly pOcketing his mouth organ and
wiping his lips. AYE, sirI' he said.
Captain Paget wants to see your
your friend, ClOuts."
Donald entered alone and stood
looking across the mesSrOom toward
the phantom shape at the further end.
The queen shrank back against the
wall and stared at Donald with her
mOurnful eyes. The face was waver-
fixed on his intently, and there was the
pathOs of a soul struggling for life in
them, such as we see in the eyes of
suffering beasts.
She came to him and put her arms
about him. Her face lay for one in
slant against his own. And to his
amazement, to his horror, Donald
seemed to know that Ida was nothing,
and that this woman was all.
A soft murmur came from the
queens throat. 1t rose and fell, and
rose again until it seemed to fill the en-
tire submarine with sound. 1t was the
swarming call. 1t was the call OF the
queen when she has found her mate
and leads forth her army to new land,
new conquest, new dominion.
From the east shores and from the
Baltic, from the Thames Estuary, the
channel and the Seine, the monsters
came. They knew that swarming call,
though they had only heard it once
before, and that cut short.
Sam ClOuts burst open the door.
Donald was lying upon the floor
within, and, standing beside him, was
the queen. He heard the call die on
her lips.
Shaking with terror, the sailor
dragged Donald outside and locked the
door. He carried his captain up on
deck. In few moments Donald
opened his eyes.
what happened, CIouts?' he asked.
you tainted, sir. Excuse me, sir,
but you oughtn't never to have gone in
there. She's a devil, sir, one of them
vampires like that we used to hear
about when we were children. Mrs.
Clouts-"
Donald staggered toward Davies,
who was running out of the coming
tower.
You were right, Davies" he said.
We've got him. You heard that call
Listen, Davies If I'm not mistaken
that call will bring the monsters to US.
Let's make for the deepest part of the
sea. first, so that we won't drive on Il
sand bank when the water eyaporates.
And then-where was it MacBeard
had gomez"
skiold ford. 1 was there on my
first cruise, sir. It's a deep, almost
land-locked harbOr in avid part of
the Norwegian coast. The whole herd
could disport themselves in there-and
it would be easy to block the entrance,
as MacBeard said
Never mind that, Davies. Don't
you see that this releases US from our
faith toward him? He'll be making
for Skiold ford with Miss Kennedy,
and as many of the monsters as he has
been able to gather together by means
of that tuning-fOrk sound, which re-
Sembles the call we heard about as
much as Well, never mind that.
The point is, MacBeard is not to be I'M
deceived"
Davies looked at Donald strangely.
He did not understand his sudden high
spirits; he could not yet see, alto
gether. at what his chief was driving
1.-The herd will accompany us, but
we'll keep near MacBeard and-why,
let him think that it's following him.
He mustn't see us till we're within the
harbor. Understand? And then-there
are still two torpedOes left, aren't
there? Well, then, We'll blow his craft
to pieces. andy-F
"And save Miss Kennedy somehow
first said Davies.
Already the horizon was black with
vapor on the three seaward sides. The
shore lay about two miles to port The
anchor was hoisted, and soon the F-55
was making rapid surface Roadway in
the direction of the Belgian coast.
''It's blowing UP pretty thick. SIR
said Davies, looking out through the
port at the dense clouds of murky
hydrogen that rolled under the cumu-
luS clouds.