Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-12
synopsis of Preceding Chapters

CHAPTER 1.-The officers OF the
United States ship Wolverine. cruising
in the Pacific, are mystifed by a
strange radiance which appears sud
denly on the face of the sea and van
lshes as suddenly. The officers discuss
the strange disappearance, two years
previously, of the schooner Laughing
Lass, chartered by DR.. Schermerhorn.
CHAPTER 1.-THE Wol> crime picks
up the Laughing Lass. with everything
snipshape save that there is no living
CHAPTER III.-Ensign Edwards is
sent aboard the Laughing Lass with a
prize crew.
CHAPTER Iv.-The Wolverine sees
the strange light again. In a volcanic
mist the Laughing Lass drifts away
ana is found again with no one on
board ard her boats untouched.
CHAPTER VA second prize crew
Is sent aboard the schooner. The Inys-
terious light is seen again, and the
wolverine discovers a volcano in full
eruption. The Laughing Lass vanishes
again.
CHAPTER vI-The Wolverine picks
up dory belonging to the Laughing
Lass 1t contains Ralph Slade, a jour
nalist known to have been with Scher-
meI Horn, and the corpse of the Wolver-
Edwards Slade is in very bad condi-
ton from fever, thirst and exhaustion.
CHAPTER VII-Slade RECEIVERS and
directs the Wolverines course toward
the volcanic island, on which he de-
clares a man named barrow is maroon
ed. Slade begins to tell his story to
the officers of the Wolverine.
CHAPTER VIII-Slade's story. He
ships under the name Eagen, as mate
aboard the Laughing Lass, Captain Sell
over, commander. after the schooner
had been engaged by Schermerhorn for
two years, her destination being I'M
known. The doctor displays eXtraor-
binary care ia taking aboard heavy
CHAPTER IX.-slade makes the &C
quaintance of Handy Solomon, a pratt
cal looking seaman with a steel hook
in place of n ig' hand, and his four
mates. The crew now an unusual in
terest in book N "a henry. The Laugh
CHAPTER Z.--sladc discovers a coll
lection OF arms a. he c ptain's cabin.
Both Captain over and barrow,
of the schoorcr's de-tination.
CHAPTER XII The crew believes
that the doctor is in search of treas
CHAPTER XII. = Captain Selover
overawes the crew. Slade and a negro
row he has the secret of the transmuta-
ton of metals locked up in his brass
bound chest The negro tells the crew.
Captain Selover is Indifferent to the
mems plotting, but gives Slade a re-
Volver.
CHAPTER XIII-Landing is made on
an uncharted island, with a volcano in
partial action. The wreck of the Gold
en- Horn is discovered. barrow picks
out a small valley in which he and the
professor are to stay.
CHAPTERS XIV. and XV.--A labora-
tory, guarded by a stockade, is built
for the professor. The captain puts
the. crew to work cleaning ship and
stripping the wreck in order to keep
them employed. After seven weeks
there is nothing left for them to do
and he becomes afraid of them
CHAPTER XVI-A herd of wild
sheep is found and hunted. The crew
sees barrow engaged in a chemical eX-
~"riment at miniature volcanic era
ter.
CHAPTER XVII.-One of the sailors
mutinies, and Slade fails in attempt
to overawe the men. The mastery OF
the situation passes to Handy Solo
CHAPTER XVIII = Idleness makes
the crew surly and quarrelsome, until
barrow sets them to hunting seals fol
the animals whiskers, etc. Selover
who has taken to drink, remains aboard
the Laughing Lass.
CHAPTER XIX The crew, made
bloodthirsty by the slaughter of the
seals, murder Captain SelOver, when he
comes ashore.
CHAPTER XX.-Slade is seized anC
CHAPTE XXI.-Slade observes ont
result of the doctors experiments in {
binding light that Eliminates for
short time me valley of the laboratory
He is recaptured, but manages to war;
barrow. who comes to tell the sailors
that the time to leave the island ha
arrived.
CHAPTER XXII.-The sailors try t,
kill barrow and succeed in woundinl
gins to erupt violently as Schermer
horn, carrying the chest, is seen ap
preaching the sailors camp.
CHAPTERS XXIII.-XXIV-The doc
tor declares that the chest contains tn
greatest substance in the world. an
the men kill him to get possession o
1t. The volcano becomes very activ
and all, save barrow, embark on tn
Laughing Lass The schooner narrow
ly escapes destruction.
CHAPTER XxV.-The crew open tn
mysterious chest. AS they do so
weird fire envelopes the entire vesse
and all on board including Slade, throN
themselves overheard. Slade declare
that he was possessed by an irresisti
bic craving for water.
CHAPTER xXVL-In the Wolverine
messroom again. Slade is amazed t
learn that the Laughing Lass, whe
found. showed. no signs of fire. He de
clares that the two prize crews ar
surely dead. The cruiser approache
the island, to take off barrow.
CHAPTER XXVII-On the island tn
Wolverines landing party fails to fin
barrow, but discovers book left b
CHAPTE XVIII The book is
diary containing entries by Schermer
horn and barrow. The former an
nounces his discovery of a solution c
all the worlds problems. The latte
records his sensations after the GREY
left the island. He concludes wit
CHAPTRS XXIX.-XXX.-The WolveI
ines party fines the graves of Hand
Solomon and Edwards, marked b
boards erected by barrow.
CHAPTERS %XXL -XXXII-By blast
ing open the face of a cliff the Wolver
ines men find barrow, who had bee
shut In cave by the eruption. He
taken aboard the cruiser and meet
Slade.
CHAPTER XNXIII.- Slade tells O
SchermCrhoVn's search for an elemen
that should cor ccntrate In itself tn
unlimited spowera pf a volcano, a sor
of high pow OF radium.
CHAPTER XXX {V.-Darrow exhibit
small vitl coutaiuing half grain o
celestium, Scherm efhorn's discovery.
CHAPTER XIV.
T.OTHING remained but t
M search for his body l wa
sure they had killed him an,