Evening star., 1928-03-20

noted the ships course converging on
the sailing vessel. This produced
slight change in the angle of his vision,
but he could still keep the sailing ves-
sci in sight by looking out obliquely
from the after edge of the portfolio.
But suddenly the night seemed to
have settled down, strangely. densely,
utterly obliterating the vessel from view.
Peter rubbed his eyes, and then sharp.
startled exclamation burst from him. It
wasn't the night-it was smoke. A
great black cloud of it had enveloped
The vessel. but now, Swirling away In
eddies with the wind, had brought
portion of her hull into view again
and A flame lurid. red. angry leaped
skyward from her decks.
"Anre!" exclaimed Peter under his
breath. Thank God. for her peoples
sake, we happened to be near by!"
The Isis could do her Is knots or bet
ter. and the distance of 2 miles or so
that Peter judged had separated the
two vessels when he had first sighted
the other was matter of minutes only
The Isis was rapidly closing down on
the burning craft. Peter. watched
tenselv The smoke rolled in dense,
ever increasing volume from the others
decks, the tongue-flameS leaped higher
and higher The VeSSel--a large brig.
Peter now saW-Seemed to be literally
ablaze from stem to stern.
The brig began to lower boats-littlc
black objects scarcely disccrnible IN the
semi darkness. and entirely hidden at
moments by the smoke. There seemed
to be four of them. The Isis was to
windward and only few hundred yards
off now Again Peter heard the jangle
Of the engine-room bell There was
sudden cessation OF vibration, and the
Isis began TO lose her way. There came
the tramping and running of feet, the
creak of tackle and cordage-the Isis
was lowering her gangway ladders
Peter could see the small boats sweep
ing on now toward the Isis; he could
hear the swish and splash of oars, and
hoarse distracted cries from the oars
men-and, from the Isis deck, CHEEKY
shouts flung back encouragingly.
And then he lost sight of the boats
under the Isis hull, and heard them
bump against the ships side, From fore
and aft he heard the boats occupants
come climbing up the ladderS-and
then in Peters ears there rang din
of chorused screams. and yells, and
Economical shouts. and ShriekS OF mad
derision. and shot rang out, and an
other. and another; and, before his eyes,
while he still stood in stunned amaze
ment staring out through the portfolio,
the smoke and flames disappeared from
the brig as though by magic, and
dancing, yelling shapes lined her decks,
and she began TO move rapidly toward
the Isis. closing the gap between them.
Peter stood now with muscles tense.
rigid, hts face white and set Shots,
wells. the scurrying and trampling OF
feet from all parts of the deck above
him still went on. 1t was growing very
dark now: but blacker than the night.
he could see the marauding brig. by the
aid OF an auxiliary engine probably.
warping alongside The trick had been
turned with a devils cunning~-a smoke
screen and bonfire or two on the deck.
and rocket that begged in the name
of God succor for those In distressl
And the Isis had fallen into the trap.
In no other way could a sailing vessel
have COPIED with her and caught her.
A jar rang along the Isis side. Some
thing bulked against the portfolio, leav-
ing the cabin in impenetrable darkness
Peter thrust out his hand through the
portfolio. and the tips of his fingers
touched wood. The briggs hull. OF
course His cabin was below the flush
after deck of the Isis, and the brig's
bulwarks would just about be on level
with that. The brig was fast alongside.
Loot nowt And then-what?
The yeIls had increased. but they
seemed to be yells now that were all
in strange, screaming, uninteiligible
tongues, as apes and wild things might
scream and cry out and express their
lust and triumph--no English voice an
swered them. Another rush Of feet,
more of them This time, pattered sud-
denly again overhead, and went racing
here and there in every direction-the
rest OF the men from the brig, obviously.
who had come to vie with the boats
crews in a first-hand scramble for
plunder.
And then a lull, strangely sinister. 1t
seemed, in its contrasting silence, fell
for an instant upon the din and tur-
moil--and out Of the lull there came.
of a sudden. woman's cry. II rang
out in agony OF dread and horror, rang
out q second time--and died away In
strangled. choking note.
For fraction OF q second Peter stood
motionlesS, like one carved In stone.
with uplifted head, staring at the dark
ness above him. as though his eyes had
pierced through the barriers Of the
cabin ceiling and the deck itself, and
he was watching with Mortified fascina-
ton some scene beyond--and then he
turned and leaped across the cabin. and,
like a madman in his frenzy, hurled
himself against the door. There was
only one woman aboard the Isis