The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-02-28
CHAPTER xVIl-continued.

lowing MacBenrd after all Don't you
see. they are with him, not usT"
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"
~ don't know" Donald answered.
Full speedw
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 vestlge Of the monsters was
20 be seen.
Once through that gateway he lashed
the wheel and went on deck. The
quarry had disappeared. A glance as
sured him OF that. The limpld water
Of the ford lay motloness 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 u.s."
Davies, released from duty, rushed
up, to find his chief standing at the en-
trance to the coming tower, prey to
abject despair.
"It's finished, Davies" he said wear
lily. "We're beaten. There's missing
fnctor in-that-damned equation Of
yours"
And he toppled over into Davies
arms, lnsenslble 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-
epairing.
"The herd has left us, Clouts," said
the MILDLY. ~ don't know-I can't un-
derstand 1t. 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 a
woman, sir, she's n devil incarnate !
She 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
do7"
~ say, make for home, sir" said
Clouts. II never took no stock In the
whole thing, Mr.. Davies"
"what are you talking about,
Clouts?"
"Why, sir, / never believed in 1t from
the first, and believe In 1t 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
"Ah, | know, sir, that's what we
both think" answered Clouts with a
wise smile. "But it's Just dream sir.
I expect that German cruiser torpe-
hoed 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, sirr
Davies was shaken. He looked at
Ctouts, blandly smiling at him, open
nouthed. He almost believed his the
ory. Clouts. unequal to the strain
upon his limited mentality, had adopt
ed q solution which seemed, under the
circumstances, feasible.
'T think we'd better pinch each
other, sir" said Clouts. Mrs. Clouts
always used to say, when in doubt
But, breaking off at this juncture
he pulled his mouth organ from his
pocket and blew the most discordant
medley of dlssonants that ever issued
from the apertures 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 fleetlng mis-
began to rise from the surface OF thu
fjord.
"Hatches on" gasped Davies, an'
they ran to save the F55 from sub
merslon.
Hardly had they succeeded In thl
and reached the coming tower whei
Donald appeared at the head Of tn
tadder below. His eyes were clea
again; 1t seemed as II his half-hour o
sleep Ind recreated him.
"What's happened, Dayies" h
asked.
"The monsters! They're all abou
usn cried the MILDLY.
swell, of course" said Donalt
"You don't suppose I came here on
wild-goose chase, do your
"But you said we were beaten, sil
and"
Nonsense said Donald angril!
"Theyve been with us all the tim,
You don't expect that they can kee
on condenslng hydrogen forever will
out taking rest, do your Muscula
fatigue, Davies. Hellop
He pointed through the Observable
port, and, about mile to port of then
they saw the motorboat, bobbing upo
the agltated waves.
"We've got him, Davies" said Dol
aid. ~ knew 1t. knew it all in m
sleep--the solution and-and-it's g
ing 70 be all right"
They were amazed et his resolution
He uttered his orders in firm voice
lie seemed now absolutely sure of h
success. Through the port the
watched he motorboat tossing towar
them over the waves. They cou
make out MacBeard's figure beside Il
.raroe Tdo v,aq dnuhtIncc within ~