A Thousand Degrees Below Zero
By Murray Leinster
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
The Thrill Book, July 15, 1919.]
Contents
| CHAPTER I. |
| CHAPTER II. |
| CHAPTER III. |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| CHAPTER V. |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
| CHAPTER IX. |
| CHAPTER X. |
| CHAPTER XI. |
CHAPTER I.
From some point far overhead a musical humming became audible. Itwas not the rasping roar of an aëroplane motor, but a deep, trulymelodious note that seemed to grow rapidly in volume. The soft-voicedconversations on the upper deck were hushed. Every one listened tothe strange sound from above. It grew and became clear and distinct.The source seemed to come nearer. At last the sound came from a spotdirectly overhead, then passed over and toward the Narrows.
A cold breeze beat down suddenly. It was not a cool sea breeze, buta current of air coming down from directly above the Coney Islandsteamer. It was actively, actually cold. A chorus of exclamationsarose, full of the wit of the American a-holidaying.
"Br-r-r-r! I feel a draft!"
"Say, Min, are you givin' me the cold shoulder?"
"Sadie, d'you want to borrow all of my coat or only the sleeve?"
And one young man caused a ripple of laughter by remarking:
"Feels like my mother-in-law was around somewhere."
People hastened to put on such wraps as they had with them. On thelower decks there arose a sound of tired voices, saying with variationsonly in the names called:
"Johnnie, button up your coat. It's getting cold."
The cold wave lasted only for a few moments, however. As the steamerforged ahead the strata of cold air seemed to be left behind, and thehumming sound grew fainter. If the passengers on the boat had listened,they might have heard a faint splash in the water behind them, butas it was the sound went unnoticed. The humming died away. The boatwent on and docked, and the passengers dispersed to their homes. Everyone of them woke the next morning to find himself or herself locallycelebrated.
Half an hour after the Coney Island boat had docked a tramp steamer wasnosing her way out of the Narrows. She was traveling at half speed,the air was clear, the channel was well buoyed, and there seemed nopossibility of any