Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-04

His return was prompt and swift.
 Come on deck" he said Every man leaped as to an order There was that in Forsythe's voict which stung. The weather had cleared somewhat, though scudding 6rack stil blew across them to the westward The ship rolled heavily. Of the ses naught was visible except the archinl waves, but in the sky they behelt again, with sickening sense of disas ter, that pale and lovely glow which had so bewildered them two nights before.
 "The aurorav' cried McGuire, the paymaster.
 "Oh certainly" replNu Ives, with sarcasm. Dead in the west. Com mon spot for the aurora. Particularly on the edge of the south seas, where they are thickp'
 "Then what is it?'' Nobody had an answer Carter has. tened forward and returned to report.
 "It's electrical anyway" said Carter 'The compass is queer again."
 Edwards ought to be close to the solution of it," ventured Ives. "This gale should have blown him just about to the center of interest"
 "If only he isn't involved in it." said Carter anxiously.
 What could there be to involve him?" asked Mcclure. "I don't know" said Carter slowly. Somehow I feel as if the desertion of the schooner was in some formidable manner connected with that light" For perhaps fifteen minutes the glow continued, It seemed to be nearer at hand than on the former sighting. But it took no comprehensible form. Then 1t died away and all was blackness again. But the officers of the Wolver- inc had long been in troubled slumber before the sensitive compass regained It's exact balance, and. with the shifting wind to mislead her. the cruiser bad wandered by morning no man might know how far from her course.
 An day long of June 6 the Wolverine, baffied by patches of mist and moving rain squalls, patrolled the empty seas without sighting the lost schooner. The evening brought an envelope of fog again, and presently light breeze came up from ths north. An hour of 1t had failed to disperse the mist when there was borne down to the warship . Tapping sound as of great wings. The Tapping grew louder-waned- ceased-and from the lookout came a hail.
 ships lights three points on the starboard quarter"
 What do you make it out to bef" came the query from below.
 Green lights all I can see, sir" There was pause.
 There's her port light now. Looks to be turning and bearing down on us, sir Coming dead for us"-the mans voice rose-"close aboard; less'n two ships lengths awayr'
 As for a prearranged scene, the fog curtain parted. There Ioomed silently and swiftly the Laughing Lass. Down she bore upon the greater vessel until 1t seemed as if she must ram, but all the time she was veerlng to windward, and now she ran into the wind with a castanet rattle of sails. So close aboard was she that the eager eyes of Uncle Sam's men peered down upon her empty decks, for she was void of life
 Behind the cruisers blanketing she paid or very slowly. but presently caught the breeze full and again whit ened the water at her prov. Forget ting regulations. Ives hailed loudly:
 "Ahoy. Laughing Lass. Ahoy. Billy Edwards"
 No sound. no animate motion. came from aboard that apparitiOn as she fell astern. A shudder Of horror ran across the Wolverines quarter deck. A wrath ship. peopled with skeletons. would have been less dreadful to their sight than the brisk and active desola- ton of the heeling schooner.
 Been deserted since early last night.- said TrendOn hoarsely.
 -How can you tell thatf" asked Bar nett
 Both sails reefed down. ready for that squalL Been no weather since to call for reefs. Must have quit her during the squaIl.-
 Then they jumped" cried Carter. for I saw her boats. It Isn't believs- bie.s
 ~Neither was the other" said Tren- don grimly.