Page:Astounding Stories of Super Science (1930-05).djvu/17

Rh trip. For various reasons, Mercer had cut our crew to the minimum. We had two navigating officers, experienced submarine men, both, and five sailors, also experienced in undersea work. With such a short crew, Mercer and I were both kept busy.

ONNETT, the captain, was a tall, dark chap, stooped from years in the low, cramped quarters of submarines. Duke, our second officer, was a youngster hardly out of his 'teens, and as clever as they come. And although both of them, and the crew as well, must have, been agog with questions, neither by word nor look did they express their feelings. Mercer had paid for obedience without curiosity, and he got it.

We spent the first night on the bottom, for the simple reason that had we come to the surface, we might have come down into territory unfamiliar to our guide. As soon as the first faint light began to filter down, however, we proceeded, and Mercer and I crowded together into the conning tower.

"We're close," said Mercer. "See bow excited they are, all three of them."

The three strange, creatures were holding onto the chains and staring over the bulging side of the ship. Every few seconds the girl turned and looked back at' us, smiling, her eyes shining with excitement. Suddenly he pointed straight down, and held out her arms in unmistakable gesture. We were to stop.

ERCER conveyed the order instantly to Bonnett at the controls, and all three of our guides- dived gracefully off the ship and disappeared into the depths below.

"Let her settle to the bottom, Bonnett," ordered Mercer. "Slowly slowly"

Bonnett handled the ship neatly, keeping her nicely trimmed. We came to rest on the bottom in four or five seconds, and as Mercer and I stared out eagerly through the round glass ports of the conning tower, we could see, very dimly, a cluster of dark, rounded projections cropping out from the bed of the ocean. We were only a few yards from the edge of the girl's village.

The scene was exactly as we had pictured it, save that it was not nearly as clear and well lighted. I realized that our eyes were not accustomed to the gloom, as were those of the girl and her people, but I could distinguish the vague outlines Of the houses, and the slowly swaying shapes of monstrous growths.

"Well, Taylor," said Mercer, his voice shaking with excitement, "here we are! And here"—peering out through the glass-covered port again—"are her people!"

HE whole village was swarming around us. White bodies hovered around us as moths around a light. Faces pressed against the port's and stared in at us with great, amazed eyes. Then, suddenly the crowd of curious creatures parted, and the girl came darting up with the five ancients she had showed us before. They were evidently the council responsible for the government of the village, or something of the sort, for the other villagers bowed their heads respectfully as they passed.

The girl came close to the port through which I was looking, and gestured earnestly. Her Ace was tense and anxious, and from time to time she glanced over her shoulder, as though she feared the coming of an enemy.

"Our time's short, I take it, if we are to be of service," said Mercer. "Come on, Taylor; into the diving suits!"

I signaled the girl that we understood, and would hurry. Then I followed Mercer into our tiny stateroom.

"Remember what I've told you," he said, as we slipped into the heavy woolen undergarments we were to wear inside the suits. "You understand how