The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-04-07
Me
MYSTERY
By Stewart Edward White
And Samuel Hopkins Adams
Copyright, 1907, by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.


edge of the beach. There we sat at
ease and smoked our pipes In silence,
too tired to talk. Even Handy Solo
mons song was still. outside the cir
Gle of light were mysterious things
strange wavings Of white hands. bend
lngs of figures, callings of voices, rus
Ting of feet. We knew them for the
surf and the wind In the grasses. but
they were not the less mysterious for
that.
Logically Captain Selover and |
should have passed most OF our even
ings together. AS matter of fact we
so spent very few. Early in the dusk
the captain invariably rowed himself
out TO his beloved schooner. What he
did there I do not know. We could
see his light now in one part of her,
now in the other. The men claimed
he was scrubbing her teeth. old
Scrubs' they called lin to his hack,
never Captain Selover.
.fIe has 10 clean up after his own
feet. he's so dirty" sagely proffered
Handy solomon. And this was true.
The seaman's prophecy held good.
Seven weeks held us at that Internal
job-seven weeks of solid, grinding
work. The worst OF II was that we
were kept at II SO breathlessly. as
though our Very existence were TO de
pend on the hendlong rush Of our la
Dor Aud tIien we had fully half the
stores to put away again and the 9th
er half to transport painfully over the
neck of land from the cove to the
beach.
So accustomed had | become TO the
routine in which we were involved. so
habituated to anticipating the coming
day as exactly like the day that had
gone. that the completion of our job
caught me quite by surprise. | had
thrown myself down by the fire pre-
pared for the same old half hour OF
drowsy nicotine, to he followed by
the accustomed heavy sleep aud the
usual early rising 10 toll. The evening
was warm. half closed my eyes. ,
Handy solomon was coming i'm last
Instead of dropping to his place he
straddled the fire. stretching his arms
over his head. He let them fall with
a sharp exhalation:
LAY aloft. lay aloft,' the jolly bo's'n
cried.
Blow high. blow low. what care we.
| Look ahead, look astern. look a-wind-
ward look alice
Down on the coast OF the high Bar
| bare-e-e."
The effect was electrical. We MI
sprang TO our feet and fell 10 talking
at once.
by God, we're through" cried Pull
I'D clean forgot it,
The Niger piled on more wood.
We drew closer about the fire. All the
interests In life, so long held in the
background, leaped forward. eager for
recognition. We spoke OF trivialitics
almost for the first time since our land
ing. fused into temporary but com
plete good fellowship by the relief.
wonder how the old doctor is get
ting on?" ventured Thrackles after
awhile.
The DEVILS a preacher. l wonderY'
cried Handy Solomon.
Lets make 'em a CALL" suggested
Pull.
Don't believe they'd appreciate the
compliment" | laughed. Better let
them make first call. They're the
longer established" This was lost on
them. of course. But we all felt kindly
to one another that evening
- 10
until the next morning and was there
fore somewhat dashed TO meet Captain
Selover with clouded brows and an I'M
certain manner. He quite ignored my
greeting.
"Eagen." he squeaked, "can you
think of anything more to be donef"
Strengthened my back and laughed.
Haven't you worked us hard
enoughy" l inquired. sr''Upless you
gild the cabins | don't see what else
there can be to do"
Captain Selover stared me over.
"And you a naval man. he marvel
ed. Don't you see that the only
thing that keeps this crew from get
tin restless is keeping them busy?
I've sweat more with my brain than
you have with your back thinking up
things 20 do. l can't see anything
ahead. and then we'll have trouble.
Oh, they're a sweet lotw'
l whistled. and my crest fell. Here
was new point of view and also a
new Captain Ezra. Where was the
confidence In the might Of his two
hands?
He seemed to read my thoughts and
went on.
II don't feel sure here on this cuss-
ed land 1t amt like a deck where a
man has some show. They can scat
ter. They can hide. 1t amt right to
put a man ashore alone with such a
crew. I'm doing my best, but it amt
goin' to be good enough. l wish we
were safe In Frisco harbor"-
He would have maundered on, but
seized his arm and led him out Of
possible hearing of the men.
Here, buck up!' | said to him stern
ly. There's nothing to be scared OF.
If 1t comes to a row, there's three OF
us. and we've got guns. We could
even sail the schooner at pinch and
leave them here. You've stood them