Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-16
V-NO QUARTER.

Yes, yes" said Mr.. Barcus indugently break.
ing long silence. Very interesting Very in
teresting, indeed. I've seldom listened to more
entertaining lifehistory, my poor young friend
But tell you candidly, as man to man, I don't
believe one word of it. It's all damn fooshness!"
His voice took on a plantive accent. "Particu-
larly this!' he expostulated, and waved an indig-
nant hand, comprising their plight
The rest Of your adventures are reasonable
enough" he said; they won my creduIity-and
I'm native of Missouri. But this last chap
ter is impossible. And that's fat It couldn't hap
pen-and has, And there, in manner Of speak
ing we are!"
Against the western horizon a long. low-lying
strip of sand dunes rested like a bar Of purple
cloud between the crimson afterglow Of sunset in
the sky and the ensanguined sea that mrrored It,
The wind had gone down with the sun, leaving
the Seaventure becalmed-her motor long since
inert for want Of fuel-in shoal water a mile or
so off the desolate and barren coast that Barcus
out of his Astounding knowledge of those waters
named Nauset Beach
Still another mile farther off-shore, the Sso-called
Gloucester fisherman rode, without motion waters
as still and CLASSY. Through the cleaning with
the aid Of glasses, figures might be seen moving
about her decks and as it grew still more dark
she lowered a small boat that Heretofore had
swung in dnvts. little later faint humming
noise drifted across the tide.
Power tender" the owner OF the Seaventure
interpreted Coming to call, presume. Sociable
lot What | can't make out is why they seem to
think 1t necessary to tow our dory back Uneasy
conscience, maybe-what?"
He lowered the binoculars and glanced inouir.
ingly at his employer, who grunted his disgust,
and said no more
Don't take it so hard old top" Barcus advised
with change Of note from irony to sympathy
Then he rose and dived down the companionway
presently to reappear with megaphone and a
double-barreled shotgun.
mo cutting-out parties IN this outfit" he ex-
planned, grinning amiably None Of that old stuff
revised to suit your infatuated female friend:
once aboard the Iuqger and the man Is mlne!"
Statoning himself at the seaward rail- where
his figure would show in sharp silhouette against
the glowing sunset sky, he brandished the shot
gun at arms length above his head, and beloved
stentorously through the megaphone:
Keep off! Keep Off This means you! Como
within gunshot and I'll blow your fool heads off,"
Putting aside the megaphone, he sat down again
Not that I'd dare fire this blunderbuss." he con-
hded, with this reek of gasoline but Just for
moral effect. Pheww! I'd give a dollar for a
breath Of clean air: I've inhaled so much gas in
the last few hours, I'm dry-ceaned down to my
silly old toes!"
Gaining no response from Alan, he observed
critically: "Chatty little customer you are;" and
resumed the binoculars.
For thirty minutes nothing happened other
than that the sound of the fshermans launch was
stilled. It rested moveess in the waters two fig.
ures, mysteriously busy in its cockpit the Sea-
ventures dory trailing behind It on long painter
Gradually these details became blurred and
we're blotted out by the closing shadows The
afterglow in the west grew cool and faint The
crimson waters darkened, to mauve, to violet to
translucent green, to backness. Far up the
coast two white eyes, peering the horizon,
stared steadfastly through the dark Chatham
lights Barcus said they were.
Abruptly he dropped the glasses and Jumped I'D
Hear that" he cried
Now the humming of the motor was again audi.
bic and growing louder with every instant; and
Alan getting to his feet in turn infected with the
excitement of Barcus could just make out at some
distance a dark shadow beneath DIM spluttering
glimmer of light, that moved swiftly and steadily
toward the Seaventure.
What the devil" he demanded puzzled
you uttered mouthful when you said 'devir!"
Barcus commented graspng his arm and hurry
ing him to the landward side Of the vessel. Quick
kick off your shoes-get set for a milelong
swim! DEVILS work, all right" he painted hastily
diyesttng himself of shoes and outer garments.
I couldn't make out what they we're up to till I
saw them lash the wheel, light the fuse start the
motor, and take to the dory. They've made one
grand little torpedo-boat out of that tender"
He sprang upon the rail, steadying himself with
stay. Ready" he asked Look sharp!"
By way of answer, Alan Joined him: the two
had dived one, entering the water with a single
splash, and coming to the surface a good ten
yards from the Seaventure. For the next several
seconds they were swimming frantically, and not
until three hundred feet or more separated them
from the schooner did either dare pause for
breath or a backward glance.
Then the impact OF the launch against the Sea.
ventures side rang out across the waters and
with husky roar the launch blew up spewing,
skywards widespread fan OF flame Over tho
Seaventure, this famed and died pale FIRE
seemed to hover like tremulous pail of phos-
phorescence weird and CHASTITY glare that sud
denly descended to the decEs There followed a
cracking noise, sound as of the abored breath
ing of a giant and bright flames orange crimson,
violet and gold, licked out all over the schooner
from stem to stern, from deck to topmasts.
II seemed several minutes that she burned IN
this wise-it was probably not so long-befora her
decks blew up and the flames swept roaring to
the sky
by the time that Alan and Barcus swimming
steadiIy' had gained shoal which permitted them
roofing In waist-deep waters, the Seaventure had
burned to the waters edge
To be continued