Arizona republican., 1914-11-15
i2EEl
V-NO OUARTER

Yes, yes" said MT. Barcus indugently break. ing long silence Very interesting Very in. teresung, indeed. I've seldom listened to a entertaining Ife-hlstory, my poor young friend But tell you candidly. as man to man, I don't believe one word of it. It's all damn foolishness!"
 Ills voice took on a plaintive accent. "Particu- iariy this" he expostuated and waved an indig nant hand, composing their plight
 The rest of your adventures are reasonable ehoueh ne said; they my credulity-and | III native s3n of Missouri. But this last chap ter Is Impossible. And that's fiat. It couldn't hap pen-and has, And there. in a manner of speak. ing. we are!"
 Agalnst the western horizon 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 mirrored 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 mile or so on the desolate and barren coast that Barcus out of his abounding knowledge of those waters named Nauset Beach Still another mile farther or-shore the so-called Gloucester fisherman rode, without motion waters as still and glassy. Through the gloaming with the aid of glasses, figures might be seen moving about her decks; and as it grew still more dark she lowered small boat that heretofore had swung in davits. A 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 inqufr- 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 and dived down the companonway, presently to reappear with a megaphone and a doublebarreled shotgun.
 "No cuttingout parties in this outfit" he ex- plained grinning amiaby. None of that old stuf revised to suit your infatuated female friend: Once aboard the Iuoeer and the Is mipe!" Stationing himself at the seaward rail- where his figure would show in sharp silhouette against the ring sunset sky he brandished the shot gun at arms length above his head and believed stentorously through the megaphone:
 Keep of, Keep of, This means you, Come 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- fded, with this reek of gasoline; but just for moral effect. Pheww! I'd give dollar for breath of clean air: I've inhaled 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 isherman's launch was stilled It rested moveless in the waters two fig. mysteriously busy in its cockpit, the Sea- ventures dory trailing behind it on a long painter
 Gradually these details became blurred and plotted out by the closing shadows. The aftergow in the west grew cool and faint. The crimson waters darkened to mauve. to violet to translucent green, to blackness 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 up. Hear that,' he cried.
 Now the humming of the motor was again audi ble 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 dark shadow beneath dim sputtering glimmer of light. that moved swiftly and steadily toward the Seaventure
 What the devil!" he demanded puzzled.
 You uttered a mouthfnl when you said devir!" Barcus commented, grasping his and hurry ing him to the landward side of the vessel. Quick kick of your shoes-get set for mie-long swm Devils work. all right" he panted hastily divesting himself of shoes and outer garments T couldn't make out what they up to till saw them lash the wheel light the fuse start the motor, and take to the dory. They've made one grand little torpedoboat out of that tender"
 He sprang upon the rail- steadying himself with a stay. Ready" he asked. Look sharpi"
 By way of answer, Alan joined him; the two had dived as 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 swimming frantically and not until three hundred feet separated them from the schooner did either dare pause for breath or backward glance
 Then the impact of the launch against the Sea- ventures side rang out across the waters and with a husky the launch blew up, spewing skywards widespread fan of flame Over the Seaventure, as this famed and died pale fire seemed to hover Ike tremulous pail of phos- phorescence, weird and ghastly glare that sud denly descended to the decks There followed cracking noise, sound of the labored breath ing of gant and bright flames, orange. crimson, violet and gold licked out all the schooner. from stem to stern, from deck to topmass.
 It seemed several minutes that she burned in this wise-it probably not so long-before her decks blew up and the flames swept roaring to the sky.
 By the time that Alan and Barcus, swimming steadily, had gained a shocl which permitted them footing in waist-deep waters, the Seaventure had burned to the waters edge,
 To be continued