Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-07
CHAPTER III.

COPYRIGHT. 1907 BY M
CHAPTER Ill.
f~ lilly EDWARDS came on deck
Xxi with a line of irritation right
HID angling the burrows between
- his eyes.
Go ahead" the quarter deck babe
him, seeing him afiush with informa
ton.
1.-THE captain won't believe me-
blurted out Edwards.
els 1t as bad as that?" asked Bar
nett, smiling.
ut certainly is," replied the younger
man seriously. II don't know that
blame him. I'd hardly believe 1t my
self II HADN'T
.'Oh, go on! Out with it! Give us
the facts. Never mind your credibil-
ity."
= 1.-THE facts are that there lies the
Laughing Lnss n little weather worn.
but sound as n dollar, and not living
being aboard of her. Her boats are all
there. Everything's In good condition.
though none too orderly. Pitcher half
full OF fresh water in the rack. Sails
NIL o. X, Ashes Of the galley fire still
warm. tell you, gentlemen, that ship
hasn't been deserted more than cou-
pie of days at the outside
Are you sure all the boats are
there?' asked Ives.
'Dory, dingey and two surfboats.
Isn't that enoughi"
Plenty"
Been over her, inside and out. No
sign Of collision. No leak. No any
thing, except that the starboard side
70 biistered a bit. No evidence OF fire
anywhere else. tell you" said Billy
! Edwards pathetically, Its given ME a
headache"
Perhaps it's one of those cases Of
panic that Forsythe spoke of the other
night" said Ives. 1.-THE crew got
frightened Mt something and ran away.
With the devil after them"
'sBut crews don't just step out and
run around the corner and hide when
they're scared" objected Barnett.
That's true, too," assented Ives.
We'll. perhaps that volcanic eruption
Jared them SO that they jumped for
Il"
::Pretty wild theory, that" said Ed
yards.
:.No wilder than the facts, us you
give them," was the retort
sThat's so,' admitted the ensign
gloomlly.
..Rut how about pestilence" suggest.
cd Barnett.
sMaybe they died fast, and the last
survivor, after the bodies of the rest
z ws1e overheard, got delirious and
jumped after Them"
mot II the galley fire was hot" said
DIR. Trendon briefly. mo; pestllence
doesn't work that way"
did you. look at the wheel. BillyY'
asked Ives.
Did I? There's another thing
Wheels all right but compass is nc
good at all. It's regularly bewitched."
What about the log, then?"
Couldn't find it anywhere. Hunted
high, low. jack and the, game; every
where except in the big, brass bound
Z chest found in the captains cabin
Couldn't break into that
"Dr. Schermerhorn's chest. exclaim
cd Barnett. "Then he was aboard"
"Well, he isn't aboard now" SAID
the ensign grimly. "Not i'll the flesh
And that's all." he, added suddenly.
''No, 1t isn't aIl," said Barnett gently
'sThere's something else. Captains or
ders?'
"Oh, no. Captain Parkinson doesn'
take enough stock in my report to tel
me to withhold anything" said Ed
wards, with trace Of bitterness in hi.
voice. ITS nothing that l believe my
self, anyhow"
"Give US chance to believe it,
said Ives.
WELL" said the ensign hesitantly
there's sort of atmosphere aboG
that schooner that's almost uncanny.'
"Oh. you had the shudders befor.
you were ordered to board" banteret
Ives.
y know it. I'd have thought It wa.
one o." those fool presentiments If
were the only one to feel 1t. But til,
men were affected too. They kept to
setker. like frightened sheep. And
heard one say to another. Hey, Boney
d'you feel like some one was a-buzzin
your nerves like fiddle stringl
Now" demanded Edwards plaintively
"what right has Jackie to hay,
neryes?"
That's strange enough about tn,
compass" said Barnett slowly. "Our
IS all right again. The schooner mus
have been so near the electric disturb
ance that her instruments were perma
nently deranged."
THAT would lend weight to the vol
canic theory" said Carter.
80 the captain didn't take kindly t
your go-look-see?" questioned Ives o
! Edwards.
AS good as told me I'd missed tn
point Of the thing" said the ensign
Apshing. Perhaps he can make NOR
IS It himself. At any rate he's goin
10 try. Here he is now"
.pr Trendon," said the captain, M
Pearing. :'Ypu viii please to go wit
ms to the schooner
aYes, sir" said the surgeon, risip
from his chalr with SUCH alacrity a
TO draw from Ives the sardonic CON
ment:
why, actually believe old Treu
don is excited"
For two hours after the departure Q
the captain and Trendoa there wer