Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-19
THE SKY-MAN:
BY
Henry Kitche11 Webster.

Copyright. 100. 800.
By the Success Cempa1y.l

stroy them. With these stores and with
the shelter afforded by the hut and the
little clump Of surrounding outbuildinss,
1t was probable that some members Of
the Aurora's party at least would sur
vive the winter. II q relief ship should
arrive the next summer. or even tbs
summer thereafter. IL would probably hrd
some one on this desolate shore who
could tell the story Of the disappearance
Of the Aurora and form a more or less
definite surmise as to the cause OF H.
That rosewood box had Capt. Fieldinga
journal in it-a journal that had been
Roscoe had murdered him. It's discovery
would go long way toward bridEing the
gap which Roscoe meant to leave in
their departing trail. In short. II that
rosewood box were left behind Roscoe
would always feel that he was in niore
or less danger of detection. And he
didn't mean to have a thing like tha
hanging over him.
Consequently. when he discovered that
the box was not on board and that his
particular injunctions concerning It had
been either neglected or disobeyed, he
came raging up on deck again, a most
formidable figure. which caused his COM
panions. hardened rufsans though they
were to cover and shrink away from
him.
In torrent of furious blasphemy he
demanded to know why that box had not
been brought aboard; and the concen-
trated lees OF his rage he emptied al
last upon the two men whom he had
ordered to do it.
Now" he concluded. when the torrent
had spent itself, you 60 ashore you
two. Yes. you. Carlson-I mean you.
and you, Rose: go ashore now and set 1T
Then, after a momentary silence. he
ragged out the command again. amid
foul flood OF abuse.
But still they made no move to obey,
and the big swede. In evident terror
| h
IL YOU want that box you can get II
yourself
What in hell do you mean" the leader
stormed. But his voice, even as he spoke,
lost its confident tang Of authority.
Carlson huddled back into place amons
the other members OF the crew. ano
from their meaning mods and inarticulate
srowls OF assent. II was evident they
knew what he meant and why he would
not go; that they assented in his refusal
Indeed. il Roscoe had not been lacking
in that intuitive feeling for the temper
Of his folowers-the feeling which dis
| tinguishes only those leaders who govern
! otherwise than by terror. he would have
| perceived that a strange spirit of unrest
| was distracting the whole party.
He saw II now. at all events. and vher
| he repeated the question. What in he'll
do you mean?" it was with an infection
that meant he wanted to be informed.
You tell him." said Carlson noddins
to his companion. Rose. Evidently il
was Rose who had told the story to the
other members of the party. He was
| squatly built man with stubborn jaw
and Planck, in the days of his command
undesirable pest that can be found In
! forecastle-a sea lawyer.
What did YOU leave the box in the
hut for?" he demanded. He might not
have come back IL you had left it in ths
cave.
Come back.' echoed Roscoe, with .
srowl
| That's what I said. We went to tn.
, side, and there he sat, just like he used
to. And he had the box open
He! Who do you mean?" There was
no trace Of turbulence in Roscoe's voics
now. He spoke as though his throat
ut was Capt Fielding: him to the life.
And. yet it was different from the way
he used to be. We couldn't see ii very
| well It's face was sideways and the
light vas behind it, and it looked smaller
| and thfnner-more-more like a woman
Of Rose had had the word spiritual IN
| his vocabulary he would have used It.
In default OF 1t he gave up trying to
express just what he meantD Anyway.
! there he sat with the box open beside
, him. and that red book OF his open on
his knees. Go back for it? Well.
| guess not"
There was momentary silence after
he had finished. and Roscoe could feel
as 1t stretched itself out to the length
| Of half a minute or so. the chill of their
| terror enveloping him. To throw il OF
he clustered, stormed at and abused them
I, for a pack Of liars. But in the end he
| sprang down into one of the boats and
said he would fetch the box himself
| Whether he believed their story or not
| 1t was the only thing for him to do.
| AS he pulled shoreward he tried hard
| to convince himself that he did not be,
a. &l,~A
| ably forgotten all about the box. and
had trumped up the story to avoid the
necessity Of going back for it.
(To be continued tomorrow