Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-30
CHAPTER LII.

L L.
~7ILLY EDWARDS came on deck
Xxi with line of irritation right
In angling the burrows between
u his eyes.
Go ahead" the quarter deck babe
him, seeing him aflush with informa-
ton.
''The captain won't believe me-"
blurted out Edwards.
as it as bad as that?" asked Bar
nett, smiling.
ut certainly is" replied the younger
man seriously. 81 don't know that l
blame him. I'd hardly believe it my
self If l hadn't
"Oh, go on! Out with 1t. Give us
the facts. Never mind your CREDIBLE
ity."
1.-THE facts are that there lies the
Laughing Lass a little weather Worn,
but sound as a dollar, and not living
being aboard of her Her boats are all
there. Everythings in good condition,
though none too orderly. Pitcher half
full of fresh water in the rack. Sails
all o. X. Ashes of the galley fire still
warm. 1 tell you, gentlemen, that ship
hasn't been deserted more than a 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 enoughT'
Plenty"
''Been over her, inside and out No
sign of collision. No leak. No any
thing, except that the starboard side
is blistered bit. No evidence of fire
anywhere else. 1 tell you" said Billy
Edwards pathetically, 'fts given me
headache"
perhaps it's one of those cases OF
panic that Forsythe spoke of the other
night" said Ives The crew got
frightened at something and ran away.
with the devil after them
But 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.
"Well, perhaps that volcanic eruption
Jared them so that they jumped for
it."
"Pretty wild theory, that" said Ed
wards.
mo wilder than the facts, as you
give Them" was the retort.
That's so,'' admitted the ensign
gloomily.
But how about pestilence?" suggest
ed Barnett.
maybe they died fast, and the last
survivor, after the bodies of the rest
were overheard, got delirious and
jumped after them"
Not if the galley fire was hot" said
DIR. Trendon briefly. NO; pestilencs
doesn't work that way"
Did you look at the wheel, BillyT'
asked Ives.
Did /? There's another thing.
Wheels all right. but compass is no
good at all. It's regularly Dewitched."
what about the log, then?"
iCouldn't find it anywhere. Hunted
high, low, jack and the game; every.
where except in the big. brass bound
chest l found in the captains cabin.
Couldn't break into that"
"Dr. Schermerhorn' chestr exclaim-
ed Barnett. "Then he was aboard"
"Well. he isn't aboard now" said
the ensign grimly. Not in the flesh
And that's ALL" he added suddenly.
mo, it isn't ALL" said Barnett gently
There's something else. Captains or
ders?
"Oh, no. Captain Parkinson doesn't
take enough stock in my report to tell
me to withhold anything" said Ed
wards. with a trace of bitterness in his
voice. ITS nothing that believe my
self. anyhow"
"Give us a chance to believe it."
said Ives.
"Well," said the ensign hesitantly.
'there's sort of atmosphere about
that schooner that's almost uncanny."
"Oh, you had the shudders before
you were ordered to board" bantered
Ives.
81 know it. I'd have thought it was
one of those fool presentiments if /
were the only one to feel it. But the
men were affected too. They kept to-
gether like frightened sheep. And l
heard one say to another, Hey, Boney.
d'you feel like some one was a-buzzin'
your nerves like fiddle string?
Now" demanded Edwards plaintively.
what right has jackie to have
nerves?"
"Thats strange enough about the
compass" said Barnett. slowly. ours
is all right again. The schooner must
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
$50 the captain didn't take kindly to
your go-look-see" questioned Ives of
Edwards.
'.As good as told me I'd missed the
point of the thing" said the ensign.
flushing. Perhaps he can make more