CHAPTER XI
"A BILLION FOR A SHARE"
The Ark had lodged on the loftiest part of the Palisades. It was only afterlong and careful study of their position, rendered possible by occasionalglimpses of the Orange Hills and high points further up the course of theHudson, that Cosmo Versal and Captain Arms were able to reach thatconclusion. Where New York had stood nothing was visible but an expanse ofturbid and rushing water.
But suppose the hard trap rocks had penetrated the bottom of the Ark! Itwas a contingency too terrible to be thought of. Yet the facts must beascertained at once.
Cosmo, calling Joseph Smith, and commanding him to go among the frightenedpassengers and assure them, in his name, that there was no danger, hurried,with the captain and a few trusty men, into the bowels of the vessel. Theythoroughly sounded the bottom plates. No aperture and no indentation wasto be found.
But, then, the bottom was double, and the outer plates might have beenperforated. If this had happened the fact would reveal itself through theleakage of water into the intervening space. To ascertain if that hadoccurred it was necessary to unscrew the covers of some of the manholes inthe inner skin of levium.
It was an anxious moment when they cautiously removed one of these covers.At the last turns of the screw the workman who handled it instinctivelyturned his head aside, and made ready for a spring, more than halfexpecting that the cover would be driven from his hands, and a stream ofwater would burst in.
But the cover remained in place after it was completely loosened, and untilit had been lifted off. A sigh of relief broke from every breast. No waterwas visible.
"Climb in there, and explore the bottom," Cosmo commanded.
There was a space of eighteen inches between the two bottoms, which wereconnected and braced by the curved ribs of the hull. A man immediatelydisappeared in the opening and began the exploration. Cosmo ordered theremoval of other covers at various points, and the exploration was extendedover the whole bottom. He himself passed through one of the manholes andaided in the work.
At last it was determined, beyond any doubt, that even the outer skin wasuninjured. Not so much as a dent could be found in it.
"By the favor of Providence," said Cosmo Versal, as his great head emergedfrom a manhole, "the Ark has touched upon a place where the rocks arecovered with soil, and no harm has come to us. In a very short time therising water will lift us off."
"And, with my consent, you'll do no more navigating over hills andmountains," grumbled Captain Arms. "The open sea for the sailor."
The covers were carefully replaced, and the party, in happier spirits,returned to the upper decks, where the good news was quickly spread.
The fact was that while the inspection was under way the Ark had floatedoff, and when Cosmo and the captain reached their bridge the man who hadbeen left in charge reported that the vessel had swung halfway round.
"She's headed for the old Atlantic," sung out Captain Arms. "The soonerwe're off the better."
But before the captain could signal the order to go ahead, Cosmo Versallaid his hand on his arm and said:
"Wait a moment; listen."
Through the lashing of the rain a voice penetrated with a sound between acall and a scream. There could be no doubt that it was human. The captainand Cosmo looked at one another in speechless astonishment. The idea thatany one outside the Ark could have survived, and could now be afloat amidthis turmoil of waters, had not occurred to their minds. They experienceda creeping of the nerves. In a few minutes the voice came again, louderthan before, and the words that it pronounced being now clearly audible,the two listeners could not believe their ears.
"Cosmo Versal!" it yelled. "Cosmo-o-o Ver-sa-al! A billion for a share! A_billion_, I say, a _bil-li-on_ for a share!"
Then they perceived a little way off to the left something which lookedlike the outline of a boat, sunk to the gunwales, washed over by everywave; and standing in it, up to their waists in water, were four men, oneof whom was gesticulating violently, while the others seemed dazed andincapable of voluntary movement.
It was the boat of levium that had been thrown out of the wreckage when thebattleship ran down the Municipal tower, and we must now follow the threadof its adventures up to the time of its encounter with the Ark.
As the boat was driven westward from the drowned site of Madison Square itgradually freed itself from the objects floating around, most of which soonsunk, and in an hour or two its inmates were alone--the sole survivors of adense population of many millions.
Alone they were in impenetrable darkness, for, as we have said, night hadby this time once more fallen.
They floated on, half drowned, chilled to the bone, not trying to speak,not really conscious of one another's presence. The rain beat down uponthem, the waves washed over them, the unsinkable boat sluggishly rose andfell with the heaving of the water, and occasionally they were nearly flungoverboard by a sudden lurch--and yet they clung with desperate tenacity tothe thwarts, as if life were still dear, as if they thought that they mightyet survive, though the world was drowned.
Thus hours passed, and at last a glimmer appeared in the streaming air, anda faint light stole over the face of the water. If they saw one another,it was with unrecognizing eyes. They were devoured with hunger, but theydid not know it.
Suddenly one of them--it was he who had been so miraculously thrown intothe boat when it shot out of the tangle of falling beams and walls--raisedhis head and threw up his arms, a wild light gleaming in his eyes.
In a hoarse, screaming voice he yelled:
"Cosmo Versal!"
No other syllables that the tongue could shape would have produced theeffect of that name. It roused the three men who heard it from theirlethargy of despair, and thrilled them to the marrow. With amazed eyes theystared at their companion. He did not look at them, but gazed off into thethick rain. Again his voice rose in a maniacal shriek:
"Cosmo Versal! Do you hear me? Let me in! A billion for a share!"
The men looked at each other, and, even in their desperate situation, felta stir of pity in their hearts. They were not too dazed to comprehend thattheir companion had gone mad. One of them moved to his side, and laid ahand upon his shoulder, as if he would try to soothe him.
But the maniac threw him off, nearly precipitating him over the side ofthe submerged boat, crying:
"What are _you_ doing in my boat? Overboard with you! I am looking forCosmo Versal! He's got the biggest thing afloat! Securities! Securities!Gilt-edged! A _billion_, I tell you! Here I have them--look! Gilt-edged,every one!" and he snatched a thick bundle of papers from his pocket andwaved them wildly until they melted into a pulpy mass with the downpour.
The others now shrank away from him in fear. Fear? Yes, for still theyloved their lives, and the staggering support beneath their feet had becomeas precious to them as the solid earth. They would have fought with thefury of madmen to retain their places in that half-swamped shell. They werestill capable of experiencing a keener fear than that of the flood. Theywere as terrified by the presence of this maniac as they would have beenon encountering him in their homes.
But he did not attempt to follow them. He still looked off through thedriving rain, balancing himself to the sluggish lurching of the boat, andcontinuing to rave, and shout, and shake his soaked bundle of papers,until, exhausted by his efforts, and half-choked by the water that drove inhis face, he sank helpless upon a thwart.
Then they fell back into their lethargy, but in a little while he was onhis feet again, gesticulating and raging--and thus hours passed on, andstill they were afloat, and still clinging to life.
Suddenly, looming out of the strange gloom, they perceived the huge form ofthe Ark, and all struggled to their feet, but none could find voice but themaniac.
As soon as he saw the men, Cosmo Versal had run down to the lowest deck,and ordered the opening of a gangway on that side. When the door swungback he found himself within a few yards of the swamped boat, but ten
feetabove its level. Joseph Smith, Professor Moses, Professor Jones, ProfessorAble, and others of the passengers, and several of the crew, hurried to hisside, while the rest of the passengers crowded as near as they could get.
The instant that Cosmo appeared the maniac redoubled his cries.
"Here they are," he yelled, shaking what remained of his papers. "Abillion--all gilt-edged! Let me in. But shut out the others. They'reonly little fellows. They've got no means. They can't float an enterpriselike this. Ah, you're a bright one! You and me, Cosmo Versal--we'llsqueeze 'em all out. I'll give you the secrets. We'll own the earth! I'm_Amos Blank!_"
Cosmo Versal recognized the man in spite of the dreadful change that hadcome over him. His face was white and drawn, his eyes staring, his headbare, his hair matted with water, his clothing in shreds--but it wasunmistakably Amos Blank, a man whose features the newspapers had renderedfamiliar to millions, a man who had for years stood before the public asthe unabashed representative of the system of remorseless repression ofcompetition, and shameless corruption of justice and legislation. After theworld, for nearly two generations, had enjoyed the blessings of the reformsin business methods and social ideals that had been inaugurated by thegreat uprising of the people in the first quarter of the twentiethcentury, Amos Blank, and lesser men of his ilk, had swung back thependulum, and re-established more firmly than ever the reign of monopolyand iniquitous privilege.
The water-logged little craft floated nearer until it almost touched theside of the Ark directly below the gangway. The madman's eyes glowed witheagerness, and he reached up his papers, continually yelling his refrain:"A billion! Gilt-edged! Let me in! Don't give the rabble a show!"
Cosmo made no reply, but gazed down upon the man and his bedraggledcompanions with impassive features, but thoughtful eyes. Any one who knewhim intimately, as Joseph Smith alone did, could have read his mind. He wasasking himself what he ought to do. Here was the whole fundamental questionto be gone over again. To what purpose had he taken so great pains toselect the flower of mankind? Here was the head and chief of the offensethat he had striven to eliminate appealing to him to be saved undercircumstances which went straight to the heart and awoke every sentiment ofhumanity.
Presently he said in as low a voice as could be made audible:
"Joseph, advise me. What should I do?"
"You were willing to take Professor Pludder," replied Smith evasively, butwith a plain leaning to the side of mercy.
"You know very well that that was different," Cosmo returned irritably."Pludder was not morally rotten. He was only mistaken. He had thefundamental scientific quality, and I'm sorry he threw himself away inhis obstinacy. But this man--"
"Since he is _alone_," broke in Joseph Smith with a sudden illumination,"he could do no harm."
Cosmo Versal's expression instantly brightened.
"You are right!" he exclaimed. "By himself he can do nothing. I am surethere is no one aboard who would sympathize with his ideas. Alone, he isinnocuous. Besides, he's insane, and I can't leave him to drown in thatcondition. And I must take the others, too. Let down a landing stage," hecontinued in a louder voice, addressing some members of the crew.
In a few minutes all four of the unfortunates, seeming more dead than live,were helped into the Ark.
Amos Blank immediately precipitated himself upon Cosmo Versal, and, seizinghim by the arm, tried to lead him apart, saying in his ear, as he glaredround upon the faces of the throng which crowded every available space.
"Hist! Overboard with 'em! What's all this trash? Shovel 'em out!They'll want to get in with us; they'll queer the game!"
Then he turned furiously upon the persons nearest him, and began to pushthem toward the open gangway. At a signal from Cosmo Versal, two menseized him and pinioned his arms. At that his mood changed, and,wrenching himself loose, he once more ran to Cosmo, waving his bedraggledbundle, and shouting:
"A billion! Here's the certificates--gilt-edge! But," he continued, witha cunning leer, and suddenly thrusting the sodden papers into his pocket,"you'll make out the receipts first. I'll put in _five_ billions to makeit a sure go, if you won't let in another soul."
Cosmo shook off the man's grasp, and again calling the two members of thecrew who had before pinioned his arms, told them to lead him away, at thesame time saying to him:
"You go with these men into my room. I'll see you later."
Blank took it in the best part, and willingly accompanied his conductors,only stopping a moment to wink over his shoulder at Cosmo, and then hewas led through the crowd, which regarded him with unconcealedastonishment, and in many cases with no small degree of fear. As soon ashe was beyond earshot, Cosmo directed Joseph Smith to hurry ahead of theparty and conduct them to a particular apartment, which he designated atthe same time, saying to Smith:
"Turn the key on him as soon as he's inside."
Amos Blank, now an insane prisoner in Cosmo Versal's Ark, had been thegreatest financial power in the world's metropolis, a man of iron nerve andthe clearest of brains, who always kept his head and never uttered afoolish word. It was he who had stood over the flight of steps in theMunicipal Building, coolly measuring with his eye the rise of the water,exposing the terrible error that sent such a wave of unreasoning joythrough the hearts of the thousands of refugees crowded into the doomededifice, and receiving blows and curses for making the truth known.
He had himself taken refuge there, after visiting his office and fillinghis pockets with his most precious papers. How, by a marvelous stroke offate, he became one of the four persons who alone escaped from New Yorkafter the downpour began is already known.
The other men taken from the boat were treated like rescued marinerssnatched from a wreck at sea. Every attention was lavished upon them, andCosmo Versal did not appear to regret, as far as they were concerned, thathis ship's company had been so unexpectedly recruited.