Evening star., 1922-06-09
The Sand-f1og
By Arthur B. Reeve.
One of The Stars Week End Fiction Series.
Each Story Complete in Three Installments.
By Arthur B. Reeve.

der. considerably more time was re-
, quired in order to do it safely. We
spent about half an hour in the air.
| lock, l should judge.
Paddy let the air out of the lock
by turning on a valve leading to the
outside, normal atmosphere. Thus he
let the air out rapidly at first until
we had got down to half the pressure
of the tunnel. The second half he did
slowly. and it was indeed tedious, but
, 1t was safe. There was at first
kissing sound when he opened the
valve, and it grew colder in the lock.
since air absorbes heat from sur
rounding objects when 1t expands.
, We were glad to draw sweaters on
over our heads. 1t also grew as
misty as a London fog as the water
/ Vapor in the air was condensed.
AT last the hiss of escaping air
! ceased. The door to the modern dun
| geon of science grated open. We
walked out of the lock to the ele-
, vator shaft and were hoisted up to
Gods air again. We gazed out across
the river with it's waves dancing in
| the sunlight. There, out in the mid
| die, was a wreath of bubbles on the
water That marked the end of the
! tunnel. over the shield. Down be-
! meath those bubbles the sand-hogs
! We're roofing. But what was the
mystery that the tunnel held in its
dark. dsnk bosom? Had kennedy a
| clue?
Il think we had better wait around
bit, remarked Kennedy. as we
room and warmed ourselves from the
: chill of coming out of the lock. In
case anything should happen to us
and we should get the bends. this IS
F; the place for us. near the medical
lock. as it is called-that big sleh
|
Orton. The best cure for the bends
+, is to go back under the air--recom-
,pression. they call it. The renewed
pressure causes the gas in the blood
to contract again. and thus it IS elm
nated-sometimes. At any rate, 1t
, is the best known cure and consider
ably reduces the pain in the worst
! cases. When you have d bad case
like Orton's it means that th- dam
age is done: the gas has rup dred
some veins. Paddy was right. Only
time will cure that"
Nothing happened to US. however,
and in a couple of hours we dropped
/ in on Orton at the hospital. where he
was slowly convalescing.
| What do you think of The cast? ."
he asked. anXiously.
Nothing as yet" replied Craig.
; but | have set certain things in
motion which will give Us :: pretty
good line on what is taking place in
a day or So
Orton's face FELL. but he said moth
ing. He bit his lip nervousN and
looked out of the sun parl";' at thc
roofs of New York around him.
What has happened since last night
to increase your anxiety. Jack ?"
asked Craig. sympathetically
Ortcn wheeled his chair about slow
~. faced us. and drew 4 letter from
his pocket. Laying il fat IN tn.
table. he covered the lower Fart with
the envelope
.Rsa1 "Rss1 'hati' nat, he :, said, i'd
once that it was from Miss Tay ylor
Just 4 line sl!o wrot-, to let yuu
| Know tnat ! am thinking about you al
was and hoping that YOU are better
Papa had the chairman of the board Of
! directors of the Five Borough here late
| -onIsht and they Were in the library
| for over an hour. For your sake. Jack.
| talked low that ! could hear moth
! ing. though l know they Were talking
| about YOU and the tunnel Wnen they
! came out. had no time to escape. SO
| slipped behind portiere. heard
| Morris. The thing has gone on long
enough. If there is one more big acci-
dent We shall have to compromise with
! the Inter River ana carry on the work
! jointly. We have given Or;on his
/ chance. and if they demand that this
other fellow shall be put in. | suppose
we shall have to concede it Mr. Nor
rs seemed pleased that father agreed
! with aim. and said SO. Oh, Jack, can't
| you do something to show them they
| are wrong. and do il quickly? l never
miss an opportunity of telling papa it
| is not your fault that all these delays
! take place"
! The rest of the letter was covered by
| the envelope, and Orton would not have
! shown il for worlds.
| "Orton," said Kennedy, after a few
moments reflection. 81 will take
| chance for your sake-a long chance
yourself together by this afternoon. be
! over at your office a: I. Be sure TO
! have Shelton and CappS there. and you
| can tell Mr. Taylor that YOU have some
/ thing verE important to set before him
Now, | must hurry if | am TO fulfil my
| part OF the contract Goodbye. Jack
Keen a stiff upper lip. old man. I'll
| have something that will surprise you
| this afternoon"
! Outside. as he hurried uptown. Craig
| was silent but could see his features
/ working nervously. and as we parted
! he merely said: "Of course. you'll be
| there. Walter. I'll put the finishing
! Slowly enough the few hours passed
before I found myself again in Or
tons Office He was there already,
despite the orders of his physician.
who was disguised at this excursion
from the hospital. Kennedy was there.
! too, grim and silent. We sat watch
| ing the two indicators beside Orton's
desk. which showed the air pressure
| in the two tubes. The needles were
! vibrating ever so little and tracing
red ink line on the ruled paper that
| unwound from the drum. From the