New-York tribune., 1922-11-25
The Lantern
The Great Gland Mystery
espr.. Nsw Yes rrlbt.as l.ae.. 10.
xvn.

!
| On the deck Of a p. and Q. liner
which is steaming slowly through
tho Suez Canal stands an erect ano
soldierly figure, gazing at tho water
/ way itself.
The canal, as If aware of his seru-
tiny, twists, turns and fawns upon
the ship, with the air Of u faithful
! dog rubbing against its masters
boots.
Some might say that the breeze
and currents caused this action Of
the canal.
But the man on the deck-who
calls himself Capt. Peter Fitzurse
thinks differently.
He is something Of u mystic.
"Why should not the Suez Canal
crouch and purr before me?" he asks
himself. ''Does it not know its mas
ter? Is it not welcoming me back
again?"
Strange fancy Of great soul
And yet, who would dare to say
there was nothing in it?
1t was Capt. Peter Fitzursc who
planned the Suez Canal and laid II
out. 1t was Capt. Fitzurse who was
in charge Of its construction. It
was Capt. Fitzurse who piloted the
first ship through it.
Let US respect the sentiment
which he has for the Suez Canal.
Modern scientists soy that the
things which a man handles, the
clothes which he wears, the rooms In
which he lives, retain as long US
they retain form the vital, individual
energy which flows cut Of the man
himself.
They axe haunted, as long ss they
exist, by his personality.
This mysterious personal force Is
impaired to these objects by means
Of an emanation known as the odic
etfiuvia,
Why is it impossible to believe
therefore, that the Suez Canal, as
long rs it exists, will vibrate with
the personality of Capt. Peter Fitz-
urse?
| 1t was lie that loved it into being,
And what more natural than that
this old self of his, which had gone
into and become the yAtaiizing part
of the Suez Canal, should writhe and
culver its welcome when suddenly
confronted after many years by his
new self?
Reader, it will not do to scofR at
the discoveries of the scientists and
psychics!
As the ship left the canal and en-
tered the Red Sea the waters Of the
canal followed, tawning, for q little
space, and then dropped behind, with
/ little ripples Of affection and regret.
1t was touching.
The man who called himself Capt.
Peter Fitzurse felt it so.
He was not ashamed to give way
to tears.
1t is terrible TO see q strong man
weep.
Night fell.
Night on the Red Sea. To the left
was the Arabian Desert, humlning
with Sheiks and camels.
To the right was Mesopotamia
with its many romantic recollections
of the Queen Of Sheba.
Capt. Fitzurse had never known
her personally. But he often said
that he felt as IL she were an old
acquaintance.
Ahead of him were the mouths of
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Overhead, the stars.
1t was impossible to be in this sit
uation without believing in su-
preme being.
Capt. Fitzurse always said that in
some way the Orient always made
better man of him, he
could not tell why.
II do not know anything about
ethics" lnurlnured Cant. Fitzursc,
'but | know what / like
XVIII.
While he was brooding pensively
over the Orient wnich lay stretched
before him, the stars suddenly went
cut, as il they were candles which
had been extinguished.
A sand storm from the Arabian
Desert had obliterated their light.
One of the most dangerous things
that can happen to mariners In
these latitudes is storm.
Especially sand storm.
But sand storm at sea is more
terrible than anything.
it is dreaded by all sailors.
The sand blowing off the desert
picks up grains of the sea salt along
with it, and this poisons the abra-
sions which it makes in the skin.
These poisoned abrasions spread
over the surface of the body with
terrible rapidity.
But Fitzurse was not afraid.
Nothing cowed that intrepid spirit
He felt that he was right in what
he was doing. This gave him moral
as well as physical courage.
XIX
1t grew darker and darker.
On came the sand storm.