8]

Slaves of the Sea

{Cojryrttht. Tbt Prank A. Uunacr Co ) Within the battered, eaeltertn* eon-nlng-tover of B-33, Lieutenant Barton and hla cnfign. Rolf, marshaled the utmost of their nautical skill against the onslaught of the elements, while thex strove at the wheel rith united brawn to Keep the rolling, pitching

boat bead-on to the seas

All that day. from the great bean of the desert, the sirocco Ltd pulsed (ereriahly across the Mediterranean. No word had passed between the attack), swan-vlssi.ed commander and his lube bodied, blond-haired aid since the per.-cope-stsO had snapped by the board In the first crunch of the raseaing wind Then Roll had roared chore the pounding of the combers against

the thick-classed ports.

the coffinllke bo* crawled up Its slant-

ing track

"Bath'dy plates.' answered Corrigan, "two hundhred ar thim cum

aboard the day a-

room fer stowin', so 1 cnuckea me olrun In the say. They're hlrler. anyway; an' Us a fotne savin ar space." He turned hU attention again to the big. sloshing triple-pump, and Barton watched at the gauge unUl tt showed that the Jacket had been re-empUed. Bull the boat did not else or level H-

beld sotne-

_ ias of ttaw- " u would be wselsws for me to make stained parchment As he w.ote. he lignt of the conditions confronting kept speaking his t vn dictat'd! tn a

us." he said at length j half-audible whisper. HU voice was pitched low. devoid of I "Bette" save your strength.' Bar

was his —* 1 — *"-

of his own thought. i — - - -

"Orest God. I hsve ItV He spoke j allowing the hydroplane with the awesome deliberation «f s | dangerously . . llctl[ see’- from the depth, of hi. trance. I It 1. enough that It Jumped U«h -W, tu MU W - AM *> th. «on!, tt .W tuu “1“" "

be crumpled limply to the floor.

self.

“Better give her ihe reverse!" the lieutenant ordered. "Easy at Brat! We must hsve rammed the mud pretty

deep to sUck like this.”

As (hr big gas engines Increased the speed of their exploding rats plan. Rolf came tumbling down from the tower followed by the boatswain, whose thin, twitching features matched the chalk-

like color of Ms hair.

"There's t hulk sunk dead ahead." the ensign announced Though It did not tremble. hU voice was constrained. "We re poked half our length through her rotten side. The arc won't throw over twenty feet down here, and 1 Just made her out on the fringe of the

light."

At his words all looked toward the

^ . spinning shaft. And when the sub-

-SAeH ,iu, tit kick ot thl, ! » nM-Cttkg. th. pM a Wd tatter kick It or ..11 « the ^r.. rtook .rcr, bolt In ter have to swim " frvme. the reallration of the fearful

posslblUUes of their situation. In turn.

-Orders ' barton bad snapped In reply '"To the XJardanelles! Report to the captain of the Viclorr by the ISth. Noon!' Thais tomorrow, and were going through it the Gnomes don't

crack."

Bo they had struggled on grimly— muscles writhing under the strain and knuckles outstanding from knotted Rats hard as the spokes which they

gripped

At the same time, behind them, '"frank Marsh an aged boatswain ■wuug the lever that played the •earchlight, unceasingly to and fro— and while be tolled, be sweated—end < prayed. Down below, behind e stepped, steel door, the engineer. Jack Corrigan, straightened up from the stinking cylinders, and as be mopped Ills Cal, red face—he swort Theme lonr men made up the roster of this latest acquisition to the British Mediterranean fleet B-ll was a new type of asbmarfue. built for a special

left each man shaking "Caught — God — my wife, poor Mary!" fell piteously from the boat-

swain's Ups.

Barton flashed him a lock from his deep black eyes, as if searching the o'd man s soul and as be cUcked an order. Ms Jaws set square “Go get me the raading for depth!" he said; and Marsh walked awn/, convulsing in an effort to regain his self-

central

Corrigan stooped to close the oilteed—absently; for In his mind was limned the picture of the girl on the banks of Shannon for whom he had lived since the mother died—his daughter. Allecn, blue-eyed as he. but with gold alloying his coppery hair and heallh-glow toned to beauty. He roused from his Introspection caly at the railing of a dislodged wrench which struck the floor with a deep-toned clang that went tolling In ominous echo from waU to wall of th# steel-llnod room Somewhat startled at fludlng Ijlmself alone whin he looked up. he turned sod followed Bartou and Rolf Into the outer chamber Here the boatswain met

them.

“What Is itr asked the lieutenant. “Sluty-aeven feet, sir." Marsh reported—his voice barely audible Before morning several further tempts were made to dislodge the submarine. but an anchor fluke had hocked Into the wreckage and drl v m through the chain-bole *o firmly that the trials were fmltleea—end worse. For the pent-up exhaust from the glnes soon made that compartment In-

Should the need aiisu. her duty w as to fathom out the location of planted explosives In the deep murk of harborbottoms and thru to render their conI useless through the aculphuric add which she |ahich could be d'seharged f huge platinum syringe

t Into her bow.

Seemingly opportunity bad come with the departure of the Balkan sgenls from the futile Louden conference Poi It was at the very moment whan the allied armies began to hear down the web of diplomacy spun •across tbo Turks' musty comer ol Eu-

rope that B-XS had bean detached from the sen of the flotilla at Gibraltar and sir-tight

.nun lea away on her secret mission i No one aboard yet knew the pur- >

pose of tht trip

Barton's Instruct lone—direct from the admiralty—were merely to reach the euperdraadnaught Victory, at the Mediterranean end of the Uwrdauellee, not later than the hour mentioned and to have his arrival wirelessed at once to London. He bed funher to deliver ! • packet—then locked in bis strongbox below— the official red seal of which still remained unbroken. Though Barton was bent upon car rylng out these Instructions the sir

men is wer* not.

It was after B-JS had passed Cape Mataplan and plowing desperately against the overwhelming forces, bad worked well Into the ULglements of the archipelago that her flood-gate

suddenly gave way.

With a scries ol thundering glubs. | like the filling of aomc giant bottle, the water surged into the Jacket. , Simultaneously a bcad-ev-am opened. .imping the forward trimming-lank. , bvlorv either helmsman could i the planing lever ot the horl J rudder or throw the control of e-weight. Ihe submarine dug bar snout Into the waves and went plunging beneath the surface Uke a

(Tightened narwhal

Frantically. Rolf Jerked at the

Mangling bell cord, while Barton leaped > PoVc4 Half Our Length Through the toward the ladder from the batch to j Rotter glde"

the room below The drive ol the en- •— — - glnea ceased when the host ■ propel- door was opened a noxious, stifling i that It might help him to discover just 'era sliced into the air but her own j odor swept Into the outer room why the submarine would not more ^ i momentum thrust her onward. And j It's no use." said Barton at last.! As be peered through the forwsra when gravity clutched at tbo lousing • .but them off. Corrigan! They re j port, the glance of the ensign fell bead she dove in a short, swift .rc. on ly eating dp air—and that means j unexpectedly upon a cylindrical object coml-'.g. an Instant later, to a grinding I hours of life now!" j barely piercing the lighted area be•craping stop which shook Barton , All the lights ca the direct circuit low on the starboard side from the rungs of the ladder and sent went out when the motors stopped. | Pausing only to oonflrni his ItnpresBoll reeling against the 'ookoul-port | leaving the Interior shrouded In gloom I elon. he descended the ladder In baste. Barton leaped to hi* feet, and be-! (.re for one nmall battery-lncandes-' Marsh and Corrigan, where they sat. (ore rurbiag to Inspect the damaged 1 rr M which shed Its feeble, saffron Mu-1 had sunk to thrlr first troubled slumtank •-ranched open the door of the initiation over a table In the center of ; her Barton stood at the alr-valve. •suu.e room the living room I Exchanging places with the lleuten- • Kb* God « sake!" he shouted to Cor rflee.- was unconsldered; It was not ! ant. Rolf motioned Mm above And ngw.-. •rulck' 'Jet that gate shut and j to he thought of there, and could come j when the later presently returned his the pumpt gome' And the weight as to Ihe men only alien rxba-J*«!on added eolenjnlty of vlasgr did far all ar It will go* Flood that roar dragged them down need Ms cofrobora'.lng words: grimmlng lank !<»>' Tilt her up acme ' -'If* getting bad tn here already." It's a mine, unquestionably but tot,*. | s.<d Barton, aa be noted the rapidity not a contact affair, for I made out Loos*! —c! l>» 'he tianioieriuK »«aa, . of thel. Inhalations 'Tm aireld well [ wires cotied aruund the top

starun wld no inflection, and ao complete ' " self restraint lacking even In Iba

slightest betrayal of sympathy or emotion. It was more like the per' functory droning of some Jurist repeating the ritual of a mandatory sentence: yet none the less dearly It carried to the limits of the chamber. “Our very closeness to our destlnaMon means a scarcity of merchantmen in these waters And we are much too far down, anyway, to be seen from th# surface, even If the periscope eras not gone The only poss*ble manner I can conceive In which to attract attention Is to keep the propeller* going. But a sen making as It did last night won’t calm Itsell In a day; no the commotion we might kick up wouldn't

have much chance.

“Remotely, we might work loose It's almost a hopeless possibility; but It's here, with Hfe. Every Are minutes those engine* work shortens that life an hour For one. t am loath to surrender a second. We've failed In our mission. What It was I don't know: but I'm going to find that packet and tr It s In there 111 find out. It might too late to serve so long as a chance of escape remains. “1 can't assure you of myself that there Is the millionth pari of a single opportunity for us to win back our freedom: but for the sake of the one# we care for. 1 want to cling to that fraction. If anyone feels differently,

speak out!"

There was no audible response, although the boatswain's lips moved silently, as they had continued to do since the reference to fcls wife ‘

sihly he was praying again

Barton rtood waiting a moment; then, nodding appreciation of wordless assent, he sat down at table From beneath It he drew forth

the flat, metal box. There

sound In th- room while b through the paper* noiselessly,

at several-minute Intervals the release of the alr-valve which biased sharp'T as If some fabled serpent in the black sea outside were voicing anger at It*

Inability to reach the ro-n within. The lieutenant presently found the

packet, and for a matter of seconds his eyes ooontvreC the forbidding

sure of the lurid seal.

Then he split ihe wrap pc* lengthwise. and as he bent over the closely typed contents. Rolf instinctively edged nearer Suddenly Barton's arms began to tremble upon their resting elbows: his bands gripped a' the paper spasmodically, and It fell In a crumpled heap when the lien tenant pushed backward, staggering to his feet gaspingly, as If the air al-

ready had failed.

Rolf snatched up th* sheet, smoothing it upon the table top. Marsh crowded behind him while he read, and Corrigan stretched at arm-length away from his poaL Soorn of salutation, ‘.mpertlnent detail, and subscription. the message ran as follows: "Certain Interests at Constantinople demand protection, and It 1» Imperative that the Victory and Daunlles# reach that port. They will be ordered through Marmora on the JOth. T* - - Dardanelles are known to be hnavll mined. Secret advices froro the Intelligence bureau are that mines will be fired under pretense of accident If attempt Is made to pass Inadvisable at present to recognise this Information officially ll-SS will act under your orders. Instruct Lieutenant Bar ton to explore Immediate waters carefully. charting a course through the stn.lt which will avoid all difficul-

ties.. -

He concluded the missive aloud, half hysterically, and looked at the

others

For an appreciable Interval no

moved

"May the aatnt* save thlm whin they're going through.' murmured Cor rig an at length, and awaking to hla neglected duty, he roused the other* from the spell by a prolonged twist cf

the valve-lever.

It was nearing the close of the first benight'd day of confinement whi-n Rolf succeeded In relighting the electric beacon In the forepeak of the conning tower by wiring up several ator age hattertmi lu aeries The feeble current did not produce a light of very great penetration, b it the ensign. nevertheless, climbed aloft to the little circular room In the hope

ton cautioned, after observing silently for some momenta

Marsh slumped In hla chair, his sparse arms tight at hla sides, touching the floor with his finger tips which still outstretched rigidly as when they had dropped the pad and pencil at Barton's implied command. The lieutenant. at the table. Upped with a paper-knife; then laid It aside with an

annoyed look Of self-reproof.

Rolf act on the edge of a bunk— hla normally full Ups drawn to a grayblue line, hla starting eyes fixed In a are that sistned plumbing Infinity. Corrigan was at the valve. He stood with back to the others, hla bead so far bowed forward upon his breast that the rolls of fat at the nape of his neck pressed flat, and the cords showed Ivory-white beneath the skip. Now and again bis body beared and a oondero'u sigh welled from wlthla to blend sonorously with

th* seethe of the liberated air.

Presently he began to hum softlv

under his brsalh:

'There's a sunny spot In Ireland—" This is awful." be said, "awful! My God. Isn't there anything we can do? Can't w« send up a bottle—or

something T

"Nothing" Barton replied with ap-

parent sffort.

-The torpedoes'" Marsh leaped to his feet his face fairly contorting in his excitement "Tbeyll tear up the surface when they explode.'

walled.

Barton glanced st Rolf. Neither had spoken of that other Instrument of destruction outside almost brushlug the hull. The ensign still looked away. He could not speak to daph the

eld man's

“I'm afraid It wouldn't do." the lieutenant shook his head reluctantly. The bulk la close aboard, and that's

he turned where they'd go off. We might -hance

‘ them splitting her Is pieces before they did m. if she were all. I'd thought of It. But we lay within five feet of a mine-plant. The concussion—no,

we cant do that'

A* those tn the last death-watch, tolling off with quickened heart-beats the seconds before the black-capped march to eternity, the men peaaed ‘

next afternoon.

There was a brief relief from tension, wb'te they ate from the plentiful store In the food-locker and occasionally one or another stepped to the big water-tank to drink. Other wise attention centered on the pea-

sag' of time.

The hands of the ship's clock moved forward, and as remorselessly, the hand on the dial tolled In the other direction—pointing nearer and nearer, like the Index finger of Fate, to the little tero that meant annihilation. From moment to moment, the hissing of the valve became almost

albly fainter.

Tbeir days of living In the small, unventllated compartment had fouled tho -'.mospbere that the brex'.hed panlingly. open-mouthed. In great, whistling gulps. In their purpled. swollen veins and their Jaundiced eyes and yellow akin, the effect of the toxic ai Pons In the air was only

too apparent

Barton sat at the table—the log outspread before him—painfully, yet painstakingly. Inscribing the record. IBs own message had been written— a farewell to life and to ber for whom he most cherished It When at length be raised hit eyes from the page, they wavered ever so slightly as b* aJ-

dressed the old boatswain

"What shall I say. Marsh?' Tbs words cam* palpitatingly as be struggled for breath 'Td batter have tt

now—in time."

The boatswain was at the valve controlling tti* lever with fl agitated as the Indicator Itself. Hla throat muscle* gripped spasmodically

-i*d about

tag Jauntily toward the aviator Just as he recovered the machine s equilibrium and bis own presence of mind Puncturing the bag quickly with a pistol shot, he volplaned quickly to the water. And thereafter recovering the floating allk and reading th<- paper —he remained, hovering over the spot, as closely as he could Judge whence the small balloon had sent a launch to his assistance. And within another hour the powerboat was again putting out from the battleship with diving equipment and a man lo go below Marsh was on duly In the conningtower, where for days the men had set a watch, when there came a faint.

Barton was by fa!s side Instantly, shaking him roughly, savagely, while he fought back a hope that he dared not trust. "What do yon mean. DJek? Come ■speak! Make sir? Man. are you _ ad?" he cried as be tugged at the prostrate form with all his failing stsength. oxygen — life!" the ensign muttered- .He sat up unsteadily. "At the academy—remember? The acid and the batteries! We decomposed water. There’s enough In the tank till we raise the pressurethen we’ll get oceans of U." He swung bis arms above bis head dramatically—a bit wildly, while Barton himself Almost collapsed as his mind fl* w back to bis training school chemistry and the experiment of long

before.

Elec.rclysl*—thrusting the ends of two current-charged wires ta’o water, salt or fresh, tinctured weakly wltlr sulphuric add. beyond question, would separate the liquid into the oxygen and hydrogen of which It Is composed. One part of the first to two of the latter would be the proportion; and s single -cubic foot of the water would produce 2.000 feet of tbs gaa For an Instant thought of the fatal effect of pure oxygen struck the lieu-

tenant cold.

To make It respirable In the «!r It is diluted with three times Ita volume o? nitrogen. Then he reflected that hydrogen is also Inert and harmless to breathe and its ratio would be sufficiently Urge- Corrigan s act in substituting lead-oxid battery plates for i the Bon weights of the balance-trough ] now appealed to him as nothing short j of providential. "Unbelievable!" he cried as h' be- ! gtn to gather together all the glass Leyden-Jars they had; "yet—thank | God—so true—so true!" Their reprieve was barely in time: | and the lltotenant and Rolf went at preparations feverishly, while Marsh and Corrigan watched dumbly, scarcely comprehending the vital sweep of events. And when at last the first tiny bubble* began to rise through the water like the effervescence of some Jovian win*, no Ponce de '-oon arrived at his questad Fountain of Youth could hare matched the wild cry which sprang the reiteration of the sound aroused from th* Ups of Bart or and Bolt For ! him; and he turned to meet the nod m It was life, spelled In «6-foot , ding Cyclopean eye of the diving be)

THEORIES EXPOUNDED BY Pro. FESSOR METCHfHKOFF.

Russian Scientist, Am.--singly Vigor**, at Seventy Vssre of Age, Tstu How Human Life May Bo Long Extended.

lettt.s that reached to the top of the

*.

A box ol caustic soda used for ettv rodiug parts, was found: and Its contents scattered about the room served to absorb mud. of the carbonic gaa As the pressure rose a further means of disposal wax recallsu by Rolf. The I balance-trough was filled with water, and It gradually became chanted with the gas At the end of a week the barograph showed that It wuuld be safe to open a port lo get In touch

with the world above.

When no bottles were found in th* medicine chest of a slxe to be reason ably seen on the wave*, and when the other men tailed to make any of the empt> food-cans floating tigbL it was Corrigan who hit upon tho expedient ot using the oiled-allk cases In which the torpedoes were wrapped They spread out the folds of thrse with their breath and securely lied the ends. Barton put down their position as be bad figured 1L noting the possibility of error In longitude, and making mention of the bulk—th* lo cai.on of which he thought would

probably be known.

Tho several slips of paper were placed In the bag*, of which there were four, and three of them were

released at brief Intervals,

The men were now In total darknews. Th# single light Inside bad really been extinguished to conserve

the battmT-power.

Professor Metchalkoff Is again tfi> coursing on beneficent bacilli. Their introduction lato the system to destroy pernicious microbes wfll poxpone old age indefinitely, b* maintains. with the rewnlt that no mx: need take a vacation to reeupertt* lost vitality Kitchnlkoff at seventj works all the Urn* with undlmlnlrV-:

. ... . | rest. The fountaflu of youth whlrt I. tete,,d ten ot bl. dtete. H, W te ™w te'-'»»■«*> t,

ted tei.in.-d lo bl. rote-bo.—ted oo. ^or roll. Ute tedo.ood to.... knock!n. .. in "» .!. !!

door, w .tet lUrr ohoold oo. bo I. caorforll .l»teote B. to. W. (OO fTCk.tr .booked .lib ourpri.c Bo. 1 kOMdf took ted ktep.PI >™

i for 17 year*. In a recent In ter rip* Metchnlkoff seems to have said noth tag about exercjve as an aid to health His aim has been lo prevent renlxml I nation of the blood by tatestir.&l pel | sons which clog the human machine* by contact as they spread to orrxu and arteries Presumably Metchnlko? take* the air regularly, but adetc* Interests him much more than xport Perhaps It can be Inferred that he do»x not think the usual forms of exerclw ; necessary If a proper microbe diet ii

j practiced

The active agents Metchnlkoff fleds In the sugar of dates as well as lx the lactic add of prepared milk. H» rats nothing that la not cooked; evex his fruit must be stewed. The tow m>lk he take* at his “flret breaker ; which consists of vegetable boulllor and weak tea. beside* the drafi f! bacilli. At lunch and dinner he eatx a little meat, free of vegetables, trl always compote of frulL While other scientists of bis age who do not fol low hi. system falter at their sort In th# laboratory. Professor Metcbnl koff knotrs no fatigue, finishing each day fresh and full of enthusiasm. Yet be come* of a short-lived faintly. He Insists that hi* physical oond'-oi provrs beyond challenge that the the ory of beneficent radMi is sound Boms of tbs physical culturisw reach the tame result by a system c! boo* twining, muscle stretchier and flushing the colon! One ot them. 8m ford Ben;rtl, a well knoww baxlucw man ot Ben Fraccisc*. is more vigor out and nimble st seveaty-tw-> thM Profiasor Metchnlkoff U at orA’* Mr Bennett, who eats what be ptaaer* held* tbs tame thiory of the debfli taring and wasting effects of Inter tinal poisoning, but knowingly hr dor* not roosums certain kinds of tacilu to kill others. While a success! pertmenirr on himself, he la not a sd entisL At fifty Bsnnett was a billot* and tired-out burls*** man rapid)' growing old. Today be has a fresh complexion, sleeps soundly, mo*'* about like a healthy man of forty, can go through a day's bird shootiar In the woods without fatigue. Aasum tag that Professor Metchnlkoff I* right when he says that th* belli* of bariW in tbs human system can e# decided favor of the Invader* introduced natural sugar and soii**flh. It mUM be worth while Inquiring whether th* bad bacilli ere not killed by th* meth od* of the unscientific Ban PVwnrlK priest of youth In old sgs, although b makes no study st all of those food*

that contain good beclllL

: peering tn at him th ough the

port

He shouted to Barton, and they sort had the man inside It was decided that all could use the apparatus. If a rope were attache! to the leaded feet to drag It down alter each trip. Marsh was the first to go up. the diver remaining to show the others bow to adjust the suit Wbm the helmet was removed front the boatswain in the boat above one ol Its crew fainted 31 eight cf the seeming death apparition Incased In the raiment of the man they had sent be-

low.

The diver himself followed, tben

Corrigan.

For the passage o! the lines the bia port had to be kept oi«n continuous ly: and aa each man left air also lurched out until the submarine began to ship water dangerously. Already It gurgl'd deeply In the hold—with groat sphere* of gas sunrieg upward life a fountain. And at this moment - unthought of before by minds almost hj'aterlcaily excited—it came to Rolf and Barton as they laced each other lu the tower that only one ot them reu'.d use the suit. For it wav tmpo*

stale to secure

another person's help

that the frail silk bags had burst at

at the question, and h*

to fall. When he turned, hla eyi t,o-M « bwik ot In mini so unun*.

to . , teVnkto to ..poi™. that Roll tho oort.0, oo, teO .uok okmlo. c.rrr.

' , I tote , tott. - kw tttttttttttttt with Iho-m IVtl! anrti

and Corrigan with common Impulse glanced s* a>. and Barton elenebsd hi* fist until tbs i■anbolder snapped In

two.

Tell Mary." Marsh lingered falter'

tally over th# name, "say 1 didn't tbtnk the old cottage at home was good enough tor her; so I'm going to get s better on* promised os yonder. Toll her 111 keep It waiting, as she did tor ms. and that I'll try not to

mind her not coming for a while " The old man's vole# failed, and b*

pressed bis face agalnat the wall lo

hide f# frellnga . The broken holder abook In the

writing and paused a long momenl at the end. while Barton vumrooned the

New Methods Kill Old

One by one they go. th* rabble* d the dries In Chicago, tor taatai*'

without | only a handful reinalaa ot th* oW

timers As a vvntsbiag rec

True to the tradition of the service ' them.

Barton stepped aside Hut >uutb IVhrn the taxi cam* t* take ***! whl.h before had cried aloud for life their livelihood, they scorned the **'

j now. In the supremacy of Its courage, ’"hule with a line fervor end ref•’»•'*

rose indifferent!) to it. i lo >< knowledge lu

Their fourteenth dav of Imprison- ■■ You '“’ no t'«hl to decide It ail pedlenry "No good can CO»* *V thl"

Britt'S 1 -*• sr*'-"*«

oo.vttl »o InUttetloi. ol offor. to I ™ ''°' 6 " “™ i

teteoc Item. The, could to. too. | .^VSr.te CUctoteto,. „

parcl. The top of the ladder was al ready awash a* Rolf gave the helmet a final twist He pushed the llruien am out through the port-bute. and nil ing hla lungs from the exhausted xir

kicked after him

On the bridge ot the battleship Um

Inc their messages with them But such a possibility occurred to Rolf when the last ot the caalrgt was about to

be released

It was tben that Corrigan volunteered tc go op In lu place But h* encountered another shock when Barton explained that

practical purposes they were abut In sray-whiskerrd

Of course their ta»'

ensign I dwindled, but they sat UgbL gri® 1 ! matntatalug their stand against lb* evUs of fallen fortunes and •P'*' 4

mania.

At in* repons of sulo brigand*** and tax thieves they shook tbeir r>»' Leads solemnly and spat eagaciou»i! "Whs did 1 tell ye?" one asked umphsutl) "No good ran come

commander watched through powerful i thlm murder machine*!" glasses; sna a* man after man rolled | From this reflection they ah* P*

dotted Ii sjpkli. i bt b-ld H li> v.c mgle gtanr. p

f /

-.d th# have to start the air Rtand two-hour j The)'ve dropped them pretty tar

uatuhee while It lasts Corrigan, you out. or we made more westing than 1

engines uke the flret turn j thought There's nothing can b* done fmrni— As the engineer road* bl* way slow ] about it. though, from our position; is gears ly toward the corner where the little | •» you'd better L 11 " 'o and try lor a mi that brass controller of the alr lslv* pro- bit of sleep I>or t fret tbs other* by

repaired truded from the well beelde Ihe clock- mentioning IC"

mo L. he gauge 'hat recorded Ih^ r -ssureL' Tb* four men »"re awake together

< w.lght m the rlcelee# cylinder of M? Hsrtngf as the aeroon 4kr came lo an

ureL-

T

a ralsooo—and told him of the dan-1 Thard-len'raed Mr * B * blU lh * cabby do* s gerou. - bend.-' which must attend a rabcol £yhrad * ***' «unltghl

too rapid return to the a!r. Only "And the see u< when the batterlea would fall, and as | wtlch , crv ln u a final reeort was It bis purpose to | lu)lre< l ever, man'a

have them all risk the trip together. ! work*.' Had be known that the Victory j “By God' I'd make

swung al anchor barely a thousand - u I bad th. judgin

yard* away he might have altered hie the reward ol his g. reserve of bis stoic will to help him | inslrurtlou*. ] came next da) w hen

at hi* task. Ere tho Usutanant looked Hope for B 23 bad long been absn rumor proved to be false <*f tls unlfirms sc that the toward biro, Corrigan's full fleshed . donrd. and air rad) the nation bad for The first word that flew irom th, *“*» >r> hi* powder

face had aageed lumpUy. Oil hi# *r«» i mall) honored ber "dead"- when the . aerials of th- Victor* l,.-!,! IU „ „ h ,, seemed drawn and rolsahapeu Rolf* fourth bag left the little lower At , .grth a moment gasping inn ,»,» . ‘' eyes, aa he swayed on the edge of a Rolf* suggestion all tbe gas had been word that fell from the lip, bunk, again held that uncanny Imprea- , forced from It except Just enough to ; rescued men was—to each i, r |„, slou of lUlmltablllty. I carry It up. ! name All except the ensign who • a With his underjaw driven forward ! Hegaidies* of the lost ulne-soOut ] dragged into the Lun. t, tnscnubv

•o that Ihe teeth clasped his upper Up . the drradnuught* had been ordered to 1 pain.

and deep hollows showed before bis um the strait The) were Ic start tbe Ones more—aboard the t, , ears, be seemed toet tn th* maxes of | trip which held so much rumored —he faced death and refo,! , V.' some Intricate, problem A* Corrigan haxerd the next d*>. and had cent ‘fight And wh.-n, si ia*i hi* 1 " started to *i«ak th# ensign suddenly their hydroplanes atari in the vain . throbbed through to friumpl, „ ', , rose to hi# lt«l I hope Ibat human vision train their ! gained what such a brart de,,. ^

"W# sha n't die!" be Interrupted height, like birds, could And the hid hold For ot all the que.-nh m-.. ^ I , ——-

ta a whisper which llterall) snarled den mines which was visioned lu hi. 1^,?,!! 1 M. 1 “ 1*11110™ . mf boy ha* the whooping eougl 1

That must worry yo* “ *«j|, maybe It'* aR the

tea. jotek mmu i teto> mb. .. . ki. <01,tit to MteteW ! ««*». » .otto.-. toloVoo ; f" 1 •*“«•« te ctoT »■ V ,, “d I gel lln-e ip trad up

trios bo has a)re.

, Greet Men in Dieguls*. to bis * potentate or a tames* •ere In your ekln. how would

idmtral* Utr ‘k 1. Probable aasaasta? We »" id. and ■ 101,1 ,1 *“ t 'k' IraUer has his spec 1 * 1 impulse ' 1 “ ul,lp,, B>»di up In hit Image *«> 4 Ue flung : and dressed ta understu' 11 '"

»>»*r adopted the method hi EngU" 4 »• when there were "two Richmond' to tbe held But s.;-^«how w# all 111 '■••►t the eplcndi-j vanity of NclK'i who Insisted on going late Ihe K* j In full unltorm and with bis order. I bl. breast It as._ ( or thst re*. bl* last fight Most „f ui la »"»' I I'rr perhaps, would give away * I u “ *iilt* for (hi- *s*a*x!u ui pot •'

l-ondon Chronicle.

through the room. Then hi* vole# [ »o wh.-n the pilot of the maihtae I only one came back « . climbed lu a raucous crescendo to the from the Victory saw an oviform )*!• n ajm of consctaueneiti. anV volume of a shriek. 'Wc sha'nt die! low object pop from the blue res be- hour when he opened hie •>** i He Stood Uke *{iae young Roman j nesib him. as a pa might b. squecssd whispered a woman s belovcc;

t'-J't i . J,

n r Ik, trad tr 1 Jr.x^, made j