The Springdale news., 1909-02-13

i He HafFttE grew s"HlaE- N4Atu- ceased and from tbe lookout came a hail.
 "Satp's lights three points on the staHl.aarl quarter
 "Nhat do you make t ont to be:. came the query from below.
 Green lights all I can see, sir" There was pause.
 There's her port light naw Looks to he turning and bearing down on Us. sir. Coming dead for us"-the mans voice rose close aboard. ,ess'n two ships lengths away
 As for Il prearranged scene, the fog curtain parted There leemed silently and swiftly the Laughing Lass. Down ] she bore upon The greater vessel unti! l it seemed as I she must ram but ali the time she was veering 10 windWard. ] and now she ran into the wind with a caSfauet rattle of sails So close ] aboard was she that the eager eyes Of Uucie sans men peered down Hpon ] Eer empty decks, for she was void of ] life.
 Behind the cruisers b!anketing she paid off very slowly. but presently ] caught the breeze full and again whit ened the water at her prow Forget. ] ting regulations Ives hailed loudly:
 "Ahoy. Laughing Lass Ahoy, Bill. Edwards
 No sound. 10 animate motion. came from aboard that aPPar5tion as she ] fefi asteFH | shudder af horror ran ] across the Wolverines quarter deck. X wrath ship. Reopied with skeletons, would have been less dreadful t6 their sight than the hrlsk and active desola= tieH of tHe hee=tng schooner.
 sBeen deserted since cary last night. sail THeHdon hoaEse'y.
 eHnw=can EaH lei thatsa asked Eas= uett.
 Both salls reefed down. ready for that sqa#H Been 10 weather since ta l call for reefs Must haze qgit her during the squaa"
 .rhen they jumped. cried Carter. for I saw her boats. r isn't belieYas ble.a
 Neither WAS the other. said Tren. don grimiy
 i \ hurried succession of orders stop ped further discussion for the time. Ives was sent aboard the schooner 10 ] lower sail and report. He came back with staggering dearth of informa. tion The boats were all there; the ship was intact-as intact as when Billy Edwards had taken charge-hut the cheery. lovable ensign and his men had vanished without trace or i clew. As to the how or the wherefore i they might rack their brains without i guessing There was the beginning of log in the ensigns handwriting which Ives had found with high ex ] citement and read with bitter disap l pointment
 Had squall from northeast" 1t ran. Double reefed her. and she took F nicely. Seems a seaworthy. quick ship. l Further search for log No result i Have ordered one Of the crew who is i a bit of q mechanic to work at the ] brass bound chest tIll he gets il open. He reports marks on the lock as if somebody had been trying to pick it l before hiin l There was no further entry.
 "Dr Trendon is right" said Barnett "Whatever happened-and God only I knows what t could have been-it ] happened just after the squall" Just about the time Of the strange glow cried Ives. It was decided that two men and a petty officer should be sent aboard the Laughing Lass to make her fast with a cable and remain on board over night But when the order was given the men hung back One of them pro. tested bFokenlF that he was siek Trendon after examination reported to the captain
 "case of blue funk. sir. Might as wei te sick. Good for nothing 9th CTS aren't much better
 .Nho was n be in charget.'
 "consaan,1 replied the aactor. nam. ing oHe of tle petty officers.
 Hes my bsualn ~all Captain Parkinson \ nrst lass man ean Lar1}E ae.ieHe that F. is sssaal MI scr
 Gaaee5atz= =te.zs= sezt
 aa5r.s= ufezret ri ths Ha- ss=r fir inc H5sht Gaasa9a sad fze @aE taiH
 sYes sir
 '.fs there ang reason 7Ay veasfl rst w5sh fa so:
 TGe nan heSitafef. .aae.nz n# sera= hle Finally He hiurfed s5f Eas Wffs4z eat certain dignity
 T ohey orders. sir
 speak out, my man urged fhe cap tain kindly
 We'll sir. li's Nr. Edwards. then You couldn't scare him CT a ship. sir, unless I was something something
 He stopped. falling If the word.
 "You know what Mr Edwards was. sir. for pluck. he concluded
 Was" cried the captain sharply. What do you meanf"
 The hooner got him. sir You don't make 10 doubt of that do you, sirf.' The man spoke in hashed voice, with a shrinking glance back of him.
 Will you go aboard under Mir Ives sfn
 "Auvwhpra my officer eo.s m o.,