Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DIAMOND DICK, JR. OUT OF SIGHT. 15 from the entrance to the passage, or ves- tibule, he studied the interior. He immediately made the discovery that there was yet another passage shut off with portierres, and stepping to that he drew the curtains aside and looked beyond. A narrow passage was revealed, leading into another and smaller room, and Ber- _ tie lost no time in making his way thither. Here the floor was of a different kind. Three steps at the end of the passage led up to it, and it was separated from the passage by a plate of glass standing on edge. The floor was made of light wood, close cross sections, and it was floating 4 on water, which was about six inches deep. The water would have to rise two feet before it could overflow. Bertie wondered what+ this rooin was for, but the clew was at hand. At once he discovered a quantity of fishing tackle lying on the floating floor at one side, and this suggested fishing. He looked around. At the far end was what looked to be a sinall window. He crossed to it quickly and found that it was a window, in fact, and that it was 111 two sections. A valve suggested how it was worked, and Bertie gave the valve aturn to see what the result would be—and he quickly found out. The inner half of the window closed, at the same time that the outer half opened, and the inner half was imime- diately filled with water the same as the outer half. He turned the valve the other way. The inner half of the window opened and the outer half closed and the water which had been contained in the inner half ran in and splashed upon the floor. A glance at the fishing tackle revealed that floats were used, but no sinkers, and it was all plain. The hook, line, float, etc., were to be put into the empty half of the window, and the end of the line ecured there. By closing that half of the window the outer half was opened, and the float would immediately carry the baited hook up- ward to the required height, where it would wait for a bite. | As it was in plain sight all the time, it could be easily as- certained when a fish was on. Then, to draw in the fish, the operation was simply reversed and the line pulled in through a small aperture, that hardly afforded a leak, until the captured fish was ready to be admitted into the outer chamber. Then closed and the fish pulled into the outer half. Then the opening of the inner half delivered the fish to its captor. Bertie smiled as he took in this clever method of under-water fishing, and the whole scheme gave him an idea which he might have occasion to put into practice. But that would keep till he wanted to use it. Meantime, he must explore far- ther. The water in the fishing-room, he had no doubt, could be pumped out by the en- gine that kept the place supplied with air. It was only necessary for the fisher- man to take care that it did not overflow into the other apartment. But, then, it would take a week of constant use to do that. There being nothing more here, Bertie entered the passage and returned to the main room. Here he threw himself upon a reclining chair to think. As he settled himself down he looked out through the glass side of the room, and something he saw there caused him to leap to his feet instantly. About twenty feet away, seeming to stand in the water itself, at the first glance, was a young and pretty woman, looking fixedly at him, with a sad, sor- rowful expression. It was the young woman Bertie had seen on the previous night. He saw at once that she was in a room somewhat similiar to the one he himself occupied. The moment their eyes met she clasped her hands and held them out toward him, her lips moving at the same time, but not “a sound came ia his ears. So far as concerned hearing, they might as well have been ten miles apart. Their captors evidently considered it impossible for them to communicate with each other, or else did not care a rap if they did, having them both secure in their power. COMICHOOOKS the inner window was CO