The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-04
CHAPTER xvii
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f.abs.. . 3
What Is ita DO You want me- Mars Mars
don ~ n
There's i Biz red glow due south, south.
sir, answered the third oilcer.s 1 en,,n
voice Tive been watching ~ i9 o., N
hour or more, sir. shou'" '''''> - D,
volcnno,8 SIR"
I. Danes eyes began to sparkle.
"Chaps.n liz cried, 'the Flame Moun-
tain at LAST
Give bounded from his seat but Leck-
burn coolly went on with his soup 'po.
Have they sighted it?. J., 1r.4
Jack has Struck OIL" said Hector.
Where's my fur overcoati Nlulllps' iis
overcont, I'm or on deck.
get cold, = said Lcckburn beckolllns n Iiy
to refill his plate, ''are mugWunps'i
And you're nothing but an over
grown, bearded glutton' saia fiec.or:
stay and eat, gorge Yourself, WI
everything. Clear the board you cam can,
mountain will keep hot, the dinner "on NJ,
1 shall also have nearer view OF tho
place after dinner than before It. shhi!
also be IN a mood to admire us Dehuties
or to pardon It's ugllness. Iherelore e..
remain and ent, and leave u TO ',.t tne
Young and nd foolish to face INC p'''"s
I'I5bEb Sulu FSllSc
They were rewarded when they reach
ed the bridge. Thc whole southern SKY
was aflamo with crimson light llght
so vivid that st paled the stars,
"We,ye found it, Give" said Hector
''Whnt makes such a glow?' .
IT expect there has been p!s .e,up-
ton, and the glow comes from inc iayl
which hasn't cooled down. u Is ,. .oo
steady to- come from the crater ,i' ''''
To- Ri In rO?'
Insight Flame Mountain, answered
Hector, r. and the Great Skull Ice. scar
east with the Great Skull Ice 70 port,
Wrhat,s where we may tumble, said
Give. 'What Is the Skull lcef = sup
pose It was some berg that oin Juan
thought bore some rough resemnlanos ~
a human skull. 1Ias it been DESTROYED,
has It melted or broken adrift? II was
a duce OF a time ago, Hec, and Ice won't
keep like granite or marble -
give thought OF that, sonny. There
are other things to go on---blood water
and the floating drift-weed: Doesn
that lool. like forest on fire? Docsn
1t feel warmer?"
room had risen nine degrees. They re-
mained some time watching the rosy
glow while Leckburn got through the
frozen salmon and lamb like philoso-
pher When they rejoined him nc was
RECALLING himself with macaroni cheese:
They played whist after dinner. Inc i
thermometer rose so rapidly that the
boar frost melted. and furs had to be
discarded Hour by hour the glow grew
f1ercer. And then the puzzing mercury
slinped back little by little until 1t was
again freezing hard. The whole snip
stood out In the uncanny red glare, every
spnr distinct, and her crew moved ABOUT
looking strangely like imps who sailed
~l,{ on a Gnrv 1t was
amazingly beautiful. but Its splendor In
spired awe.
"ETello," said Leckburn. there's the
first cloud we have seen for q month. tE
a black yapor was blotting out the
stars. They were heartily sick OF clear
skies and breathless Gains, and, ike fruo
sailors, longed for a gele. For weeks the
white sails had never bellfed ana MARS
den started q cheer.
"You needn't be 80 ready, lads" said
Hector. 'Tts more like smoke to me-
I tell you we don't want a gale from the
south at any price. Jupiter! It's coming
at pace.
The stars were vanishing rapidly under
the dense, black curtain that was rush :
ing over the sky. Burnand shrugged MS
shoulders and ordered everything to be
made fast. IT was wise to TAKE precau-
| lions in an unknown sea. Fie was not
| afraid Of any storm, for he had gathered
MANY a tough one in the gallant Silver
Star fs 49,
Smoke it is" cried Give. Cant you
smell it,"
It beat into their faces, strong. pun
| gent and sulphurons. The glare 1adeti
,nurk,lv and a great darkness came.
The electric lamps We're only specRs OF
yellow mist. They could not see each
others faces. f3t. n &,
The stars had vanished altogether.
Burnand wisely stopped the vessel. All
the men started coughing ana splutter-
| ing. Tho snow glasses guarded their
| eyes to some extent @ f
."There's no smoke without fire." said
| Give. ''but where's tho fire? Bah! this
is binding and choking. Where are YOU
! 1Iec?"
"Terc," answered IIector'at his elbow.
Tho dense fumes drove them below.
The yacht was rocking slightly.
| IT feel like a smoked haddocK' spiut-
tered Hector.
"And look It. ! expect, added I.eck-
burn. Glow long is this going to last?'
Ho stared up through the skylight
The lamps blinked family through the
I bilowy clouds Of smoke, and sometimes m,
their faint light was quite hidden. Inc
| men had crowded at the foot or the com
/ panion, wiping their eyes ana clearlne
their threats. Grmy stokers had JOINED
.
for a short spell,
/. "What's that" = A..
/. crash like thunderclap shook thu
vessel, followed by deep, inoessnn
swelling roar 1.cckhurn flew IN the steps
yelling for full steam ahetd' IN I'M
eerle darkness the men stumbled asalns
each other. Turnand shouted, put couI'
not be heard as he Numbered hlindly 20
wards the bridge Give fell over d iop'
and rolled into the scnppers...
"IIold fast hold fast!" beloved Lees
burn 49,,
Narsden was gripping the wheel
Louder came the lash and crash o. Watol
The bell changed, and the screw pesun y
whir And then the silver star sp.a''i
up like cork on the crest OF wave :, \
torrent of uke-warm water delugea ne
from stem to stern, and hammered ne !,
dIngy to pulp For moment VI ~" ;
was waist deep, and the men cl,'" 5oo ~ !,
J for their lives, Tho turmoil MAS , usa 1
ening, Then, shaking herself IKE son -,
big dog. the gallant yacht shot uuW'' 49,
black slope, and another terr'p'e ~ so
struck her, The horrd darkness au NV,