Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-07

dred thousand dollars worth or coal into the
sea in despair Of identifying the fatal lump, up
on his mere assertion? He knew that they
would not ...'
The most they would do would be skeptically
to warn the fremen of the ship to keep a sharp
lookout for any suspicious block Of coal-and
he could we'll appraise, none better, the futty
Of such casual inspection. And even If they
listened-even If, improbably, he lodged the
voyage of the Gargantuan, he would be assured
ly shot or stabbed later on for his betrayal. He
knew the comrades" Either way he was in a
trap. And, had he decided to shrek out the
truth, he could not have physically done SO. His
tongue swelled in dry mouth incapable of ar
ticuation as he watched the magistrates pen
sign the order. He felt himself turn sick.
And now here he was--he came back to HIM
self after his half-dreaming recaptulation OF
the episodes leading up to his present situation
shut up in the depths of the great liner throb-
bng her way, with powerful steady whirring
of her turbine engines, into the immensely OF the
ocean.
Yes, she was we'll upon her course now--he
was experienced enough to diagnose the full
powered evenness of the revolution which set
every plate and girder and fitting Of her in SUBJ
dued vibration.
Down below--in those hellish stokeholds-
the half naked fremen were shoveling the coal
into the white-hot glare OF her furnaces, shovel
ing and again shoveling until at last one lump
that left their shovels for its fiery bed he
jumped to his feet again in a shrek Of terror,
banged against the door with frenzied fists.
He went mad, felt himself going more and
more mad, flung himself at that locked door in
a whirlwind of blind wild energies that swept
through him as from source beyond him.
Voice, feet and fists c1amored for release from
this trap, as, like Gagged wild animal overmas-
tered by its instincts, he hurled himself again
and again against that door which would not
open. For all response he might have been
alone in a world destitute Of man.
His blows ceased suddenly, with that brusque
reaction Of the physically unstable, as though
in an exhaustion Of the reservoir of force which
had poured so tumultuousely through the open
sluice gates Of his being. Physical weaklng as
he also was. he sank down. his brain drugged
in the stupefaction Of an immense fatigue.
He slept, while that gloomy little cell about
him, deep down in the mighty organism. quiv-
cred with the rush Of the great liner as she hur-
ried out to sea.
How long Jake Bravinsky lay in blessed
consciousness at the foot OF that door he did not
know. He was awakened by its opening. by
sudden glare as the electric light switched
on. One of the detectives stood over him, ac-
companying a steward who brought food.
With dulled faculties that fumbled for def
milton of the vague terror he knew to be some
where in the back Of his mind-what was it?-
he rose stifny to his feet, tottered to his bunk.
Then, seated. he looked up at the detective and
Remembered. His teeth chartered in the shiver
which came over him. His lips parted as If for
sudden utterance, but he could only stare dumb
y. What use was it?-his brain began to work
again-even il they turned round now the very
next shoyelful Of coal might +. he baked at
exact Imagination Of the cataclysm.
His deep-lying, bitter hatred Of the law and
its representatives surged up in him suddenly.
presented to him doubtless by his subconscious
self for solace. blotting out all else. Anyway,
they were all In the same boat! They'd all go
up, all drown together-no warning, no chance
to summon help by wireless! He almost chuckled
as he thought Of that stolidly superior detec-
tive dead-dead and unsuspecting until the mo-
ment. They'd all go like that, the! He
grouped them, all of them, everybody that was
not himself. in ugly word for justification of
his enmity.
After glance around the cabin, a test Of the
screwed-tight porthole the detective motioned
out the steward.
'.Not so much Of that noise nowl" he said,