Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-05-16


the command Of ship fitted out, part
iy by private subscription, partly witt
the aid of a government subsidy, fol-
the purpose of deep-sea exploration.
In this and subsequent expeditions
he had made a name for himself by
the remarkable nature of his discov-
cries. He had discovered the prolon-
CATION of the submarine spur of the
1 continental shelf, extending from the
Norwegian coast toward the Faroes ;
he had invented an improved net for
scooping up the larger denizens Of the
ocean depths; and then he had NULL
fed all the personal appreciation and
fame which he had acquired during
his various voyages by asserting that
mammalian life existed on the sea
floor, and by championing the cause
| of the sea serpent.
That was the end of Captain Mas
terman's activities so far as the gov
eminent was concerned. In final in
tervlew the secretary of the navy had
said to him:
PERSONALLY l believe in you, Mas
terman. But it isn't the discoveries
that count, it's getting the scientific
world to believe in them. believe in
the sea serpent, myself, because I've
seen three of them; but 1 wouldn't
dare to admit 1t, even in my club
smoking room, and we can't get you
another subsidy.
The secretary's confession duly APP
peared In newspaper article, and the
cartoonist illustrated it with draw
ing showing him as a sea serpent with
three heads. In the course of his ex-
PLANTATION, Masterman consigned the
entire staff of the navy department to
that place where birthstone is unmolli
fed with molasses.
That ended the secretary's career,
and it would have ended Masterman's
if his had not been ended already.
After that the old man became
known as a bore who buttonholed pub
lie men and tried to induce them to
subscribe to the fitting out of a new
deep-sea exploration expedition. For
years he haunted the Hobbies of the |
capitol and the clubs, growing more !
logged and obstinate and vituperative |
as he met with disappointment after
disappointment.
Then, when his case seemed hope |
less, he had succeeded in interesting |
an American millionaire, with whose /
aid he had fitted out an expedition to
the Shetlands and Faroes, from which
he had apparently just returned. Lieu
tenant Paget gathered from his ram
bling words that he had lost his ship,
and had returned, the sole survivor,
In one of the ships boats, which he
had rowed for several hundred miles
across the stormy waters of the North
"But 1 brought my specimen home
with me, lad p he exclaimed, clutching
1T his companions arm. "Think of
Int, lad She didn't want to eat.
They don't eat after they're mature,
Donald. That simplifled matters con-
siderable. And so brought her, and
got her safe to my home. Donald"
The old mans voice failed him. He
)egan muttering to himself absently
again. No doubt his terrible expert
,nce had unhinged his brain. Lieu
enant Paget had always known Mas
erman to be natural eccentric, but
lever before had he talked like this
bout the safety Of humanity, and T,
ome awful and imminent danger
which only he could avert. The lieu
enant could see that the old mans
heeks were sunken; his eyes were
Wild, and under his long coat the
AIDED blue uniform was shrunken and
tanned with sea water.
Lieutenant Paget felt well disposed
oward the whole world just then. He
lad been summoned home from serv- !,
ce with the Atlantic fleet to receive
is commission as commander of the
r55. And Miss Ida Kennedy, the '
aughter of the American consul gen
raj In London, whom he had met
here the year before, had written him g
hat she was sailing in company with 0
er aunt by the Beotia for New York. a
At such time, when his profess
lOnal and personal interests We're be- y
" StINSu 80 wei Dy lOIluuS3 IbStl
Fit that fate had played a wretched y
rick upon Masterman, whose lifework
ad utterly failed of recognition owing .
} his defects of temperament. Though
e was sure that the old sea captain >
as crazed, he admired him as dar- e
lg seaman and an original genius of u
high order.
"My dear lieutenant, / am extremely
lad to have met you. Nothing could y
ave been more Fortunate" said Mas s.
,rman, recovering his equanimity o.
it'll a suddenness that surprised his e
lend. "Can you find the time to
)me into my club and have a little III
lat with me? It's the Inventors, but OF
ley call 1t the March Hares,' l be- &c
eve, because of some of the queer
there. In fact, between
1rselves, 1 believe that am the only
ember who is entirely sane. / Joined
for professional reasons-that is to
", we have an organization and ~