Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-11

SptTdte0 up INTO The heGUcnS.
is without parallel. It is my inten.
ton to bring the schooner which we
have In tow to port at Honolulu. In
the present unsettled weather we can
not continue to tow her. l wish two
officers to take charge. Under the cir
cumstances l shall issue no orders.
The duty must be voluntary"
Instantly every man. from the vet
Gran Trendon to the paymaster. volun-
teered.
THAT is what ! expected" said Cap
tain Parkinson quietly. "But l have
still q word to say. make no doubt
IN my own mind that the schooner has
TWICE been beset by the gravest Of
perils. Nothing less would have driv-
en- Mr.. Edwards from his post All of
us who know him will appreciate that
Nor can free myself from the darkest
forebodings as to his fate and that of
his companions. But as to the nature
Of the peril am unable to make any
conjecture worthy Of consideration.
Has any one q theory to offersn
There was dead silence.
"Air. Barnett? Mr.. Trendon? Mr..
Ives?''
us there not possibly some connec-
ton between the unexplained light
which we have twice seen and the
double desertion of the ship?" sug.
Rested the first officer after pause.
II have asked myself that over and
over. Whatever the source Of the
light and however near to it the
schooner may have been She is evident
~ unharmed"
Eyes, SIR" said Barnett. .aThat
seems to vitiate that explanation"
II thank you. gentlemen, for the
promptitude Of your offers" continued
the captain. IN this respect you
make my duty the more difficult. /
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 schooner yacht for
several years and I'd appreciate the
chance off,
Every well, Mr.. Mcclure, you shall
be the second in commando. :
THANK you, sir. -, !.
"..You gentlemen will pick yolun-
teer crew and 60 aboard at once.
Spare no effort 70 find records Of t6a
schooner's cruise. Keep Ii companY
and watch for signals. Report at once
any discovery or unusual incident
however slight" + X .
Not SO easily was q crew obtained.
Having in mind the exeusable 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 a complement was
made up.
At 10 o'clock of puffy, mist laden
morning a new and strong crew Of
nine men boarded the Laughing Lass.
There We're no fareweiis 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 check
erboard; pattern OF visible sea and inn
penetrable grayness. Before evening.
the Laughing Lass, making slow way
through the mlsts, had, become sseparaTs
"a tbgs'a' leagds 81 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 warship. In his Cabin
Captain Parkinson wis frankly seaslck
a. condition which nothing but the
extreme Of nervous depression eyer 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 a great cry of amaze from stem
to stern of the Wolverine, far far to-
ward the western horizon appeared
such prodigy as the eye Of no man.
aboard that ship had ever beheld