Middletown transcript., 1918-02-23
". g. Chapnaa>

The news Of the expected arrival o
the F55 having become public, Donal'
sent wireless message to q patrO
ship, ordering her to intercept the yes
sci and bid it anchor off the More
where he could 60 aboard without pub
licfty. When he arrived early the sam'
morning the first person who welcomed
him from the deck was Davies.
do you know, sir" he said. II thinl
we shall checkmate that scoundrel
yet"
ut isn't possible" groaned Donald
1--WE have pledged our faith"
II wonder If there may not b.
human beings under the sea, sir. who
rule those devils. I wonder whether
that fish-girl ClOuts has got in thu
messroom may not have some power
over them if-if we give her her head
I wonder IL we couldn't use her to out
wit MacBeard."
absurd !" said Donald CURLY. "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, sir! !" 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-
ing, half-visible; but the eyes were
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. It rose and fell, and
rose. again until it seemed to fill the en-
tire submarine with sound. It was the
swarlning 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 a few moments Donald
opened his eyes.
what happened, Clouts?' 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.
y0Sv iy,N hnn n t%nk
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 q
sand bank when the water evaporates.
And then-where was it MacBeard
had gomez"
"Skjold ford. I was there on my
first cruise, sir. It's a deep, almost
land-locked harbor in a wild 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
Tor Skiold ford with Miss Kennedy,
and as many Of the monsters as he has |
been able to gather together by means |
Of that tuning-f0rk sound, which re-
sembles the call we heard about as |
much as Well, never mind that.
The point is, MacBeard is not to be un-
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, hut |
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, and"
"And save Miss Kennedy somehow
irst," said Davies.
Already the horizon was black with
vapor on the three seward sides. The
shore lay about two miles to port. The
anchor was hoisted. and soon the F-55
vas making rapid surface Roadway in
he direction Of the Belgian coast.
TITS blowing up pretty thick, SIR"
aid Davies, looking out trough the
,0rt at the dense cloL of murky
hydrogen that rolled under the cumu-
us clouds.
"Davies" cried Donald. |,
]
hem to his eyes. Look, Daviesl" he
ried. |,
In the distance. q tiny point amid
he rolling clouds, they saw the motor
Oat. Ii