The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-03-22
CHAPTER xvIlI-continued.

She did not answer him. He looked
at the red marks left by his fingers
on her cheek, and the sight aroused in
him a fresh, deInoniac passion. He
rayed. He shouted all the secrets of
his life to her. He, the thief, the
outlaw, had conquered the worldl
Why should he fulfill his compact to
keep the monsters within the bounds
of Skiold ford?
He had at first intended to. He had |
abandoned, under the sway of his pas
sion for the girl, his dreams of world |
conquest. With Ida's love, he had even
INDUCED 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-
come 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
lied that he could never win her. He
could embrace only 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.
Donald's 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
annihiIate humanity. He would make
I 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
3 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
: a mailman, foaming at the mouth, and
Z she took pride in her sacrifice. She
7 looked back toward Donald. She saw
: him between the two other figures
upon the shore, very little, and very
7 far away.
MacBeard saw the look and under
stood. He raised his hand again tt
Y strike her, but he refrained. Instead
: he reached into the cabin of the mo
torboat and took his tuning forks
q from under the seat. And by that ac
2 of treachery he wrote the last pagC
j of his history.
: He sIung them about his neck, and
? taking the rod, he sounded the G not
2 to call the swarm together.
The note rang true across the wa
tiers. Exhausted by their efforts, thu
q monsters were incapable any longer o
condensing the hydrogen, but the i'm
pulse to reply remained. From ever,
- nE hn 9nIo fh1y s.N1yOr OF
z toward him.
The sea rose into a choppy surge
: The motorboat, riding the waves Xix
a cork, heaved and pitched. Ida say
r MacBeard, his eyes alight with tri
umph, his face blazing with hatred
now above her, and now below, as h
y sat in the pitching stern.
y But the death of the queen had beel
the death-call of the swarm; instinc
a lively they were aware of it, and til
single purpose that had animated tn
n herd was gone. Anarchy had replaces
order. The swarm had become mer
blind mechanism, and devoid Of pw
y pose.
q Anarchy possessed them, and it wa
u furious, as everywhere. So it is in tn
x state, when it obtains power. So i
Y the human body, when the cells rebe
n and organized life flares out. TIL
: swarm came on, a mere discordan
q multitude.
Il MacBeard, seated in the stern, fel
. five sharp pricks upon the hand tina
n dangled toward the water. He drew
8 back hurriedly. He imagined tina
Y some insect had stung him. Then
b ff,pper dashed him across the face
= Two more seized him about the bod.
Y An instant later, and he was out c
n ne boat, which, released from hi
|" weight an5 from the sea devils righte
q itself again. Then he began the strul
d gle for life which he had alway
. feared. The nightmare that had brooC
n cd over his dreams had at last com
y true The Infatuated monsters ha
" turned up0n the author OF the call