Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-06-20
CHAPTER XII,
AHoat and Ashore.


.'We're done for, old mani" he whis-
pered. "We'd better not awaken her.
Listenw
Heretofore no sound from without
had penetrated the thin plates Of the
submarine, but now Donald distinctly
heard a cracking noise, as If some
pressure were being exerted against
the sides of the vessel.
"We're breaking up, sir"
'YOu mean-?"
''It's that gang of devils, Donald. Do
you mind letting me grip your arm a
minute, sir? It's in way disturbing"
The sounds grew louder. The plates
were groaning under pressure, and it
seemed every instant that the rivets
would start and the water rush in.
"Ifs the weight of the ocean over
us, Davies" said Donald without the
faintest faith in this diagnosis.
"But this pressure is horizontal, not
vertical, Donald. And water has no
horizontal pressure at ALL"
Donald was silent. He would not
voice what was in his Gown mind, bit
he knew that his explanation was non
sense, meant to deceive not only Da-
vies, but himself also. The sea mon
sters must be pushing against the bot
tom of the F55, to break her by their
own weight and get at their prey with
in. Maddened by hunger in those bar
rem solitudes of darkness, they were
a frenzled army of destruction.
He wondered whether Clouts' act
was in any way the cause Of this new
activity.
The pressure increased. The steel
plates cracked as trees snap in zero
weather.
Donald looked up and saw Ida
standing in the doorway.
"Is anything wrongp she asked,
coming forward to Donald.
He could not answer her, and she
did not repeat the question, but stood
looking intently at the two men, who
watched each other. It was impossible
that Ida could help understanding the
meaning of the sounds without.
She came close to Donald. "Forgive
me for what said, dear" she whis-
pered, cllnging to his arm. 81 was so
afraid-not of death, dearest, but Of
the loneliness in that room. was
afraid for you"
He patted her arms without speak
ing, and led the way to the coming
tower again. It was preferable that
they should die, if they must, by suf-
location, rather than in the nav Of
the monsters. Enclosed within those
stout walls of steel, they could at least
hope to find perpetual tomb there.
The pressure was still increasing.
The floor Of the coming tower began
to tilt. Surely this was the endl
But the floor righted, tilted, righted
once more. A sense Of movement sue
ceeded that of pressure. Then, to
their utter amazement, a white light
shot through the observation port,
flooding the inside of the coming
tower and the F55 scraped the rocks.
Donald grasped at Davies. "Dayies
We are at the surface againr' he cried. |
There was no doubling 1t. The
moonlight flooded the interior Of the
tower, and before their eyes, seen
through the port, were the rugged out |
lines Of Fair island. The monsters
must have raised the submarine by the |
united force of their massed bodies.
"This Tine" said Donald, "we are
going ashore to stay"
"Amen !" said Davies solemnly, and /
the three grasped hands.
A few moments later they emerged
upon the drying deck Of the D55. She
was back in her old position upon the
beach, at the very edge Of the
waves. The moon, which rode high
in the sky, was already paling before
the increasing luster of the dawn.
where's CloutsT asked Donald
'Isn't he belowf" queried Davies.
Donald raised his voice and shouted.
He ran below, calling for Clouts. But
there came no answer. 1t soon became
evident that Clouts was not on the
"Good Lord I" said Donald.
II OccuiJeu 10 ulAu lhch luelb Nc hoN
told Clouts to look at the rudder, but
he had never supposed that the man
would be able to adjust it. bad he
forgotten, gone back to adjust it, and
failed to return?
He took a couple of revolvers and
gave one of them to Davies. They
vent ashore. The firm rocks under
DOT seemed the most delicious part Of
heir strange fortune, and gave reality
o what was stlll hardly more than a
iream.
They knew that there was no danger
# attack in the moonlight. Neverthe-
ess, they remained near the boat And
,ach of them called for Clouts, firing
lis revolver, and listening for any re-
ponse. u