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The Wingham Times, 1909-06-17, Page 7k 1 , THE WINGHAM TIMES, JUNE 17 1909 THE MYSTERY By STEWART EDWARD WHITE And SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS COPYRIGHT. 1907 BY MCCLURE. PHILLIPS & CO. . "And I'll take one of it," said Mc - • "Come one, come all," said Edwards •cheerily. "I'll live high on the col- lective bad judgment of this outfit." "Tonight isn't likely to settle it any - :how," said Ives. "I move we turn in." Expectant minds do not lend them- selves to sound slumber. All night the officers of the Wolverine slept on the verge of waking, but it was not until dawn that the cry of "Sail ho!" sent them all hurrying to their clothes. Ordinarily officers of the United States navy do not scuttle on deck like a crowd of curious schoolgirls, but all lentils had been keyed to a high pitch er the elusive light, and the bet with .1 wards now served as au excuse for r betrayal of unusual eagerness; 'it ace the quarter deck was soon alive with men who were wont to be deep In dreams at that hour. They found Carter, whose watch on deck it was, reprimanding the lookout. "No, sir," the man was insisting, "she didn't show no light, sir. I'd 'a' sighted her an hour ago, sir, if she tad." "We shall see," said Carter grimly. "Who's your relief?" "Sennett." "Let him take your place. Go aloft, .Sennett." As the lookout, crestfallen and surly, went below Barnett said in subdued tones: , "Upon my word, I shouldn't be sur - ,prised if the man was right. Certain- ly there's something queer about that hooker. Look how she handles her- self!" The vessel was some three miles to windward. She was a schooner of the c• ommon two masted Pacific type, but she was Comporting herself in a man- lier uncommon on the Pacific or any. •other ocean. Even as Barnett spoke she heeled well over and came rush- ing up into the wind, where she stood with all sails shaking. Slowly she paid off again, bearing away from them. Now she gathered full head- way, yet edged little by little to wind- ward again. "Mighty queer tactics," muttered Ed- wards. "I think she's steering her- self." "Good thing she carries a weather 'helm," commented Ives, who was an .expert on sailing •rigs. "Most of that type do. Otherwise she'd have jibed 'her masts out, running loose that way." Captain Parkinson appeared on deck and turned his glasses for a full min- ute on the strange schooner. "Aloft there!" he hailed the crow's nest. "Do you make out any one aboard?" "No, sir!" came the answer. "Mr. Carter, have the chief quarter- master report on deck with the signal flags." "Yes, sir." "Aren't we going to run up to her?" ,asked McGuire, turning in surprise to Edwards. "And take the risk of getting a hole punched in our pretty paint with her sunning amuck that way? Not much!" Up came the signal quartermaster to get his orders, and there ensued a one sided conversation in the pregnant lan- guage of the sea. "What ship is that?" No answer. "Are you in trouble?" asked the .cruiser and waited. The schooner showed a bare and silent main peak. "Heave to." Now Uncle Sam was .giving orders. But the other paid no heed. "We'll make that a little more em• phatic," said Captain Psrkieson. A moment later there was the sharp .crash of a gun, and a shot went across the bows of the sailing vessel. Has- tened by a flaw of wind that veered 'from the normal direction of the breeze the stranger made shureee to wind- ward, as if to obey. "Ah, there she comes!" ran the cow - anent along the cruiser's quarterdeck. But the schooner, after standing for relereemoleamorreememerlymee ,., o:p : 3,:n the TF Q Aer's GrIp ,j 'The sheens by which he cured a very evoye case of piles. 'Very many traveling salesmen know 'what it is to suffer from itching piles ,and will read with interest the follow- ing letter: Mr. W. J. Saunders, salesman for the Sawyer -Massey Co., and who lives at Killarney, Man., states: "After hav- ing suffered for three years with a very bad ease of piles a friend recommended Dr. Chase's Ointment and I cannot now speak too highly of same. After hay - ti ing used two boxes of Dr. Chase's Oint- ment I can trutlrful]y say that I am eared of piles, and cheerfully recom- mend it to anyone suffering from this complaint. I tun never without a box Of this ointment in my grip," It is impossible to claim too much for Dr. Chase's Ointment as a cure for every form of itching, bleen'ing and protruding piles. It seems to have no rival in this regard and the record of cures is simply wonderful. Nearly any ,druggist can tell yen of .scores of 'cures that have come to his entice. Some of these efifeeted even .,after surgical operations had failed. 60 xents a bone, at all dealers or Ldmanson, ;Mates & Co., Toronto, a moment, all flapping, answered an- other flaw and went wide about on the opposite tack. "Derelict," remarked Captain Parkin- son. "She seems to be in good shape, too, Dr. Trendon." "Yes, sir." The surgeon went to the captain, and the others could hear his deep, abrupt utterance in reply to some question too low for their ears. "Might be. sir. Beriberi. mavbe, More likely smallpox if anything of that kind. But some of 'em would be on deck." "Whew! A plague ship!" said Billy. Edwards. "Just my luck to be order- ed to board her." He shivered slightly. "Scared, Billy?" said Ives. Edwards had a record for daring which. made this joke obvious enough to be safe. "I wouldn't want to have my pecul- iar style of beauty spoiled by smallpox marks," said the ensign, with a smile 011 his homely, winning face. "And I've a hunch that that, ship is not a lucky find for this ship." "Then I've a hunch that your hunch is a wrong one," said Ives. "How long would you guess that craft to be?" They were now within a mile of the schooner. Edwards scretinized her calculatingly. "Eighty to ninety feet." "Say 150 tons. And she's a two masted schooner, isn't she?" continued' Ives insinuatingly. "She certainly is." "Well, I've a hunch that that ship is a lucky find for any ship, but partic- ularly artiesularly for this ship." "Great Caesar!" cried the ensign ex- citedly. "Do you think it's her?" A buzz of electric interest went around the group. Every glass was raised. Every eye strained toward her stern to read the name as she veered into the wind again. About she came. A. sharp sigh of excited disappointment exhaled from the spectators. The name had been painted out. "No go," breathed Edwards. "But I'll bet another dinner"— "Mr. Edwards," called the captain. "You will take the second cutter, board that schooner and make a full investigation." "Yes, sir." "Take your time. Don't come along- side until she is in the wind. Leave enough men aboard to handle her." "Yes, sir." The schooner steamed to within half a mile of the aimless traveler, and the small boat put out. Not one of hip fellows but envied the young ensign as he left the ship, steered by Tim- mins, a veteran bo's'n's mate, wise in all the ins and outs of sea ways. They saw him board, neatly running the small boat under the schooner's coun- ter. They saw the foresheet eased off and the ship run up into the wind. Then the foresail dropped and the wheel lashed so that she would stand so. They awaited the reappearance of Edwards and the bo's'n's mate when they had vanished below decks, and with an intensity of eagerness they followed the return of the small boat. Billy Edwards' face as he came on deck was a study. It was alight with excitement. Yet between the eyes two deep wrinkles of puzzlement quivered. Such a face the mathematician bends above his paper when some obstructive factor arises between him and his so- lution. "Well, sir?" There was a hint of effort at restraint in the captain's voice. "She's the Laughing Lass, sir. Ev- erything shipshape, but not a soul aboard." "Come below, Mr. Edwards," said the captain. And they went, leaving behind them a boiling caldroi! of theory and conjecture. CHAPTER III. ILLY EDWARDS came on deck with a line of irritation right angling the furrows between his eyes. "Go ahead," the quarter deck bade him, seeing him aflush with informa- tion. "The captain won't believe me," blurted out Edwards. "Is it as bad as that?" asked Bar- nett, smiling. "It certainly is," replied the younger man seriously. "I don't know that I blame hire. I'd hardly believe it my- self if I hadn't"— "01, go on! Out with it! Give es the facts. Never mind your credibil- ity." "The facts are that there lies the Laughing Lass a little weather worn, but sound as a dollar, and not a living being aboard, of her, Her boats are all there. Everything's in good condition, though none too orderly. Pitcher half full of fresh water in the rack. Sails all O. Ti. Ashes of the galley fire still warm. T tell you, gentlemen, that ship hasn't been deserted more than a cou- ple of days at the outside." "Are you sure all the boats are there?" asked Ives. "Dory, dingoy and two surfboats. Isn't that enough?" "Plenty." "Been over 'her, inside and oat. No Sign of collision. No leak. No any- thing, except that the starboard side Is blistered a bit, No ev'idenco of fire anywhere else. 1 tell you," :said Billy Edwards pathetically, "it's given me a headache." "Perhaps it's one of those cases of Pante that, Forsythe. spoke of the other night," said Ives, "The crew got frightened at something and ran away, with the devil after them." "But crews don't just step out and run around the corner and hide when they're scared," objected Barnett. "That's true, too," assented Ives. "Well, perhaps that volcanic eruption jarred them so that they jumped, for It." "Pretty wild theory, that," said Ed- wards. "No wilder than the/ facts, as you give them," was the retort. "That's so," admitted the ensign gloomily, "Ilut how about pestilence?" suggest- ed Barnett. "Maybe they died fast, and the lgist survivor,' after the bodies of the rest were overboard, got delirious and lumped after them." "Not if the galley fire was hot," said Dr. Trendon briefly. "No}, pestilence dc,&' n't work that way." "Did you look at the wheel, BIlly?" asked Ives. "Did I? There's another thing. ,Wheel's all right, but compass is uo good, at all. It's regularly bewitched," "What about the log, then?" "Couldn't find it anywhere. Hunted high, low, jack and the game; every- where except in the big, brass bound chest I found in the captain's cabin. Couldn't break into that." "Dr. Schermerhorn's chest!" exclaim- ed Carnett. "Then he was aboard." "Well, he isn't aboard now," said the ensign grimly. "Not in the flesh. And that's all," he added suddenly. "No, it isn't all," said Barnett gently. "There's something else. Captain's or- ders?" "Oh, no. Captain Parkinson doesn't take enough stock in my report to tell me to withhold anything," said Ed- wards, with a trace of bitterness in his voice. "It's nothing that I believe my- self, anyhow." "Give us a chance to believe it," said Ives. "Well," said the ensign hesitantly, "there's a sort of atmosphere about that schooner that's almost uncanny." "Oh, you had the shudders before you were ordlerecl to board," bantered Ives. "I know it. I'd have thought it was one of those fool presentiments if I were the only one to feel it, But the men were affected too. They kept to• gether, like frightened sheep. And I heard one say to another, 'Hey, Boney. d'you feel like some one was a-buzziu' your nerves like a fiddle string?' Now," demanded Edwards plaintively, "what right has a Jackie to have nerves?" "That's strange enough about the compass," said Barnett slowly. "Ours is all right again. The schoouer must have been so neer the electric disturb- ance that her ins'iruments were perma- nently deranged." "That would lend weight to the vol- canic theory," said Carter. "So the captain didn't take kindly to your go -look-see?" questioned Ives of Edwards. "As good as told me I'd. missed the point of the thing," said the ensign, flushing. "Perhaps he can make more of it himself. At any rate he's going to try. Here he is now." "Dr.. Trendon," said the captain, ap- pearing. "You will please to go with me to the schooner." "Yes, sir," said the surgeon, rising from his chair with such alacrity as to draw from Ives the sardonic com- ment: "Why, I actually believe old Tren- don is excited." For two hours after the departure of the captain and Trendon there were dull times on the quarter deck of the Wolverine. Then the surgeon came back to them. "Billy was right," he said. "But he didn't tell us anything!" cried Ives. "He didn't clear up the mystery." RONCHITIS Bronchitis is generally the result of a cold caused by exposure to wet and inclement weather, and is a very dangerous inflam- matory affection of the bronchial tubes. The Symptoms are tightness across the chest, sharp pains and a difficulty in, breathing, and a secretion of thick phlegm, at first whito, but later of a greenish or yellowish color. Neglected ,Bronchitis is one of the most general causes of Consumption. Cure It at once by the use of Dr. Wood's Norway Pine SYRUP Mrs. D. D. Millon, Allendale, Ont., writes : "My husband got a bottle of Dr. Wood's Norway Pine Syrup for my little girl who had Bronchitis. Silo wheezed so badly you could hear her from one room to the other, but it was not long until we could see the effect your medieine had on her. That was last winter when we lived in Toronto. " She had a had cold this whiter, but in- stead of getting another bottle of Dr. Wood's NorwayPino Syrup, I tried a home made receipt which 1 got from a neighbor but found that her collasted about twice AM long. My husband highly praises Wood's,' and Says he waists that a bottle of it is always kept in the house. The price of Dr. Wood's Norway Pine Syrup is eel cents per bottle, It is, put up in a yellow wrapper, three pine trees the trade mark, so, bo surd and accept none of the many substitutes of the original"Nor• nay Pirie Syrup." Rieumatis I have found a tried and tested cure for Rhea. matism 1 Not a remedy that will straighten the , distorted limbs of chronic cripples, nor turn bony growths back to flesh again. That is impossible. But I can now surely kill the pains and pangs of this deplorable disease. In Germany—with a Chemist in the City of Darmstadt—I found the last ingredient with ! which I)r. Shoop's Rheumatic Romody was made a perfected, dependable prescription. Without that last ingredient, I successfully treated many, many cases of Rheumatism; but now, at last, Muni. !wanly cures all curable rases of this heretofore much dreaded disease. Those sand -like granular Wastes, found in Rheumatic ,Blood seem to dissolve I and pass away under the action of this remedy as freely as does sugar when added to pure water. And then, when dissolved, these poisonous wastes freely pass from the system, and the cause of Rheumatism is gone forever. There is now no real need—no actual excuse to suffer longer with- out help. We soli, and iu confidence recommend Dr. Shoop's Rheumatic Remedy WALLEY'S DRUG STORE. "That's what," said Trendon. "One thing Billy said," he added, waxing un- usually prolix for him, "was truer than maybe he knew:" "Thanks," murmured the ensign. "What was that?" "You said `Not a living being aboard.' Exact words, hey?" "Well, what cif it?" exclaimed the ensign excitedly. "You don't mean you found dead"— "Keep your temperature down, my boy. No. You were exactly right, Not a living being aboard." "Thanks for nothing," retorted the ensign. "Neither human nor other," pursued Trendon. "What!" "Food scattered around the galley. Crumbs on the mess table. Ever see a wooden ship without cockroaches?" "Dr. Trendon, you will please to go ieitih me to the schooner." "Never particularly investigated the ma'am" "Don't believe such a thing exists," said Ives. "Not a cockroach on the Laughing Lass. Ever know of an old hooker that wasn't overrun with rats?" "No, nor any one else. Not above water." "Found a dozen cleat, rats. No sound or sign of a live one on the Laughing Lass. No rats, no mice, no bugs. Gen- tlemen, the Laughing Lass is a charnel ship." "No wonder Billy's tender nerves went wrong," said Ives, with irrepress- able flippancy. "She's probably haunt- ed by cockroach wraiths" "IIe'll have a chance to see," said Trendon. "Captain's going to put him in charge." "By way of apology, then," said Barru2tt. "Thnt_s pretty square." "Captain Parkinson withes to see you in his cabin, Mr. Edwards," said an orderly, coming in. "A pleasant voyage, Captain Billy," said Ives. "Sing out if the goblins git yer." Fifteen minutes Iater Ensign Ed- wards, with a quartermaster, Timmins, the bo's'n's mate and a crew, was beading a straight course toward his first command, with instructions to "keep company and watch for signals," and intention to break into the brass bound chest and ferret out what clew lay there if it took dynamite. As he boarded Barnett and Trendon, with both of whom the lad was a favorite, came to a sinister conclusion. "It's poison, I suppose," said the first officer. "And a mighty subtle sort," agreed Trendon, "Don't like the looks of it." Ile shook a solemn bead. CHAPTER Ied N semitropic Pacific weather the unexpected so seldom happens as to be a negligible quantity. The Wolverine met with it on • lupe 5. From some unaccountable source In that realm of the heaven scouring trades came a heavy twist. Possibly volcanic action, deranging by Its electric and gaeeoas ontponrimes the normal c'ouree of the winds, had elven birth to lt, Ile that as it may. it swept down inion the cruiser, thick- ening as It approached. until presently It had spread a curtain between the warship .end its charge. The wind died. Until after fall of night the Wolverine moved slowly, I.cllowing for the schooner, but got no reply. Once they thought they heard a distant shoat of response, but there was uo repetition. "Probably doesn't carry any fog- horn," said Carter bitterly, voicing a general uneasiness. • "No log; compass crazy; without fog signal; I don't like that craft. Barnett Ought to have been ordered to blow, her up as a peril to the high seas." "We'll pick her up in the morning surely," said Forsythe. "This can't last fearever." Nor did it last long. An hour before midnight a pounding shower fell, lash- ing the sea into phosphorescent white- ness. It ceased, and with the growl of a leaping animal a squall fu- riously beset the ship. Soon the great steel body was plunging and heaving In the billows. It was a gloomy com- T pany about the wardroom table. Upon each and all hung an oppression of spirit. Captain Parkinson came from I his cabin and went on deck. Constitu- tionally he was a nervous and pessi- mistic man with a fixed belief in the conspiracy of events, banded for the undoing of him and his. Blind or du- bious conditions racked his soul, but real danger found him not only pre- pared, but even eager. Now his face was a picture of foreboding. "Parley looks as if Davy Jones was pulling on his string," observed the flippant Ives to his neighbor. "Worrying about the schooner. Hope ?.illy Edwards saw or heard or felt that squall coming," replied Forsythe, giving expression to the anxiety that all felt. "He's a good sailor man," said Ives, "and that's a stanch little schooner by the way she handled herself." "Oh, it will be all right," said Carter confidently. "The wind's moderating now." "But there's no telling how far out of the course this may have blown him." Barnett came down, dripping. "Anything new?" asked Dr. Trendon. The navigating officer shook his head. "Nothing. But the captain's in a state of mind," be said. "What's wrong with him?" "The schooner. Seems possessed with the notion that there's something wrong with her." "Aren't you feeling a little that way yourself?" said. Forsythe. "I am. I'll take a look around before I turn Ito He left behind him a silent crowd. His return was prompt and swift. "Come 011 deck," he said. Every man leaped as to an order. There was that in Forsythe's voice which stung. The weather had cleared somewhat, though scudding wrack still blew across them to the westward. The ship rolled heavily. Of the sen naught was visible except the arching waves, but in the sky they beheld again, with a sickening sense of disas- ter, that pale and lovely glow which had so bewildered them two nights before. "The aurora!" cried McGuire, the paymaster. "Oh, certainly!" replied Ives, with sarcasm. "Dead in the west. Com- mon spot for the aurora. Particularly on the edge of the sot th seas, where they are thick!" "Then what is it?" Nobody had an answer. Carter has- tened forward and returned to report. "It's electrical anyway," said Carter. "The compass is queer again." "Edwards ought to be close to the solution of it," ventured Ives. "This gale should have blown him just about to the center of interest" "If only he isn't involved in it," said Carter anxiously. "What could there be to involve him?" asked McGuire. "I don't know," said Carter slowly. "Somehow I feel as if the desertion of the schooner was in some formidable manner connected with that light." For perhaps fifteen minutes the glow continued. it seemed to be nearer at hand than on the former sighting. But it took no comprehensible form. Then it died away and all was blackness again. But the officers of the Wolver- ine had long' been in troubled slumber before the sensitive compass regained its exact balarltste, and, with the shifting wind to.mislead her, the cruiser. had (To be Continued ) ayryworrarlemyrry OUTDOOR SPORT &.ZAMBLIK Every athlete, every hall player, every swimmer, every canoeist, every man or wnravi wh' loves outdoor life and ex.'reise, should be•p a box of Zem Bak hal dy. 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