Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-07-04
MacBeard looked rather angry.

=
you can have your life for the
present" he returned. ''but not rs q
permanent gift. shnll not single you
ont to bestow on you the boon Of con-
tinuing that constant adjustment to
external forces which Herbert Spencer
has named Iife.' In other words, you
can go to the devil until ain ready
to take you In hand again, OH one
condition"
Shame It you backyard" said
Donald. l.--A-.-.
II want the two missing pages Of
Masterman's manuscript"
'Take us all hack to the submarine
out Of this hell's kitchen Of yours,
then show us the way to the top Of
the island, and you shall have all the
Fest Of the papers"
MacBeard eyed Donald with amuse-
ment. II offered you your life, not the
Others" he answered. "One man re.
turning with story like Masterman's
would be called lunatic; two would
awaken doubt; three would be fatal"
And then his eyes fell upon Ida.
She was standing mt Donald's side,
as brave and defiant as he, and their
eyes met. And ut that instant some.
thing happened to the professor that
upset all his calculations, something at
which he would have scoffed as en-
tirely incredible.
He fell in love for the first time in
his life.
Science has never succeeded In pene-
trating the mystery of love. 1t is not
known why one man falls in love ut
fifty and another ut nineteen; one Mt
sight and another after five years of
matinees and supper parties with the
object Of his alteration. MacBearG did
not know why it had Happened to him.
but he knew that 1t had happened.
And with It there cnme the universal
instinct to display his superiority to
the man Mt IIa's side, in whom he
intuitively seased his rival.
"You've playen your cards pretty
badly" he sneered. "You had the Sc
cret in your hands, and you surren-
dered 1t to me. You think q little more
highly Of old NAsterlnan now, don't
your
"You blnckguard!" cried Donald
again. clenching his fists.
MacBeard stepped out OF range has
Sly. He disliked violence. partly as
IN attempted violation Of the principle
of the conservation of energy, but
principally because he was coward
ut is all our lives for the missing
part Of the manuscript, or none," said
Donald.
MncBeard rubbed his hands to.
gether. In that Internal light he
seemed hardly less monstrous than the
creatures about him.
you will think differently in a few
moments" he answered. And taking
the implement that he Ind used be-
fore, into his hands, he struck another
note.
Instantly the resilient wall closed in
about them, and, with the same slow,
steady pressure, they were urged for
ward, Clouts in the lead. The note
sounded again; they stopped. Clouts
was now Immediately in front Of the
sacrificial knife Of bone. And, very
slowly. he began to lean forward. !.
At any other time he would have
presented IN appearance distinctly lu-
dicrous. He seemed to be waddling
slowly, and with great dignity. toward
the rnzor-edged weapon. He stood
stock still, planted his legs hard in
the ooze, and began to bend forward
as II he were about to undertake some
calisthenic exercise.
Donald understood what was hap
pening. The monsters were urging
Clouts' body downward in such way
that the edge Of the bone knife would
lie Immediately against his breast.
Then, with an increased pressure,
Clouts would be forced down until the
keen bone sliced his body in twain.
He plunged his hsnd into the mound
and drew out bone. Whirling 1t
about his head, he struck out right and
left with 1t. He heard the skulls of
the monsters crack under the impact.
He Glove path to Clouts' side. He
knife lay across Clouts' breast. AS he
beat back the sen devils, Clouts
Strengthened himself with a Jerk and
looked up mournfully.
ut amt 10 use. sir" he said, md
plungfng his hand into his breast, he
drew out his mouth organ.
The relief was only momentarily
achieved. The monsters came crowd.
Ing back. They piniened Donald's
arms to his sides hy pressure. In an
other instant Ciouts would have paid
the debt he never cwe1 MacBeard.
1t was then the ruling passion as
serted itself in C1outs. Perhaps it was
because he thought his chance would
never come again, or It might have
been mere habit. Setting his hand to
his lips. he struck out the reedy notes
of "Sally In Our Alley"
Donald saw the phosphorescence run
from them along the cave like liquid
dre. He heard MacBeard's deep note.
saw the fire culver and vanish in the
darkness outside the cave. Meanwhile
Sam Clouts played on.