Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-29

CLOCK on the WaSnSIand SnelI IlcklnS
steadilyf he began TO take the mat
ter very seriously. The gag in his
mouth hurt him cruelty; the bands
of linen that held it in began to
stifle him so that his breath came in
quick gasps through his nostrils
sweat started at the roots of his hair:
his heart leaped, beat madly, stood
STILL and leaped again: and he threw
himself against the strips that held
! him and twisted and Writhed with
| all his strength.
Suddenly fear pierced him like a
| poignard; for a moment panic seized
! nim and chaos reigned in his burst
ing brain. He swayed and strained
| convulsiVely; he Strove to hurl all
the inward and inert reserve of
| strength against the bonds that held
| him.
After what seemed an age of ter
rible effort he found himself breath
ing fast and heavily as though his
lungs would burst through his strain
ing, dilating nostrils, seated exactly
as he had been without band loos
ened, and the icy sweat pouring over
his twitching face.
| He heard himself trying to shout
| heard the imprisoned groan shat
| tered in his own throat, dying there
| within him.
Suddenly key rattlea; the door
was torn open; the light switched
on. Golden Beard stood there, his
blue eyes glaring furious inquiry. He
gave one glance around the room.
q .ught sight ST tSG clock. recoilsd,
e>'ut 81 the ifs<ht again, a"& siamnl<%t
/ ane taer.GG s~4c t~..oi.
] Aux Is. ts.xas :a..@i&at %selAsl1 Is start
lnx 1884 G60 EnSh tpo 2lDGS. The
l fix ed hands On enc of the dials still
Il! pointec to RIB: the moving hands
! on the Other lacked three minutes
: CT ti.,-t isG,tl.
| And, seated there in the pitch dark
ness, he suddenly realized that he
| had only three minutes more of life
| on earth.
All panic was gone; his mind was
quite clear. He heard every tick of
the clock and knew what each one
| meant.
Also he heard a sudden sound
across the room, as though outside
| the port something was rustling
| against the ships side.
| Suddenly there came a click and
| the room sprang into full light; an
arm, entering the open port from the
| darkness outside, let go the electric
| button, was withdrawn, only to re-
appear Immediately clutching an au-
| tomato pistol. And the next instant
| the arm and the head of Use Du-
mont were thrust through the port
into the rom.
Her face was pale as death as her
| eyes fell on the dial of the clock
With a gasp she stretched out her
arm and fired straight at the clock
shattering both dials and knocking
| the timepiece into the WaShbasin be-
| low.
For a moment she struggled to
| force her other shoulder and her
] body through the port, but it was
too narrow. Then she called
across to the bound figure
| seated on the bed and staring at her
| with eyes that fairly started from
| their sockets:
Mr.. Neeland, can't you move? Try
Try to break loose"
Her voice died away in a whisper
close to the ceiling overhead, where
the three bombs were slung
''Oh, God!" she faltered. THE
| fuses are afire!"
For an instant her brain reeled
to fling herself out into the dark
ness. Then, in a second, her eX-
tended arm grew rigid, slanted up
ward the pistol exploded once, twice;
cred rope, fell to the bed, the fuses
sputtering and fizzling.
Instantly the girl fired, again all
the big jug Eft Of water on TT the b5aHkes
dreriched the bed underneath; twa
fuss were out; one still snapped ana
g,limmered and sent up little jets and
rings of vapor; but as the water
slowly died until the last spark fell
from the charred wet end and vent
out, on the, drenched blanket,
She waited a little longer, then
with an unacceptable look At tho
her head, pushed herself free. hung
to the Invisible rope ladder for al
moment, swaying against the open
port. His eyes were. fastened on her
where she dangled there against the
darkness betwixt sky and sea, oscil- |
latinG with the movement of the ship.
her pendant figure now gilded by |
the light from the room, now phan
tom dim as she swung outward.
AS the roll of the ship brought her
head to the level Of the. port once
more, she held up her pistol, shook
it. and laughed at him:
., nNo gM DO you believe that I can
some time when that moching tongue
Of yours is free"'
Then, climb ing slowly upward into
darkness, the light falling no wacross
her body. now atHwart her skirt. |
suddenly, she was gone; then stars
glittered through the meshes of the |
shadowy, twitching ladder which still
barred the open port. And finally
the ladder was pulled upward out
of sight
He waited. After a little while
an interminable interval to him-he
heard somebody stealthily trying tn
handle of the door; then came a
noise as though the lock were being
explored or picked.
For a while the scraping, metallic
sounds continued steadily, then
abruptly ceased as though the un-
seen meddler had been Interrupted
A INDEPENDENTLY the voice of
the neutrality-suspicious. to cautious
key, was heard in protest as though
objeeting to some intentions evident
postulations continued for a while,
then the voices became quarrelsomc
and louder; and somebody suddenly
raped on the door.
Then a thick, soft voice that h@
recognized with a chill, grew angrilv
audible:
II say to you, steward, that [ for
bid you to entaire that room& for
Do you know who I am?"
II don't care who you are"
II have authority l shall employ
it. You shall lose your berth! Thees
yoong lady within thees room ees my
fancee! 1 forbid you to enter for
Haven't I knocked? wot's sptltn
@Ahr, stow It! Don't tell you as
from this ere door. tell you"
You spik thees-away, so impo-
| lite"
"Get out O. my way! Blime d'you
| think I'll stand ere jawin' any
| lonGer?"
ST am member Of parliam emit"
And the defiant voice of Jim's own
| cockney steward retorted. interrupt
| ing:
The door trembled under sudden
and terrific kick; the wordy quarrel
| ceased; hurried steps retreated along
| the corridor; a pass key ratified IL
the lock, and the door was flung
wide open:
| Mr.. Neeland. sir--oh. my Gawd.
wot ever ave they gone and done.
/ sir to find .1rn11 ,nrn in, c1,nn ,o,ril1