Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 134, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1919 — THE DEEP SEA PERIL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE DEEP SEA PERIL

By VICTOR ROUSSEAU

(Copyright by W. G. Chapman)

CHAPTER Xl—Continued.“Of course I love you," he responded sadly. Somehow his heart was utterly overcast; it was as if he had looked into the face of immortal beauty. “Of course I love you. Won’t you try to sleep. Ida ?” he asked. “Yes.” she answered, releasing herself. “But you don't love me, Donald—l know!“ And slowly she withdrew into her cabin, leaving Donald a prey to intense bewilderment and despair. Who was she. this almost invisible beauty? Had she followed him here, aboard the ship, or—-swimming behind the submarine? Was she another species of the sea devils? Suddenly, for the first time since their conversation, he recalled Masterman’s words;* “I brought my specimen home with me. Think of that, lad! She didn’t want to eat. They don’t eat after they are mature. Donald.” Now it catffe to Donald with conviction that the old captain had had reference to —this woman! And, straining his eyes through the darkness, he saw her again. But this time there was visible upon her face an expression so pitiful that it almost brought the tears to Donald’s eyes.

She was watching him with a dumb yearning of inexpressible pathos. That look reminded Donald of the old legend of the mermaid who could obtain a soul only from some human lover. An idea came to him. He would go up into the conning tower; in that narrow space he could see her better and understand what she was. But as he stood in the passage, at the bottom of the trapdoor. Clouts appeared before him. It occurredto Donald afterward that he had been there for a considerable time. “It’s all right, sir!" said Clouts. “You told me to call you when you was to go on duty, and it’s all right.” “What's all right?" demanded Donald. “It’s all right, sir. I understand such things.” said Clouts. '' ■* s C'l6utf<“what the devil are you talking about?” “It’s all right, sir,” replied Clouts Tor the third time, pointing before him. And in the passage, not more than a dozen feet away, Donald saw the woman’s form. His anger vanished. He took the sailor by the arm. “Clouts,” he said, “do you suppose we could get her into the conning tower?” “I don't know, sir," said Clouts, shaking his head. “If she's willing to go, sir. That's the question, sir.” “Clouts” —Donald’s voice sank to a whisper—“you must understand that this isn’t a woman I—at 1 —at least not a human one.T She's —she’s —” “Quite so. if I might say so. or thereabouts,” said Clouts. “And do you think you could get her there?"

Cl6uts scratched his head. “I suppose so, sir,” he answered. “But she'd have to come out again, you know.” “That’s what I intend,” said Donald desperately. “Back into the water—through the airlock.” “Push her in. sir?” “Lead her in. Clouts. Put on my coat and let her follow you. Theft, when you’ve got her inside, put on the last diving dress and see that she — that she doesn’t come back. I don’t mean you to hurt her. She can live under the water, you know. And, while you’re about it. Clouts, you might see if you can adjust the rudder.” For a moment Clouts and his captain looked hard into each other’s eyes. Then Clouts’ grim face softened. Putting his hands to his pocket, he drew out his mouth organ, and the soft strains of “Annie Rooney” went up into the air." Clouts played it through with quiet resolution. “I’ll do it. sir," he said. ~ Donald turned and saw that the woman of the sea stood exactly where she had been throughout that interview. She had not stirred. He waited while Clouts found the last diving suit in the storeroom, and then the two went back into the messroom. Presently Clouts emerged, encased in his cylinder, and holding the glass mask in his hand. About his shoulders he wore Donald's coat. Donald waited within. He heard the conning tower trapdoor close, and after that he could

hear nothing. He waited an indefinite time. Suddenly a soft splashing of water told him that the lower levels of the sea were being agitated by the condensed oxygen in the airlock. There followed silence. The sounds were cut off abruptly, and for a long time Donald waited. His nerves were so tense that when Clouts opened the door he started violently. He peered into the sailor’s face. ■ “I’ve done it, sir," said Clouts. “She ‘followed me like—dike a dog, sir. And I saw her eyes when I pushed her into the water, and I don’t want to see a (look like that again. It felt like murder. Mr.” “Nonsense!” exclaimed Donald an-

grily. “You know perfectly well, Clouts, that she wasn't on board when we started. Therefore, she must have come in with us from the sea bottom.” “I know, sir,” said Clouts, shaking his head mournfully. Then, unable to control himself, he clapped his hand to his mouth organ. And Donald waited alone, sleepless, while the dreary night wore on.

CHAPTER XII. Afloat and Ashore. He must have fallen Inton light doze at last, for he awakened to find Davies nt his side. The middy’s voice cleft the thick darkness like a knife. “We’re done for. old man!” he whispered. “We’d better not awaken her. Listen —- 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 btjing exerted against the sides of the vessel. “We’re breaking up, sir.” _2!Ynu-ineaxi=2!l——— “It’s that gang of devils, Donald. Do. you mind letting me grip your arm <a minute, sir? It’s in a way The sounds grew louder. The plateSy were groaning under pressure, and it’ seemed every instant that the rivets would start and the water rush in. “It’s 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 own mind, b"’ he knew that his explanation was nonsense, meant to deceive not’only Davies, but himself also. The sea monsters must be pushing against the bottom of the F 55, to break her by their own weight and get at their prey within. Maddened by hunger in those barren solitudes of darkness, they were a frenzied army of destruction. He wondered w’hether Clouts’ act was in any way the cause of this new activity. The pressure Increased. The steel plates crackled as trees snap in zero weather. Donald looked up and saw Ida standing in the doorway. , ' “Is anything wrong?” 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 I said, dear,” she 'whispered. clinging to his arm. “I was so afraid —not of death, dearest but of the loneliness in that room. I was afraid for you.” He patted her arms without speaking, and led the way to the conning tower again. It was preferable that they should die, if they must, by suffocation. rdther than in the maw of the monsters. Inclosed within those stout walls of steel, they could at least hope to find a perpetual tomb there. The pressure was still increasing. The floor of the conning tower began to tilt. Surely this was the end! ..,,-But the floor righted, tilted, righted once more. A sense of movement succeeded that of pressure. Then, to their utter amazement. a white light, shot through the observation port, flooding the inside of the conning tower, and the F 55 scraped the rocks. Donald grasped at Davies. “Davies! We are at the surface again!” he cried. There was no doubting it. The moonlight flooded the interior of the tower, and before their eyes, seen through the port, were the rugged outlines- of Fair Island. The monsters must have raised the submarine by the united force of their massed bodies. z “This time,” 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 D 55. She was back in her old position upon the shelving 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 Clouts?” asked Donald suddenly. “Isn’t he below?” queried Davies. Donald raised his voice and shouted. He ran below, calling for Clouts. But there came no answer. It soon became evident that Clouts was not on the submarine. "Good Lord!” said Donald. It occurred to him then that he had told Clouts to look at -the rudder, but he had never supposed that the man would be able to adjust it. Had 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 went ashore. The firm rocks underfoot seemed the most delicious part of their strange fortune, and gave reality to what was still hardly more than a dreanh : ‘ ~ They knew that there was no danger of attack in the moonlight. Nevertheless, they remained near the boat. And each of them called for Clouts, firing his revolver, and listening for any response.

\ But there was no response. It was evident that, for some reason unknown, Clouts had gone into the sea. They went to a cave and began to make a quick examination of it. In the midst of this work a whirring sound came to their ears. It was that of a gas engine. Looking over the rocks, they, saw a man in a large motorboat hurrying round the promontory. Donald hailed him with a yell. There came no answer, but the boat continued to make toward them. The? man in the boat raised his head. It was Macßeard. He stopped the engine and lay to, about a couple of hundred yards away. He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and waved it. “The Id n rogue!” muttered Davies, raising his revolver. It Was i indeed’Professor Macßeard. And he appeared, distressed. At least he flew the distress, or parley, signal, and his movements seemed altogether more agitated,, and his demeanor less bland than on the preceding afternoon. Whatever his nocturnal work had been, it seemed to have been cut short uy the dawn, which had driven the monsters to seek shelter in the ocean depths. He seemed to have come fFpm the other side of the island. \ “Truce!” he seemed to shout, although the sound, echoing from rock to rock, was not clearly audible. “Truce!” He waved the handkerchief frantically. Donald and Davies fired together. They saw the bullets strike*4:he water. Macßeard crouched down behind the engine. There could be no parleying with such as he. <

They emptied their weapons in their fury. Macßeard was just out of range. He started the engine again and came to a halt fifty yards farther at sea. , “Truce T~T want to speak to you,” he yelled. They aimed their empty revolvers. Macßeard started for safety. His boat disappeared round a distant point of the island. “The devil!” said Donald. Then he turned to Davies.“We’ll take on supplies, at any rate,” he said. “One thing is sure: those devils might raise the submarine, but they can never sink her, once the tanks are blown.” “They were blown when we submerged, sir.” answered the middy. “The deflected rudder kept Us down. But we can’t go down unless we try to start her.” z —— > “Miss Kennedy!” Donald called to Ida, who had disappeared within the cave.- —-- —— ‘ " She did not answer him. and the two men approached to summon her. But just within the cave they saw something that revived for a moment the old horrors which they had escaped. They were two human skeletons, with fragments of clothing near them. Donald stooped and picked Up a morsel.

—“Khaki government khaki r he said. “I wonder who—” But the. explanation became too obvious when, projecting from behind a rock near by. they saw the wing of an airplane. The missing aviators had been found. And®the manner of their death was only too clear. _ They must have been seized, while sleeping, by the sea devils. The airplane, which was of the hydroplane type, had evidently been drawn within the cave and left there by the aviators. A hasty examination showed Donald that it was uninjured. Perhaps Macßeard had intended to make use of it; or it was possible that he had not seen It, for it was hardly distinguishable among the shadows. “Miss Kennedy!” called Donald. '“lda! WheVe are you? Don’t go too far!” / • No answer came, and they began to grow uneasy. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

Looking Over the Rocks, They Saw a Man in a Large Motorboat.