Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-02-27
CHAPTER xVI!I-contlnued.

now" he demanded.
She did not answer him. He looked
Of the red marks left by his fingers
IN her cheek. and the sight aroused in
him fresh, demoniac passion. He
-avad He shouted ell the secrets of
biq life to her. He. the thief, the
nn+Iaw. had conquered the world
WHY should he fulfill his compact to
tesp the monsters within the bounds
of SKIOLD ford?
He had at first intended to. He had
abandoned under the sway Of his pas
sio,, for the girl, his dreams of world
conquest. With Ida's love, he had even
iodpIgpd in the idea of becoming an
ordinary man. He had meant to take
her to America and lose his identity
there in some peaceful existence.
He had recognized that it is this
same impulse which fills the world
WITH oxen for men, patient beasts who
might. with single-hearted purpose, be-
comp lords of their fate. But he had
weighed his new hopes with the past
and found them heavier.
Then the girls GOODNESS, her indif-
ference. had convinced him that win
ming love was quite different from in
venting scientific apparatus and dis
covering new laws. During the long,
silent voyage to Norway he had real
led that he could never win her. He
could embrace only a cold form whose
heart was anOther's.
And, with the awakening from his
dream, the worst in the man-if one
quality was worse than another-had
come to the top. He meant to keep
Ida and still achieve his purpose.
Donalds maneuver in bringing the
herd to Norway by the submarine
method had completely deceived Mac
Beard. He had thought all along that
the monsters had followed his motor
boat in obedience to his tuning fork.
He had not heard the call Of the
queen, because its swift vibrations
were audible as sound only for very
limited distance, in spite of their effect
upon the men of the F55.
Now he resolved to lead the herd
back to the European shores and COM
plete his work of destruction. He had
scattered the obsolete navy that was
sent out against him. He would go on
ward with no idea of mercy. He would
annihilate humanity. He would make
himself sole master of mankind.
And Ida should be his mate, but
not his equal, as he had planned. He
would vent his rage on her. He would
teach her his powers. When he was
the only other human being existent,
then perhaps she would begin to I'M
derStand. He shouted all this to her.
He overwhelmed her with sarcasm and
rhetoric.
Ida, however, missed the keenness
Of the points he made. She saw only
mailman, foaming at the mouth, and
she took pride in her sacrifice. She
looked back toward Donald. She saw
him between the two other figures
upon the shore, very little, and very
far away.
NacBeard saw the look and under
stood. He raised his hand again to
strike her, but he refrained. Instead,
ne reached into the cabin of the mo-
torboat and took his tuning forks
Hom under the seat. And by that act
OF treachery he wrote the last page
Of his history.
lie SIung them about his neck, and,
Nhlng the rod, he sounded the G note
10 call the swarm together.
lie note rang true across the wa
VrS' Exhausted by their efforts. the
monsters were incapable any longer of
~ndenSing the hydrogen, but the i'm
7uiSe TO reply remained. From every
part Of the inland sea they swarmed
toward him.
Inc sea rose into a choppy surge.
Inc motorbOat, riding the waves like
CORK heaved and pitched. Ida saw
@acbeard, hts eyes alight with tri-
unph' his face blazing with hatred.
~" above her, and now below, as he
Cd, IN the pitching stern.
Dul the death of the queen had been
Ne ueath-cau of the swarm; instinc-
%,ely they were aware of it, and the
1s" purpose that had animated the
ns,u was gone. Anarchy had replaced
S,, 4e. The swarm had become mere
pose.
ua'chy possessed them, and 1t was
s,.OuS as everywhere. So it is in the
, So'T' When it obtains power. So in
s human body, when the cells rebel
s-u organized life flares out. The
rnSIm came on, a mere discordant
a. %aCBeard, seated in the stern, felt
5as sharp pricks upon the hand that
b.as s'eu toward the water. He drew it
so. ea hurriedly. He imagined that
sn- insect had stung him. Then a
Trper lashed him across the face.
more seized him about the body.
r. ~ instant later, and he was out of
~ NJ boat which, released from his
,,s 1sa' and from the sea devils, righted
, W. again. Then he began the strug-
fso,. lvr life which he had always
s = The nightmare that had brood
- VfeF MIS- Sraor,e Ia - - -, =,