Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-05
THE MYSTERY
Blu STEWART EDWARD WHITE
And SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS
COPYRIGHT. 1907. MCCLURE.

Mount guard over Mr.. Edwards
grave" commanded the captain.
The cockswain saluted and gave an
order One OF the sailors stepped for
ward to the first mound
mot that one" rasped the officer.
1.-The other"
The man saluted and moved on.
with your permission, SIR said
Trendop.
On nod from his superior officer he
opened the ledger and took up Oar
rows record.
Here it is. Entry of June 3.
Everything lovely. Schooner lost to
sight. Query-to memory dear? Not ex-
actly. Though 1 shouldn't mind having
her under orders for few days. Queer
glow in the sky last night: IL they've been
investigating, they may have got what's
coming to them. Volcano exhibiting fits
| of temper. Spouted out considerable fire
about 9 o'clock. Quite spectacular. but no
harm done. Can foresee short rations of
tobacco. Lava in valley still too hot for
comfort. No sign of DIR. Schermerhorn.
Still sleep on beach,
"Not much there" shifted Trendon.
GO on" said the captain.
"June 3, Evening-Thick and squally
weather again. Local atmospheric con-
| ditions seem upset. Volcano still leading
strenuous life. Climbed the headiand this
afternoon. Wind very shifty. Got an
occasional wifi of volcanic output. One
| In particular would have sent q skunk to
| the camphor bottle. No living on the
| headand. Will explore cave tomorrow
J with view to domicile. Have come down
| TO an allowance OF seven cigarettes per
| diem
June 4.-Explored cave today. Full OF
| dead seals. Not Only dead. but all bitten
| and cut TO pieces. Must have been lively
| doings IN Seal Town. Not much choice
| between air in the cave end Vapors from
| the volcano. Barring seals. everything
| suitable for light housekeeping. such as
| mine. Undertook to clean house. Drag
| ged late lamented out into the water.
: Some sank and were swept away by the
| sea puss. Others. l regret TO say. fioated.
| Found trickle of fresh water in depth OF
| cave and little sand ledge to sleep on.
| So far. so good; we may be Apply yet. II
| only l had my cigarette supply. Once
| heard botanist say that leaves OF the
white shore willow made fair substitute
| for tobacco. Fair substitute for nux
| vomica! Would like 10 interview said
| botanist.
THE fellow is a tobacco maniac
growled Trendon, feeling in his breast
| pocket. THE devilr' he cried. bringing
forth an empty hand.
Silently the captain handed him a
cigar. Thank you, SIR he said, light
ed it and continued reading:
June 5-Had a caller today. Climbed
the headland this morning. Found vol
cano taking a day of. Looking for sign
Of Laughing Lass, noticed somethin g
| heliographing to me from the waves be-
yond the reef. Seemed to be metal. !
guessed a tin can. Caught in the swirl,
: 1t rounded the cape, and l came down to
f, the shore to meet it. Halfway down the
' cliff l had better view. l saw 1t was
not tin can. There was a dark body
under it, which the waves were tossing
I about, and as the metal moved with the
| body 1t glinted in the sun. Suddenly it
was borne in upon me that an arm was
doing the signaling. waving to me with
a sprightly, even a jocular. friendliness.
Then l saw what it really was. 1t was
/ Handy Solomon and his steel hook. He
was riding quite high. Every now and
again he would bow and wave. He
grounded gently on the sand beach.
planted him promptly. First. however.
removed a bag of tobacco from his pocket.
Poor stuff and water soaked, but still
tobacco. Spent a quiet afternoon carving
a headstone for the dear departed. Pity
ii were that virtues so shining should be
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. lule as the SpeculdtlOr
| Is. / wonder who my next visitor will be
| Thrackles. 1 hope. Evidently some OF
them have been playing the part of Pan
dora. Spent last night in the cave. Ali
/ quite fresh.
June Saw the glow again last night
The surgeon paused in his reading
THAT would be the night of the 9Th
the night before we picked her VI
empty"
YES" agreed Captain Parkinson
THAT was the night Billy Edwards
Go on"
Saw the glow again last night. Dom
understand it. Once should have beer
enough for them. This matter Of heard
ing tobacco may be a sad error. II Oh
Spitfire keeps on the way she has today
shan't need much more. 1t would be
raw jest to be burned or swallowed III
with months supply of unsmoked ciga
rettes on one. Cave getting shaky. Still
I think I'll stick there. AS between beint
burned alive and buried alive. I'm for tn,
|, respectable and time honored fashion O.
interment. Bombardment was mostly t.
, the east today, but no telling when 4
may shift.
June This morning 1 found a bod!
rolling in the surf 1t was the body of
young man, large and strongly built
dressed in the uniform of an ensign o
our navy. Surely strange visitor t
these shoresI There was no mark o
!, Identification upon him except a cigarette
case craven with an undecipherable mono
gram in Tiffany's most illegible style o
arrowheaded inscription. This I burie,
with him and staked the grave with
headboard. An officer and gentleman,
youth of friendly ways and kindly living
IL one may Judge by the face of the dead
, and he comes by the same end to tn
same goal as Handy Solomon. Why not
And why should one philosophize in
book that will never be read? Hold on
, Perhaps-just perhaps--it may be read
The officer was not long dead. Ensign
of the United States navy do not wande
about untraversed waters alone. Their
must be warship somewhere In the vi
entity. But why. then. an unburied office
floating on the ocean? i will smoke upol
this luxuriously and plentifully. Later.
No USE 1 can't solve 1t. But one thin
/ do. / put UP signal pole on the head
land and cache this record under it thi
afternoon. From day to day, with tn
kindly permission of the volcano, I vii
| add to it. Bad doings by Old Spitfre
The cloud is coming down on me. Ais
seems to be moving along the cliff. vii
retire hastily to my private estate in tn
cave.
That's all, except the scrawl on tn
last page" said Trendon. .'Some &C
ton of the volcano scared him of