Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-01-22
CHAPTER v


moved a muscle yet those rats had
been Enthusiastically alarmed at some
thing. What was that something?
Struthers glanced at the mechanic and
found the others eyes resting on him
in mute interrogation. Then as they
sat breathless, Struthers thought he
heard an indistinct scuffling sound
creeping up the deck out side; it was
then magnified to soft pattering noise
like the tread of some large and
stealthy beast on the prowl.
While his senses shrieked alarm
Struthers sat motionless in his chair
listening to new sound rather like
the clicking of a dogs claws as he
crosses a bare hardwood floor. Both
men sat rigid, their eyes roaming
from one open port hole, to the next
and back again, then they did hear
the creature brush the saloon as it
advanced along the deck outside.
Then Struthers saw, with blood halt
ed in his veins, patch of black fur
and something bright like a single
glowing eye, appear at one of the
ports directly across the shadowy
saloon. Only a glimpse he had but
that told him much, whatever the ma
rauder was, it was sufficiently large
to reach the height of the portfolio
a good five feet from the deck lev
ell
AS the shock of his discovery pass
ed the red-haired pilot galvanized in
to action and. with a loud shout drew
the automatic from it's holster and
darted to the nearest door which gave
upon the deck. Never before had his
heart so leaped and hammered a.
gainst his ribs, save perhaps in the
perilous days of 1917 and 1918. At
his heels followed Carnforth, chalky
faced but clutching fire ak courag-
eously enough.
When they gained the deck, Struth-
ers imagined he caught a glimpse of
a dim figure vanishing among grotes-
que shadows at the submerged bows.
On all sides resounded the shrill
frightened squeaking of rats scurry-
ing about on all the nearby vessels
whose ghostly outlines were shrouded
by rising fog that reeked of decay
ing fabrics. But aside from that
there was no movement-for all that
Struthers felt himself subjected to an
invisible scrutiny.
"What a crazy NESS" he mutter-
ed as he stepped inside and shot home
the heavy brass bolts. "Come on,
Carnforth, with that thing roaming
around we'd better make all those
ports fast. I don't imagine it'll try
to harm us-but we may as well play
safe-and, by the way I wouldn't say
anything to the passenger"
He was amused to find himself
speaking of her thus, deliberately dis
personal-the passenger. After all
it was best. She was, to his mind,
the epitome of selfish uselessness, tho
her unearthly beauty insistently APP
pealed to his senses.
Struthers, excited and not little
uneasy, after a moments hesitation
restored to the mechanic that pistol
which had so nearly cost him his own
life. He knew how Carnforth felt,
for riding his own imagination like
an old man of the sea, there was a
strange disquieting fear-that same
kind of fear that little boy has of
something he does not understand.
The noiseless tread along the deck
had been the tread of heavy crea-
ture-but what was it? What was
it's intelligence? How powerful was
it? Perhaps it could smash the
stout mahogany doors of the saloon
into kindling-all these and thous-
and other unanswerable questions as
sailed his weary brain.
"What could it have been?" de-
manded Carnforth for the hundredth
time, as with sigh of relief he ac-
copied his restored weapon. Didn't
seem to walk like man-and it was
too big for most animals-did you
see much of it?"
Every little" replied Struthers as
he picked up one Of the lanterns, Gust
glimpse of black fur. The light was
poor. But don't get worried-it won't
come back. In the morning we'll fix
the plane and get out of this hell
hole before dark"
"Bet your sweet life we will" grunt
ed the mechanic with an emphasis
that Struthers found somewhat dis
quieting.
Briefly the two made their prepare