Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-27

paused 1T the foot of the companion
ard looked back. breathlessness OF
excitement held the pirates in wise. |
From above the hanging lamp threw
strong shadows across their faces. |
bringing ont the deep lines. accentuat-
ing the dominant passions. With their
rags and blood. their unshayen faces.
their firearms, their filth. they showed
in violent antithesis to the immaculate
white of Old Scrubs cabin, its glitter
| ing brass and it's shining leather l
| darted up the steps.
The contrast of the starry night with
the glare of the cabin lamp dazzled my
| eyes. l stood stock still for moment.
| during which the only sounds audible
were the singing of the winds through
| the rigging. the wash of the sea and
the small, sharp click of Perdosa's in
strument as he worked at the chest.
Presently | could see better. / look
ed forward and aft for Pull, but could
see nothing of him and had just about
concluded that he had gone forward
when l happened to glance aloft
|
| him out huddled in silhouette against
the stars close to the main truck.
What he was doing there | could not
imagine However, l did not have
time to bother my head about him
| further than to rejoice that he could
not obstruct me.
/ should very much have liked to get
hold of a rifle and ammunition or at
least to lay in biscuit and water, but
for this there was no time. 1t was
not absolutely essential. The dull glow
of the island was still visible. Ighad
my pillar of fire and smoke to guide
me. Without further delay l jerked
loose the painter and drew the extra
dory alongside.
l had proceeded just so far in my
movements when the most eXtraordi-
nary thing happened. l shall try to
tell you of it as accurately as possible
and in the exact order of its occur
renee. First Il long, straight shaft Of
white light shot straight up through
the cabin roof to a great height. 1t
shone through the wooden planks as
an ordinary light shines through glass.
|
was thrown into Il deeper shade, and
yet the shaft itself was so brilliant as
almost to scotch the sight CuriouSly
enough, it was defined accurately, be-
| ing exactly in shape like one of the
rectangular tin air shafts you see so
often in city hotels. At the instant of
its appearance the wind fell quite
calm.
| Almost Immediately the rectangle on
the roof through which the light made
its passage began to splay out like
lighted oil, although the column retain
ed still the integrity of its outline.
The fire, if such it could be called, ran
with incredible rapidity along the
seams between the planks forward and
aft until the entire deck was sketched
like pyrotechnic display in thin, Wv
id lines of incandescence. From each
Of these lines then the fire began again
to spread, as though soaking through
the planks.
All took place practically in an in
slant of time. 1 had no opportunity
TO move or to cry out. Indeed, my
perceptions We're inadequate to the
task of mere observation. Up to now
there had been no sound. The wind
had fallen. The waters passed unno-
ticed. A stiffness of death seemed to
have descended on the ship. 1t was
broken by a sharp double report, one
as of the fall of q metallic substance,
the other caused by the body of Pull,
which, shaken loose from the truck
by heavy roll, smashed against the
rail Of the ship and splashed over
, board. Some one cried out sharply.
An instant later the entire crew strug-
. gled out from the companionway, rush.
. ed In grim silence to the side of the
! vessel and threw themselves into the
: sea.
: My own ideas were somewhat con-
fused. The fire had practically envel-
/ oped the ship. l thought to feel it,
and yet my skin was cool to the touch.
, The ships outlines became blurred. A
dizziness overlook me, and then all al
, once great desire seized and shool;
, my very soul. / cannot tell you the
, vehemence of this desire 1t was a
madness. Nothing could stand in the
r way of its qualification. Whatever
happened, must have water. 1t was
I not thirst nor yet purpose to allay
t the very real physical burning oil
E which / was now dimly conscious, but
q crav wing for the Iinuid itself &c com