The Columbus journal., 1910-06-08

they were gone. at the ice concealing
the front window shutters. and partly
uncovered one But We could get no
purchase upon il from the outside and
no one volunteered to venture within.
kept them all busy. however. the
hard work and sense OF command
combining to restore my own nerves
TO a normal condition. The mate de-
spairing of doing better. finally
brought back table-leg of pitch pine
which We contrlyed TO ignite after
several unsuccessful experiments. the
yellowish-red flames circling the heavy
end like SO many coiling serpents. and
sending forth weird reflection
through spirals OF black smoke. 1t
was a poor clim enough. yet il would
serve: and l bore II inside. holding the
torch well before me. the men clus-
tering about the door
The mottled flare cast mingled light
and shadow over the horrors thus
dimly revealed. rendering the CHASTITY
sight one to chill the blood OF any
man. The cabin was a long one. ex-
tending aft clear TO the stern, the
immense butt of the miZzen-maSt al
most separating il into two apart.
mentS. About this was arranged a
great arm-raCk completely filled with
a variety of weapons. many of them
flashing back the glittering rays OF the
torch At one time that had been
a rare sea parlor. but now it was a
wreck. the walls and ceiling dincy
| with smoke. the gilt defaccd and bat
| tered Overturned furniture was every
where: piles OF clothing. and a perfect
riffraff of articles Strewed the deck
floor; violin lay almost Al my feet.
all but one string snapl ed: and some
sort OF an odd music-box rested
against the bench over which | had
fallen. 4 great square boX-stove
stood just before the mast butt. a huge
| pile of ashes all about. an immense
| lantern. as strange looking contriv-
! ance as ever l saw. swung solemnly
! from a deck beam. and Just beyond
suspended by wires. was a gorgeously
| colored picture of the Madonna and
! Child"
beheld all these details a. glance
although at the time scarcely realized
any OF them. my entire Mortified aSten'
ton being riveted upon the scene o.
| death revealed. The table, which
had previously touched, extending
| croSsways of the cabin. was uncovered
but contained plates. cups. large
4, bottle half-filled. and some scraps OF
| frozen food. The bodies Of two men
one with a cloak over his shoulders
| occupied the bench within three feet
of me. The ono nearest had fallen
sideways, and hung there. his arm
| hooked across the back of the bench
| his long black hair dangling over his
| face: the other sat with head bowed
on the table. his features hidden by
his arms. but TIE geld rings in his
ears plainly showing. Directly oppo
site these two. sitting bolt upright in
! a chair, eyes wide open, staring
! straight at NE. was a third. My God
il was De Nova. The same eyes. the
same dark curly hair. the same little
| black mustache. the same smile
curling the thin lips. l could have
sworn It was the mate. endeavoring to
| frighten and mock me. / even
wheeled about angrily. flashing the
light OF my torch over that cluster OF
faces in the doorway. No! by heavens
the creole stood behind. and this, this
counterpart, was a dead man-dead
for q hundred years. No words car
ever retell the struggle made to con
troll myself. the smoking torch sha
king in my hand and casting its mis-
cradle flicker over that charnel house
every limb trembling like aspens, my
eyes staring into the shadows. Ny
very violence of fear angered me;
what had to be afraid Of? How