The Washington herald., 1921-08-14

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his forehead. - he steadssd himself upon the
sloping door that listed away under him and
came not back. He listened. ear1 at strain
for the slightsst sound There was . strange
hush, an utter absence Of the vibrat1on %
long continued. Ths sa0ises had stop1edi
At last 1t was ,ths explosion. He hsa ne
doubt Of d. 4 hreafhles terror swept over
him. denying uttsfancs to the nood II Wild
blasphemy which rose In him IKE an invsr-
sion Of aEonised prayer. Mingled with It was
= great relief Tho whirring Of that internal
machine In his head bad stopped He could
think now. think with . rapid lucidtty that
amazed him. His mind. miraculously alert,
took In al the implications Of his position.
whtis yet he chung to the bunk. speechless
and incapable Of movement
Would any one come to let him outf There
vas rapid scurry Of feet along the corridor.
It passed, ceased definitely. Then, IN heart
stopping confirmation Of his tear, the light in
the corridor went out suddenly. He stood.
elutching At his bunk. in IN absolute dark
Ness that enveloped him almost tansibly. He
let 90 Of the bunk In . dash for where be
knew the door to Be, slipped, with . sharp
stab Of aecentuated terror. upon q wet noor
spite its slow rise and ITS seemingly endless
subsequent subsidence. He crawied upwards
on It. knocked his head against the door,
pulled himself upright with . grasp upon its
handle. Then. In . sudden access. he found
his voics. He shrieked-piercingly. shrek
upon shrek that rang through IN appalling
silenee-shrieked IKE . maniac forgotten in
his esr.
Meme came to answer him. There was NO
sound In the corridor outside. What was
happening in that deathly silence which per-
vadsd the great ship? He failed to bring
himself to exact Imagination. She still rose,
stfn subsded, heavily. lazily. But the List
which sloped the floor slippery under his
feet remained uncorrected- Was she stu
adoat-settling. slowiy but sureiyf He
ceased his maniac shrieks to listen. There
was no sound. This Tar down corridor. 70
mote from the general Life Of the ship. ten
anted only By emisrants On the westward
voyage. was deserted. He shook fsriousiy ut
the implacably locked door. crashed his fists
against III panels In frenxded blows that had
no result but the naying Of his knuckIes! He
hung himself against Il like Wild thing In
q cage. Tho door remained immovabls-
He stopped again, Dstened-nstened for the
rushing cataracts Of water he knew must Be
pouring into the ship. down her companion.
ways. along her corridors. He heard nothing.
There was no sound perceptble in that ray
less >blaokness which pressed upon him. ave
. soush and swish Of water exterior to the
ship. Then he understood. OF course, they
would have closed down the watertiSht doors.
He shrisked curse at that unknown ofncer
on the bridge performing his obvious duty.
In = vivid Imagination of the great steel doom
sliding down into their immovabie positions.
shutting Oh the water indeed from this com.
partment,- shutting him OF insxorably from
escape even could he break out into the cor.
ridor. ,..L.-
In the horror Of this realisation he relaxed
his hold upon the DIOR tilted forward against
him, clipped and slid. in that utter blacknsss,
down the clipping door to the wall of the ship.
He fsit over Il With trsmbiins. eager hands.
felt for tbs heavy hrass fastsniag Of the port.
hola II va sttli nrm. though his hands
were wettsd In the water which wslled up
gsntty around its rim. =.