Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-12-28
The Divers
Sacrifice
BY HUBERT RAY

| hurt himself somehow. He hasn't
signalled, and may be dying. Hurry
| on with your suit, man Y
1t was all In the days work to
Linn. He got quickly into his divers
suit, adjusted the harness and the
oxygen mask, and was lowered into
the depths. The two men relieved
each other in working on the wreck
of the Karlowitz
Nevertheless, there was time for an
infinity of thoughts to flash through
Inns head And they revolved, as
they always did, around Annette his
bride Of six months. Lesson and he
had been rivals for Annette. She
had been engaged to Leeson, but a
quarrel had supervened, and Linn had
stepped in and won her on the re-
bound.
That was six months ago, and Linn
had learned the tragedy of love
less marriage. Hardly word had
passed between them--but Annette
had gone about her daily duties grow
ing thinner and quieter. And Linn had
wondered.
Until that morning a week before,
when they had had it out together.
Eyes, | love him." Annette had said
Il shall always love him. But | will
be true to you as long as | live, and
| shall never see him again.
Linn had turned away, stupefied by
the tragedy. He loved Annette with
all the devotion of man Of his type.
Slow, methodical, tenacious how
could he, fifteen years Annette's elder,
hope to win the heart that she had
given to Leeson.
been no change in attitude. Each
knew, and each continued to respect
the other. Yet Linn often wondered
whether Leeson had the same insane
desire to kill that he had.
Well--he put those thoughts aside,
was lowered down through the dim
depths to the shadowy hulk of the
wrecked Karlowitz. Now he was on
the ocean ooze. and working about
the wreck, looking for Lesson.
He found him in the hulk, lying
upon his side. He stopped aid pushed
him. Lesson die not stir. Hastily
Linn examined Lessons oxygen mask.
There was nothing the matter with
It. The cord was not twisted.
Then In the gloom he perceived a
snadowy monster like an enormous
\ 10 ~,
And a huge tentacle shot out.
In an instant Linn knew. Lesson
had been seized by an octopus. one of
the giant squids that infested those
waters. 1t was of unbelievable size,
and the eight arms rose and fell in
wavy outlines. ripping in the water.
Linn, overcome with horror, hesita-
ted only an instant. Then he set
his feet against the rotting timbers and
strove with all his force to detach
Lesson.
He might as well have tried to tear
apart a boulder of granite. The
octopus had its victim fast. Linn saw
the little, vicious eyes on either side
of the parrot beak. ready to tear the
flesh from the unconscious man.
Horror overcame him; and then of
sudden Linn saw the only hope for
1t required all the determination Of
which he was capable in order to take
that path--for Annette's sake.
AS one of the tentacles Of the
octopus was raised from us victim
Linn stepped in between and placed
his thigh beneath the monstrous pro-
trusion. And he felt the octopuss
suckers close upon 1t.
A second tentacle was raised. Linn
placed his other leg beneath it. Two
suckers now grasped him-six held
Lesson. Two suckers could be torn
away-even three, he thought, as the
third gripped his waist.
He had unstrapped the weights from
Lessons feet and chosen his position
by the time the fourth sucker held
him by the shoulder When the fifth
was raised Linn interposed his right
arm. Only three suckers held Lee
son now.
| The sixth descended round Inns
harness. The seventh bound his right
| arm to his body. The eighth lowered
| In the air. But Linn's right hand
was free-free enough to enable him
to pull the signalling cord and to give
Lesson just the little push that was
required to free him from the timbers
of the KarlowitZ.
Linn saw Lessons body float slow
ly upward. He breathed vast sigh
| of relief. Lesson would live. There
was oxygen enough within the air
mask to maintain his life till he was
at the surfuce.
The eighth sucker gripped his risht
arm. And, bound in the strangling
coils, Linn, behind his mask, laughed
into that beaked embodiment OF evil
that confronted him.
at was for you, Annettel" he
thought-and that was the last thought
that came to him.