Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11
THE MYSTERY
BY STEWART WHITE SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS.
Copyright.

handled schooner yacht for several years
and I'd appreciate the chance Of
VERY well, Mr.. MCGUIRE you shall be
the second in command"
THANK you, SIR
you gentlemen will pick volunteer
crew and go aboard at once. Spare no eff
fort to find records of the schooner's
cruise. Keep in company and watch for
signals. Report at once any discovery or
unusual incident. however slight
Not so easily was a crew obtained. Hav-
ing in mind the excusable superstition OF
the men, Capt. Parkinson was unwilling to
compel any of them to the duty. Awed by
the mystery of their mates disappear
ance. the sailors hung back. Finally by
temptation of extra prize money, a COM
PIGMENT was made up.
At 10 o'clock of a puffy, mist-laden morn
ing new and strong crew Of nine men
boarded the Laughing Lass. There were
no farewells among the officers. Forebod-
ings weighed too heavy for such open ex-
preston.
All the fates of weather seemed to COM
bine to part the schooner from her convoy
AS before, the fog fell, only to be sue
ceeded by squally rain showers that cut
out the vista into checkerboard pattern
of visible sea and impenetrabe grayness.
Before evening the Laughing Lass, making
slow way through the mists, had become
separated by a league of waves from the
cruiser. One glimpse Of her between mist
areas the Wolverines caught at sunset
Then wind and rain descended In furious
volume from tQe southeast. lue cruiser
Immediately headed about, following the
probable course of her charge, which would
be beaten far down to leeward. 1t was a
gloomy mess on the warship. In his cabin,
Capt. Parkinson was frankly seasick:
condition which nothing but the extreme
Of nervous depression ever induced In
him.
For several hours the rain fell and the
gale howled. Then the sky swiftly cleared
and with the clearing there rose a great
cry of amaze from stem to stern Of the
Wolverine. For far toward the western
horizon appeared such prodigy as the eye
of no man aboard that ship had ever be-
held From a belt of marvellous glowing
gold, rich and splendid streamers of light
spiraled up into the blackness of the
heavens.
rose and fell: blazing orange, silken. Won
derful, translucent blues and shimmering
reds. Below, broad band of paler hue,
like sheet lightning fixed to rigidity, wa
vered and rppled All the auroras Of the
northland blended in one could but have
paled away before the splendor Of that ter
rife celestial apparition.
On board the cruiser all hands stood
petrifed bound in a structure of speech
less wonder. After the first cry, silence
lay leaden over the ship. 1t was broken by
a scream of terror from forward. The
ouartermaster who had been at the wheel
came clambering down the ladder and ran
along the deck, his fingers splayed and
stiffened before him in the intensity Of his
panic.
1.-The needle! The compass!" he shrieked
Barnett ran to the wheel house with
Trendon at his heels. The others followed.
The needle was swayng like a cobra s
head. And as a cobras head spits venom,
1t spat forth a thin steel-blue stream of
lucent fire. Then so swiftly 1t whirled that
the sparks scattered from it in tiny
shower. 1t stopped, quivered and curved
itself upward until it ratified like fairy
drum upon the glass shield. Barnett
looked at Trendon.
"Volcanic2" he said.
"'Mine eyes have seen the coming of the
glory of the Lord" n,uttered the sur
geon in his deep bass, as he looked forth
like nothing else"
In the west the splendor and the terror
shot to the zenith. Barnett whirled the
wheel The ship responded perfectly.
81 thought she might be bewitched too,
he murmured.
: "You may head her for the light, Mr..