Then he reached down into a belt about his waist and drew from it a small, flat flask of what seemed to be lead.He opened it and let a few drops of its contents fall on each arm of the Norwegian.The liquid sparkled and instantly began to spread over the skin much as oil or gasoline dropped on water does--only far more rapidly.And as it spread it drew a sparkling film over the marbled flesh and little wisps of vapour rose from it.The Norseman's mighty chest heaved with agony.His hands clenched.The Russian gave a grunt of satisfaction at this, dropped a little more of the liquid, and then, watching closely, grunted again and leaned back.Hul-dricksson's laboured breathing ceased, his head dropped upon Larry's knee, and from his arms and hands the white-ness swiftly withdrew.
Marakinoff arose and contemplated us--almost benevo-lently.
"He will all right be in five minutes," he said."I know.Ido it to pay for that shot of mine, and also because we will need him.Yes." He turned to Larry."You have a poonch like a mule kick, my young friend," he said."Some time you pay me for that, too, eh?" He smiled; and the quality of the grimace was not exactly reassuring.Larry looked him over quizzically.
"You're Marakinoff, of course," he said.The Russian nodded, betraying no surprise at the recognition.
"And you?" he asked.
"Lieutenant O'Keefe of the Royal Flying Corps," replied Larry, saluting."And this gentleman is Dr.Walter T.Good-win."
Marakinoff's face brightened.
"The American botanist?" he queried.I nodded.
"Ah," cried Marakinoff eagerly, "but this is fortunate.
Long I have desired to meet you.Your work, for an Amer-ican, is most excellent; surprising.But you are wrong in your theory of the development of the Angiospermae from Cycadeoidea dacotensis.Da--all wrong--"I was interrupting him with considerable heat, for my conclusions from the fossil Cycadeoidea I knew to be my greatest triumph, when Larry broke in upon me rudely.
"Say," he spluttered, "am I crazy or are you? What in damnation kind of a place and time is this to start an argu-ment like that?
"Angiospermae, is it?" exclaimed Larry."HELL!"Marakinoff again regarded him with that irritating air of benevolence.
"You have not the scientific mind, young friend," he said.
"The poonch, yes! But so has the mule.You must learn that only the fact is important--not you, not me, not this"--he pointed to Huldricksson--"or its sorrows.Only the fact, whatever it is, is real, yes.But"--he turned to me--"another time--"Huldricksson interrupted him.The big seaman had risen stiffly to his feet and stood with Larry's arm supporting him.
He stretched out his hands to me.
"I saw her," he whispered."I saw mine Freda when the stone swung.She lay there--just at my feet.I picked her up and I saw that mine Freda was dead.But I hoped--and Ithought maybe mine Helma was somewhere here, too, So Iran with mine yndling--here--" His voice broke."I thought maybe she was NOT dead," he went on."And I saw that"--he pointed to the Moon Pool-- "and I thought I would bathe her face and she might live again.And when I dipped my hands within--the life left them, and cold, deadly cold, ran up through them into my heart.And mine Freda--she fell--" he covered his eyes, and dropping his head on O'Keefe's shoulder, stood, racked by sobs that seemed to tear at his very soul.
