Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-01

les, SIT, Sdlu Hal
seems to vitiate that explanation"
81 thank you, gentlemen, for the
promptitude of your offers" continued
the captain. I'm this respect you
make my duty the more difficult I
shall accept Mr.. Ives because of his
familiarity with sailing craft and with
these seas" His eyes ranged the
group.
Il beg your pardon, Captain Parkin-
son. eagerly put in the paymaster,
but I've handled a 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 a volun-
teer crew and go aboard at once.
| Spare no effort to find records of the
schOonerS 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.
| Having in mind the eXcusable super
| stitiOn Of the men, Captain Parkinson
was unwilling to compel any of them
| to the duty. Awed by the mystery of
| their mates disappearance the sailors
hung back. Finally by temptation Of
extra prize money Il complement was
made up.
At 10 o'clock of Il puffy, mist laden
morning a new and strong crew of
nine men boarded the Laughing Lass.
There We're no farewells among the
officers. Forebodings weighed too
heavy for such open expression.
All the fates of weather seemed TO
combine to part the schooner from her
convoy. AS before, the fog fell, only
to be succeeded by squally rain show
ers that cut out the vista into Il check
erboard pattern of visible sea and i'm
penetrable grayness. Before evening
the Laughing Lass, making slow way
through the mists. had become separat-
ed by league of waves from the
cruiser. One glimpse of her between
mist areas the Wolverine caught at
sunset Then wind and rain descend
ed in furious volume from the south
east. The 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 waCship. In his cabin
Captain Parkinson was frankly seasick
a condition which nothing but the
extreme of nervous depression ever in.
duced in him.
| For several hours the rain fell and
the gale howled. Then the sky swiftly
cleared. and with the clearing there
rose q great cry of amaze from stem
to stern of the Wolverine. for far to
ward the western horizon appeared
such a prodigy as the eye of no mar
aboard that ship had ever beheld
From belt of marvellous. glowing
gold. rich and splendid streamers. OF
light spiraled up into the blackness OF
the heavens.
In all the cOlorS of the spectrum
they rose and fell - blazing orange
silken, wonderful, translucent blue,
and shimmering reds. Below a broad
band of paler hue, like sheet lightnin.
fixed to rigidity, wavered and rippled
All the auroraS of the northland blend
ed in one could but have paled ava,
before the spiendor of that terrific ce
lestial apparitiOn.
On board the cruiser all hands stoo,
petritied, bound in a structure of speech
less wonder. After the first cry 81
ence lay leaden over the ship. 1t wa
broken by Il scream of terror from for
ward. The quartermaster who hat
been Mt the wheel came clamberinj
down the ladder and ran along tn
deck, his fingers splayed and stiffener
before him in the Intensity of hi
panic.
"The needle! The compassw b
shrieked.
Barnett ran to the wheelhouse wit
Treudon at his heels The others TO
: lowed. The needle was swaying Xix
Il cObra's head. And as a cobra's hea
+ spits venom, it spat forth a thin stee
e blue stream of lucent fire. Then S
n swiftly it whiried that the sparks scat
: tered from it in a tiny shower.
o stopped. quivered and curved itsel
J. drum upon the glass shield. Barnet
looked at Trendon.
: ''NOlcanic?' be said.
l. "'Mine eyes have seen the glory Q
the coming of the Lord" muttere
j. the surgeon in his deep bass, as b
p looked forth upon the streaming. RI
t diant heavens. Its like nothin
c else"
f In the west the splendor and the tel
: ror shot to the zenith. Barnett whirle
f the wheel. The ship responded pei
/. fectly.
t II thought she might be bewitche(
f too" he murmured.
e You may head her for the ligh
y Mr.. Barnett" said Captain Parkinso
/. calmly. He had COME from his cabiI
all his nervous depression gone in tn
face of an imminent and visible da1
:. ger.
Slowly the great mass of steel swun
= to the unknown. For an hour the III
t known guided her. Then fell blacl
e ness sudden, complete. After that r:
3 dance the dazzled eye could mai
out no stars, but the lookout's kee
d vision discerned something else.