Show see coo DE ILA nd ala acl PER D IL 0 by VICTOR ROUSSEAU copyright by W G chapman oai CHAPTER I 1 continued 17 theres no hurry now answerer answered donald suddenly davies dadles voice came up in agitated tones donald I 1 he cried it looks as if the monsters are following Mac Beard after all I 1 dont you see they are with him not us they keep us in the center necessarily said donald yesterday we nearly lost ost them but then do you suppose they are lending leading us somewhere 1 I dont linow know donald answered full speed I 1 donald hazarding rocks drove the hard between the mighty walls of granite in front of him he saw an open body of water ringed with faraway hills he was in skjold fjord but not a vestige of the monsters was to be seen once through that gateway he lashed the wheel and went on deck the quarry had disappeared A glance assured him of that the limpid water of the fjord lay motionless before him behind him the passage seemed to have closed he rushed back into the conning tower shut down 1 he yelled to davies tell clouts clonts to let tle the anchor go mac beard hns has beaten ug ua davies released from duty rushed up to find his chief standing at the entrance to the conning tower a prey to abject despair its finished davies he said wearily were beaten theres a missing factor in that damned equation of yours and he toppled over into davies arras arms insensible from want of sleep the tension of his nerves was broken davies and clouts clonts carried him to his cabin and laid him down they returned to the reck almost equally despairing sp the herd has left us clouts clonts said the middy 1 I dont know 1 I cant understand der stand it clouts clonts he be continued with a sudden inspiration 11 d do 0 you think that you could induce the queen to sound that call again what me sir inquired clouts clonts starting back wily why ashes not a woman sir ashes a devil incarnate I 1 she wont eat sir hla his voice fell to a husky whisper and she wont wear the captains blankets sir 11 perhaps she like them clouts clonts however what aro are we to flo do 1 I say make for home borne sir sat said d clouts clonts 1 I never took no stock in the whole thing mr air davies what are you talking about clouts clonts Cl outs why sir I 1 never believed in it from the first and I 1 believe in it still less now its all a dream sir there never was no monsters but youve seen them clouts clonts youve been under the sea with them I 1 ali ah I 1 know sir what we both think answer answered cd clouts clonts with a wise smile but its just a dream sir C E expect that german gerrman cruiser torpedoed us instead of us torpedoing her or maybe she sank us with her guns and were going to wake up in a german hospital in hamburg in a moment you sou pinched yourself sir davies was shaken shahen he looked at clotts clouts blandly smiling at him openmouthed he almost believed his theory clouts clonts unequal to the strain upon his limited mentality had adopted a solution which seemed under the circumstances feasible 1 I think wed better pinch each other sir said clouts clonts mrs clouts clonts always used to say when in doubt but breaking off at this juncture he be pulled his mouth organ from b his is pocket and blew the most discordant medley of disso nants that eier ever issued from the apertures aper tures of that much abused instrument to their amazement the water was instantaneously churned into foam all round them the tossed like a cork upon the waves A fleeting mist began to rise from the surface of the fjord hatches gasped davies and they ran to save the FO from submersion mer sion hardly had bad they succeeded in this and reached the conning tower when donald appeared at the head of the ladder below his eyes were clear again it seemed as if his half hour of sleep had recreated him happened davies Da he asked the monsters I 1 all about busill us I 1 cried the middy madd well of course said donald you dont suppose I 1 came here on a wild gooce chase do you but you said we were beaten sir end and 1 nonsense I 1 said donald angrl lr been with us all the time you ton dont expect that they can keep on condensing hydrogen forever without taking a rest do muscular fatigue davies dellol he be pointed through the observation port and about a mile mild to port of them they saw the motorboat bobbing upon the agitated waves wavea weve got him davies said don dd id 1 I knew it it I 1 knew knowlt it all in my bleed bleep the solution and and Ws ifa gotoff goft to be au a right they were amazed at his resolution he uttered his orders in a firm voice he seemed now absolutely sure of his success through the port they the watched tile the motorboat tossing toward them over the waves they could make out Mac Bearda Beards figure reside beside the engines ida was doubtless within the cabin up anchor cleouls clouts said donald davies Da take the engines again presently the submarine began to move so as to cut off Mac Beards egress into the open sea then at donalds command they drew toward the motorboat Mac Beard had seen them he was working frantically at the engine the inland sea still heaved but it was beginning to subside as the monsters forgetful of clouts clonts mouth organ began ti to draw toward the submarine again then for the third time the imprisoned queen gave the swarming call the sound round soft yet incredibly voluminous rolled from the interior of the ship and seemed to fill the universe it was like a deep soft note upon some mighty organ and the response was instant for the third time the swarm and bened by the call leaped toward its leader and as on fair island a tidal bore came on a wall of water which struck the and rendered her helpless in an instant it dashed her round like a top it drove her uncontrollable before it in an instant the steering gear was disabled and the vessel skidded through the waves toward the cliffs of the fjord which gr grew pw larger with unbelievable swiftness it was the last voyage of the the battered old submarine which had bad rendered such yeoman service drove hard on the rocks A needle po point int pierced her amidships a score of ra razor zor edges rent her flanks slowly she sank still spinning into the seething waters that whipped the desolate shore As soon as they realized that nothing could be done the three had gathered upon the deck and waited for the th e disaster As the struck they leaped into the sea they escaped the h hidden d fangs of the rocks almost by a miracle A few strokes and donald found himself upon the shore which the waves were wildly lashing and helping davies to scramble out they gasped a moment and recovered breath wheres clouts clonts Cl outs asked donald anxiously then they saw the sailors head bobbing among the waves ile he was vp parent patently ly clinging to a point of rock with one hand while he thrust the other down into the water clouts clonts Cl outs are you drowning donald called A bubbling sound replied donald waded into the sea clinging to the projecting reef to save himself against t the pounding waves As he neared clouts clonts the latter straightened himself and sighed regretfully what Is it clouts clonts are you badly hurt asked donald no sir 11 he gasped but ive iv e ive lost it sirl donald grasped him and pulled him through the breakers to dry land at that moment clouts clonts had strained his patience severely with his lost mouth organ look serl said davies when the three stood tog together together ethe once more two hundred yards away mac beard and ida were standing beside the motorboat Mac Beards light craft built upon scientific principles of his own devising had once again established its worth the waves and rid luck had driven it ashore uninjured and Mac Beard seemed to be inviting ida ida to reenter re enter it the game seemed in Mac Beards hands once more cornel comel shouted donald starting starl forward but before he had bad broken intha into a run clouts clonts stood barring his way ive found her sirl he shouted look sir serl 11 donald was on the point of knocking the sailor down his mouth organ had become a for homicide but clouts clonts was not making reference to his mouth organ just then A cry from davies stopped donald upon the verge of delivering his blow donald started and saw close to his side the evanescent nebulous out lines of the queen of tile the swarm and in that moment the memory of ida faded from his mind ile ha stared at her like a man bewitched her face which had always been the most conspicuous part was strangely clouded it was indeed as if a vell veil of vapor had been drawn over it it seemed to cover her like a long bridal vell veil giving her the aspect of a shrouded figure davies did not stay to watch that meeting neither did clouts clonts they started at full speed toward Mac Mae Beard who already having launched his motorboat upon the waves was holding out his hand to ida she hesitated and drew back they were only fifty paces away and torn between her pledge and the desire deser to see donald for one last moment on earth the girl stood waiting donald blone with the queen looked into her face and was aware of nothing el else lse she raised her arms slowly she threw off the draperies of clinging mist that covered her head she stretched ii her e r arms out toward towar d h him ini she fell upon her knees iier her face fac ewas was visible now and donald was aware of a startling change in it the beauty that had dazzled him was gone A milky pallor spreading along the veins and arteries suffused the flesh the saine same change was passing over her that lind had passed over the dying monster in the housein bouse in baltimore with horror donald realized that she was dying she crouched nt at his feet she raised her eyes to his once more fofe in that muto muta yearning and her face was that thal of 0 an aged woman for a few seconds longer the eyes looked into donalds then without elo closing S ing they seemed to glaze A flim film passed over them and with a shudder the queen fell at his feet dead 1 she had given her life in payment for her disobedience to the racial law it Is by such disobedience that the race evolves into something higher than itself by such man rose from his apelike ancestry by such some day wars and all wrongs will cease donald tore the coat from his shoulders and covered the body of the aged woman thing before him CHAPTER Mac Beard finds his destiny es tiny he gazed at it still hypnotized be was trying to fight his way back into consciousness for a few moments he did not know where he be was or what was happening then gradually he began to be aware of his surroundings ile he saw the body at his bis feet and the high cliffs about him and in the distance he be saw clouts clonts and Davies running toward the motorboat ida stood watching donald she was still hesitating ma Mac beard had found that he could start his engine ills his hand was on hers davies ands and clouts clonts were fifty paces away comel come 1 said blackbeard Mac Blac Beard the girl shuddered and suddenly she leaped into the boat Mac Beard threw himself against the gunwale ad a nde pushed it into deep water he sprang aboard he was twenty paces from the shore when his pursuers arrived at the water line davies whipped out his revolver Mac Mae Beard crouched behind ida and raised her body before film bilm for a shield the girl knew nothing of this maneuver for she had fainted surrender you blackguard shouted davies hearde with passion blac blackbeard Beard trembling cowered behind the girl with his hand stretched out behind her he guided the little craft the distance was increasing swiftly davies let ills his revolver hand fall he ha knew that at that distance it was im possible to lilt hit Mn Macl elleard leard with any certainty and he could not run the risk resl of shooting ida impetuously he be plunged into the water at first ills his desperate strokes seemed almost to carry him as bastas the motorboat but soon this was shown to be delusive the distance was increasing every instant davies clung to a ledge of rock and panted for breath he shook his free fist at Mac Alac Beard who laughed scornfully he had seen the settle beneath the waves and knew that by no possible chance could D onald catch him ile he turned to ida who was just opening her eyes he took her hand it lay iny limp a and nd cold in his own he saw her shudder and a diabolical fury overcame him he struck her across the face with hla his open hand band TO BE CONTINUED |