Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-05-30

I've done it, sir" Clouts answered.
A moment later Donald found him
self a prisoner on board his own ship.
For. on making his exit, Clouts had
locked the door. The action was done
with dispatch, and the key was turned
almost noiselessly, but Donald had
heard it.
He got into his hammock and tried
to compose his mind, but he discov-
cred that the events of the day had
shaken him more than he had mag
lned. Those awful memories required
to him against his yolition. Worst of
all was the knowledge that precious
time was passing while he was a pris-
oner. And he recollected that the
monstrous horde, surrounding the sub
marine, no doubt, had already discov-
| cred that men were food. II Davies
took of the hatches-perhans he had
already done so.
His mind became obsessed by the
threatened danger. He sprang from
his hammock, trembling. He tried to |
open the door. He set his shoulder
against Il. Outside he heard the reedy |
notes of a mouth organ, and Sam
Clouts suddenly stood before him.
Donald had an impulse to appeal TO
the man, but at once he saw its fu-
ulity
Tell Mr.. Davies that he is on no
account to take of the hatches," he
said.
Sam Clouts saluted him and calmly
locked the door again. Outside the
strains of the mouth organ were
heard once more. Evidently Clouts
was under instructions to remain at
his post.
Donald went back to his hammock.
He shrugged his shoulders at the flu
tility Of 1t all, his helplessness. He
had done all that he could do. And
now a sense Of complete fatigue began
to overcome him. He could not keep
his tired eyelids apart,
Slowly struggling desperately.
against the imperative need Of sleep,
he felt himself floating away.
He did not know how long he slept,
but 1t seemed few minutes only
when cries pierced through the mIsts
of Inconsistencies. In an instant he
was upon his feet, cropping In intense
darkness.
lie could not discern from what
part Of the boat the ominous sounds
proceeded. The whole interior of the
ESQ was like a sounding board. The
cries appeared to proceed from every
part Of her. Donald had never heard
such cries save once. and then they
came from animal throats. That was
when his revenue cutter had surprised
a band of pirates at their bloody work
on the seal islands.
He heard Ida cry out In his cabin.
He cried to her In answer, and, leap
ing back, he plunged with all his
might against the panel, and again,
and yet again, until the woodwork
splintered
The cry burst forth again, drown
Ing the sounds Of the oaths and scuf-
ding. II was a cry Of a woman I'M
mortal fear. Donald drove the splin-
erred timbers before him through the
lole in the wall. He found the girl
where she lay beside his berth. He
'aised her in his arms, and felt one
If the blubbery flippers on his hand.
That fight in the little room was al
Ways nightmare remembrance. The
fielding body offered Donald no pur-
base. And the monster fought In ST.
ence, apparently incapable Of articu-
alton, and the singing flippers sucked
he blood from his face and hands;
nd, as he prled them away, the flesh
ose into welts beneath them.
They swayed and struggled, and
through the inky darkness Donald
ould hear the sound of similar battles,
he curses Of men, their agonizing
ries, the thudding falls of heavy
odies.
But Donald could not lose with Ida'sI
fe at stake. The monsters struggles
rev feebler. Donald flung 1t fromE
i'm, and heard It shuttle out Of theE
Dom and into the darkness of the pas-I
age. Then he knew that fear ruled
mong these sea-beasts as upon land.
Suddenly Davies burst into theI
lbin.
"Paget I've come to you'll he criedI
"You spoke the truth.
n, and I thought you were mad I
pened the matches, and they're all
yer the ship, siri I've come to dieI
18th you'll"
Another man ran painting up to them
seemed strange afterward, whenI
onald recalled 1t, how the threeI
iemed to be aware of each other's
essence in the little cabin.
1t was Sam Clouts.
They've got us, STRIP he cried. 81
ught to the end, but the rest are in
e sea, and I'm the only one left Pye
cked the entrance to the conning
wer, but it's only a question Of mini
es, slrl"
Donald could hear the monstersI
raining at the door. He felt surel
at the steel plating, thin as it was,
,uld yield; not to the sudden exercised
-. fAN