, 1911-03-23

nut for?' he demanded. "He might
not have come back II you had LETT
1t in the cave"
Come backi" echoed Roscoe. with
q growl.
That's what I said. We went to
the hut to get 1t, and there was a
light inside, 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
voice now. He spoke as though his
throat was dry.
1T was Captain Fielding: him to
the life. And, yet, It was different
from the way he used to be. We
couldn't see it very we'll. Its lace was
sideways n the light was behind it,
and 1t looked smaller and thinner
more-mor like a woman. Cf Rose
had had the word spiritual in his vo-
%cabulary. he would have used 1t. In
default of 1t, he gave up trying to
express Just what he meant.) Any
way, there he sat with the box open
beside him, and that red book OF his
open on his knees. Go back for It'll
Well, I guess not"
There was a momentary silence aft
er he had finished, and Roscoe could
feel 1t, as 1t stretched itself out to the
length of half a minute or so. the chill
of their terror enveloping him. To
throw II off, he clustered, stormed at
and abused them 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 believe 1t; that Rose and Carlson
had probably forgotten all about the
box, n had trumped up the story to
avoid the necessity Of going back for
It.
He beached his boat, scrambled
ashore and set out walking doggedly
along in the direction of the hut. The
fog was stir all but impenetrable, even
to his practised vision, but he knew
the shore like the palm of his hand,
and he trudged on without a pause,
uull uS was VIM c pnSSo, pei
haps, of his destination.
But there he faltered and stopped,
turned about, under an irresistible I'M
pulse of fear, and would have fed
had not sheer necessity compelled
him to stop again. There was a light,
a diffused yellow glow, faint but I'M
mistakale, shining out OF the windows
of the hut.
He knew he could not go back to
the Aurora without that box; 1t was
necessary both to his future safety and
his present command of the situation.
His one hold upon those sullen follow
ers OF his depended upon his being i'm
pervious alike to terror and to defeat.
II he were to go back now without
accomplishing his purpose, 1t would
only be a question of days before they
murdered him. They all hated him,
enough for that, he knew.
Yet, even under that necessity, 1t
was three or four minutes before, at
the command of his burly will, he be-
gan creeping forward on hands and
knees toward the lighted window OF
the hut.
And when he reached a point where
he could command its interior. his
knees slipped out from under him and
he lay prone upon the icy beach, his
face buried in his outstretched arms.
For those two sailors had told the
truth.
Presently he drew himself up and
squatted back on his launches, star
ing. Human or not, the figure there
in the hut seemed unaware of his
presence. 1t was staring at the ex-
piring fame of the candl in profound
abstraction. When 1t stirred. as pres
emily 1t did, 1t was with 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 1t vent
away as suddenly as 1t had come, and
with its recession there surged up In
him a wave of british anger. 1t was
no ghost hat had sat in contempla-
ton over the contents Of that box.
for 1t was moving now, with human
footsteps-faltering. uncertain o
steps, at that. And when It appeared.
lust visible and no more. outside the
doorway, It called aloud in a human
yoice-a woman's voice.
At the sound of 1t, he drew himself
up, towering, before her. and, so, be
came visible to her- monstrous,
blurred, uncertain shape.
And she cried out; this time in ter
ror. Then. before he could spring
upon her and kill her with his hands,
as his british Instinct Of rage urged
him to do, he started back suddenly,
and himself cried out!
For a faint circle OF light. waving,
wandering. unearthy, was SHINING
straight down upon both OF thtm
through the fog-out OF the sky ITSELF
Looking up, he saw overhead a