The weekly times-record., 1914-12-31
CONTINUED from Thursday.)

NAosAAAo oAAoNO"os AO oAtCA CIV" ~
the west grew cool and faint. The
crimson waters darkened, to mauve,
! to violet, to a translucent green, to
blackness. Far up the coast two
white eyes, peering over the horizon,
stared steadfastly through the dark.
Chatham lights" Barcus said they
were.
Abruptly he dropped the glasses and
jumped up. Hear that!" he cried.
Now the humming of the motor was
again audible and growing louder with
every instant; and Alan, getting to his
feet in turn, infected with the excite
ment Of Barcus, could just make out
at some distance dark shadow be.
meath the dim, spluttering glimmer of
light, that moved swiftly and steadily
toward the Seaventure.
what the devil!" he demanded.
puzzled.
"You uttered q mouthful when you
said 'devil'i'' Barcus commented.
grasping his arm and hurryiug him to
the landward side of the vessel.
| "Quick-kick off your shoes-get set
for mile-long swim! DEVILS work,
oil right" he painted, hastily divest.
Ing himself Of shoes and outer gar.
ments. Il couldn't made out what
they were up to till saw them Lash
the wheel, light the fuse, start the
motor, and take to the dory They've
made on grand little torpedo boat out
Of that tender"
He sprang upon the rail, steadying
himself with a stay. "Ready?" he
asked. Look sharp!"
BY way of answer, Alan joined him;
the two had dived as one, entering the
water with single splash, and com.
Ing to the surface good ten yards
i from the Seaventure. For the next
several seconds they were swimming
frantically, and not until three hun.
dred feet or more separated them
from the schooner did either dare
pause for breath or backward glance.
Then the impact OF the launch
against the Seaventure's side rang out
across the waters, and with husky
roar the launch blew up, spewing sky.
wards widespread fan of fame. Over
the Seaventure, as this famed and
died, pale fire seemed to hover like a
tremendous pail Of phosphorescence, .
weird and CHASTITY glare that suddenly
descended to the decks. There fol.
lowed cracking noise, sound az
of the labored breathing 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.
1t seemed several minutes that she
burned in this wise-it was probably
not 80 long-before her decks blew
up and the flames swept roaring to
the sky.
By the time Alan and Barcus, swim.
ming steadily, had gained shoal
! which permitted them footing in
waist-deep waters, the Seaventure had
burned to the waters edge.
1 A Double Escape.
/ On Nauset Beach, in the shank OF q
midsummer night, two men sprawled
on the sands, some distance back from
the water, and listened to the heavy
humping of their overtaxed hearts,
and painted.
! Now and again one would lift his
head and stare out over the black face
Of the waters at little line of red
dish flames about mile off shore, all
that remained to witness to the fact
that, an hour since, these two had
been in command Of as trim small
schooner as ever ventured the coast
wise trip from Portland to New York
As far out again shone the stag
board light of becalmed schooner
whose people had been directly respon'
sible for the disaster which had over
taken tie smaller vessel.
In the course Of time, beginning to
breathe with more ease, one of the
two marooned gentlemen said:
what l can't understand-anyway
lis why these damned thugs out there
thought we'd be asses enough to stay
aboard the Seaventure and get burned
up"
The other replied: "Did theyT
Looks that way-doesn't it? If
} they didn't, why were we permitted
to swim ashore at our elegant leisure?
There was nothing to prevent their
rowing round to cut US off"
Maybe they did, at that, and missed
US, Mr.. Law-and-Order!"
But"
I'VE we're wee mite excited you've
got to admit. It's just possible we
didn't hear the noise Of their oars.
And it's black enough for them to
: have overlooked US. A mans head
in the water isn't really a conspic'
uous object on a dark night"
}, "Tell me, Barcus, what's the near
i. est symptom of civilization"
Chatham village" said Mr.. Barcus.
six miles to the moth ards, and cut on
by an inlet mile or so wide at that
Mr.. Law groaned soulfully.
"Then there's the lighthouse on
Monomoy point" Mr.. Barcus pursued
three miles to the SOUTH"
Mr. Iaw said nothing whatever to