, 1909-07-15

sendins 10th a we'd reflection
through spirals OF black smoke. T.
was a poor glim enough. vet II would
serve; and | bore 1t inside. holding the
torch well before me. the men clus-
tering about the door.
The notified flare cast mingled light
and shadow over the horrors thus
d'mly revealed. rendering the ghasily
sight n to chill the blood OF any
The cabin was a long 80 ex-
tending aft clear to the stern the
immense butt of the mizzen-mast al
most separating 1t into two apart.
n'enis. About this was arranged a
great arm-rack completely filed with
q variety CT weapons. many of them
flashing back the glitterins rays of the
torch. At one time that hcd been
a rare sea-parlor. but now it was 4
wreck, the walls and ceiling dingv
with smoke. the gilt defaced and bat.
tered. Overturned furniture was ever
where: piles of clothing. and a perfpot
rihrah OF articles strewed the de-;
floor: a violin lay almost at NY fea,.
all but N string snapred: and son
sort of an d music-box rested
against the bench over which | hal
fallen. A great square box-stove
stood just before the mast-butt. a hug
pile OF ashes all about. An immens
l~artern. as strange a looking contriv.
nnce as aver I saw, swung solenlrl'
from a deck-beam. and Just beyon-
SUSPENDED by wires. was Il gorgeous y
colored picture of the Madonna anc.
Child"
] behcld all these details at a glance
although at the time | scarcely realize ?
any OF them. my entire Mortified attcu
ton being riveted upon the scene cf
death revealed. The table. which :
had previously touched. e~ytenii1"
crosswoys of the cabin. was
but contained plates. cups. a lar
bottle half-filled, and some scraps r
frozen food. The bodies OF two mr,r
one with a cloak over his ~shou!da.a
occupied ine BENCH within three fee
OF me. The n nearest Rad follen
side weys, and hung there. his arm
booked across the back nj the ben~h
lis lon@. back hair DANGLING over HI
face: the other sat with head bow .
on the table. his features hidden h
lis arms. but the gold rings in -
'""s 'lairly showing. Directly or,
site these two. sitting bolt upright :
l chair, eyes wide open. starr
strSight at me. was a third. My Co
t was De Nova. The same eyes. IL
N dark curly hair. the same lit'l
b. ok mustache, the same srtil
Gu ing the thin lips. I could hav
WON 1t was the mate. ~endeavor!rr
'ri hten and mock me. e..
%heeled about angrily. flashing t.,
l'rhi of my torch over that cluster
faces in the doorwa,. No, by heavors
the creole stood behind, and this. thi
counterpart. was a dead man-dC
for a hundred years. No words c.
ever retell the struggle I made TO e.,
troll myself. the smoking torch 81;
king in my hand and casting its mi
cradle flicker over that charmed hou
every limb tremb!ing Ike asrons.
eyes staring into the shadows. y
very violence of fear angered r.
what had | to be afraid of? ru-
could these poor frozen bodies intl"
ne? Nerved to the endeavor I stern
fmw"rf around the end of the table
~ III az VI III =
into the after space concealed by tn
huge rlasi-butt. A tail. Thin man So
on the deck. braced against the well.
his long. gray beard almost ~concealing
lis ACE: OH a wide divan. nearly on
posite. lay a woman. her dark hair
loosened. a large diamond giitterirg
on the hand which hung rigid over the
edge o; the couch. Just below her
fingers. as II dropped there in final
weakness. lay a baby's well-woru
shoe.
I scarcely comprehend how l ever
conquered the sickly horror hat smote
me as | gazed about upon this scene
Of death. rendered even more terrible
by the silence and the pickering,
smoking torch that furnished the only
Iicht. Nothing except h sense OF
command. h remembrance Of those
~omcn waiting outside in the cooks
la!ley, ever afforded me strength ana
courage to remain. The task must
be done; by some one it must be ac'
complished. and that some one, OF ne
c~essity. was myself. With clenched
teeth. nv face as white as those of the
frozen oead about me, l advanced from
door to door down one side of thai
cabin, and up the other. Out from the
staterooms that had remained closed
there came the same awful breath oil
the trigid south, rendering even the
icy air OF the main cabin ten times
colder. and causing me to breathe
| with difficulty as | peered hastily
| within. These staterooms were all oil