Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-20

He must believe the story was lie.
There was no rational explanation of the
thing the two sailors pretended they had
seen. The box not shattered but lying
open after having defied their ingenuity
for four years, And a figure like Capt.
FIELDING yet strangely smaller. like a
woman-there was touch of inde1nable
terror about that idea. 1t did not seem
like a lie that Rose and Carlson would
be capable of making up. Its very weird
ness gave II horrible resemblance TO
the truth He remembered what Miguel
poor. half crazy Miguel-used to say
about it Miguel in all probability was
dead now Could Miguel. dead, have
anything TO do-by way of a vengeance
perhaps-with the thing Rose and Carl
son had seen. had believed they saw !.
With oath he cast the idea away
from him. They had lied. that was all.
When he got back to the ship he would
have them hoaged both of them. That
would teach them. and the others too.
perhaps, that he was not to be trined
with
He beached his boat. scrambled ashore
and set out walking doggedly along in
the direction OF the hut The fog was
still all but impenetrable, even to his
practiced vision. but he knew the shore
like the palm of his hand and he trudged
ten PAGES perhaps. OF his destination.
But there he faitered and stopped
turned about, under an irresistible i'm
pulse of fear and would have fed had
again. There was light. diffused vel
low glow. faint but unmistakab le shining
out of the windows of the hut.
He knew he could not so back to the
Aurora without that box; it was neces-
sary both to his future safety and his
present command of the situation. His
one hold upon those suilen followers of
his depended upon his being impervious
alike TO terror and to defeat. If he were
10 go back now without accomplishing
his purpose it would only he a question
Of days before they murdered him. They
all hated him enough for that. he knew.
Yet. even under that necessity. ii was
three or four minutes before. at the com
mand Of his burly will. he began creep
ing forward hands and knees toward
the lighted window of the hut.
And when he reached point where he
could command its interior his knees
prone upon the ley beach, his face buried
in his outstretched arms For those two
sailors had told the truth.
Presently he drew himself up and squat
ted back on his launches. staring. HUI
man or not. the figure there in the hut
seemed unaware of his presence. 1t was
staring at the expiring flame of the can
die in profound abstraction. When il
SlTfeO, as presently II ola, III was VIII
a natural. human motion. And then the
candle went out.
In the few seconds of silence which
followed his terror returned upon him
with full force. But it went away
suddenly as il had come and with its
recession there surged up in him a wave
OF british anger. 1t was no ghost that
had sat in contemplation over the
tents of that box. for it was moving now.
with human footsteps-faltering. uncer-
n u q a
peared. just visible and no more. outside
the doorway. it called aloud in human
voice-a womans voice.
At the sound of it he drew himself up.
towering before her and. SO. became
visible TO ber-a monStrous blurred I'M
certain shape.
And she cried out this time in terror.
Then, before he could spring upon her
and kill her with his hands. as his british
instinct of rage urged him to do. he start
ed back suddenly and himself cried out.
For a faint circle of light. waving. wan
derfng, unearthly. was shining straight
down upon both OF them through the fog
out OF the sky itself
Looking up. he saw overhead single.
great luminous eye. and in the reflection
OF its own light upon the ice, very family.
the fabric of outstretched wings.
Then from up there. overhead, he heard
voice-a quiet voice. I'm here" it
said. Don't be afraid.
Blindly. Roscoe flung up his hands,
uhirled around and fell: scrambled to
his feet again and fed like a man bag
ridden. down the shore.
As he did so he heard a ragged volley
of shots from the direction of the Au-
rora. This sound of plain human fight
Ing. wnich he understood and did not
fear, helped restore to equilibrium his
miEd. which moment before had been
lettering to absolute destruction. Once he
could get back to his boat and feel the
oars under his hands again-once he
found himself pulling out toward the
yacht. no matter how desperate the odds
awaiting him there might be against him.
he would. he felt. be himself once more
He ran on and on down the beach. He
had not Passed his boat he knew: but
he finally realized that he had passed
the place where he had brought the boat
ashore.