Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-01-16
CHAPTER x.-continued.

" something like sun-dial, made OF
'a ,orro hone whetted to razor fneness,
"a somewhat resembling a grind
stone.
II, obont the size of a large table,
~. .od If tapered in thickness from that
90 sharp razor, at the curving edge,
=. that of a jackknife blade at the
hose It was perhaps two feet in di-
ameter.
noDaId, seeing the expression upon the
sailors face.
nnon't YOU know what that Is, sir?"
,oIunteered Clouts huskily. "It's a
,ocrifcial stone, sir. 1 saw one of
,bam in the museum at Acatalpec, in
british Honduras, once, sir. They said
tho Mayas used them, and that they
learned about them from the priests
that had them in Atlantis, the CONT
npnt what sunk beneath the waves,
sir"
GDo Won see how it works, Donald 2"
asked Davies. ''These beasts can't
lift things. Of course they can't lift
mdpr the pressure of miles of sea, and
"a thew have no lifting muscles. And
so they push instead. They push their
victims down upon the stone"
That was as far as he had explained
when Donald touched the edge Of the
blade with his thumbnail. The flexible
bone twanged, sending forth sound
Of immense volume. Travelling four
tines as fast through the water vapor
as through the air, it seemed to re-
vertebrate under the cloudy roof for an
unreasonable time, sending forth reso-
uant echoes. 1t was totally unlike the
sound that they had heard before, and
yet equally clear and beautiful.
The response was astonishing. In
simultaneously, as it seemed, the inte-
rOr Of the temple was filled with the
devil men. Donald had just time 70
catch Ida to him when they were
pushed backward behind the mound,
and ringed with phosphorescent fire.
The atmosphere seemed to have be-
come filed with tense and resilient
rubber.
The hall was crammed with the glob-
ular shapes of the monsters, that Gid
ed over the well-trodden ooze. And
from the midst of them MacBeard
stepped out. He touched the thing he
wore about his neck, and musical
tnkle, which followed, produced an in
slant cessation of all movement. The
ring of fire had slightly widened; the
prisoners were able to move within
q limited space.
I'VE know each other, I think" said
MacBeard, with suave irony.
what do you propose?" inquired
Donald.
II don't quite know" answered the
professor thOughtfully. "You see, /
never took you into consideration at
all. You are, so to say, the fly on the
wheel. As a part of the human race,
you should meet the fate in store for
the race"
You make me SICK" said Donald.
MacBeard looked rather angry.
You can have your life for the
present" he returned, "but not as a
permanent gift. 1 shall not single you
out to bestOw on you the boon of con-
anulng that constant adjustment to
external forces which Herbert Spencer
mas named life In other words, you
can go to the devil until I am ready
10 take you In hand again, on one
condition"
Name It, you BLACKBOARD" said
Donald.
l want the two missing pages Of
aaSterman's manuscript"
lake US all back to the submarine
UuF OF this hell's kitchen of yours,
men show US the way to the top Of
Ie island, and you shall have all the
FsSt OF the papers,"
MacBeard eyed Donald with amuse-
Ien'' ! offered you your life, not the
VtherS,' he answered. "One man re-
'u'nlng with a story like Masterman's
would be called a lunatic; two would
awaken doubt; three would be fatal"
ana then his eyes fell upon Ida.
Sne was standing at Donald's side,
. brave end defiant as he, and their
~. SeS met And at that instant some
~lng happened to the professor that
.pset all his calculations, something at
s snieh ne would have scoffed as en-
ufely incredible.
l., ne Tell In love for the first time in
Ncehce has never succeeded in pene-
ISaung the mystery of love. 1t is not
A.. 0"h why one man falls in love at
x T and another at nineteen; one at
n su' ana another after five years of
oh auleeS and supper parties with the
~. 49, OI MS alteration. MacBeard did
M H.. KNOW why it had happened to him,
a. Ne knew that it had happened.
ina u with it there came the universal
~ sunet to display his superiority to
~, man at Ida's side, in whom he
T az SenSed his rival.