The Trail of the Dead:
ffi., THE STRANGE EXPERIENCE
OF DR. ROBERT HARLAND
By B. FLETCHER ROBINSON and J. MALCOLM FRASER
(Cepyrlght. I90S. by Joseph B. Bowles)
CHAPTER XVIII. (Continued.)
I do not know how we lived through
that first furious hour. Isaac Treherne
made no second mistake, but crouched
t the tiller, tricking the succession of
great seas that swung upon us out of the
throbbing blackness. Stung by passing
hailstorms, drenched to the skin, and ach
ing with cold, 1 toiled with a tin panni
kin, baling, baling until my back creaked
with stiffness and my hands could scarce
ly feel the handle. Graden and the sail
or worked beside me, so that we man
aged to keep the water under. Now and
again a slit in the rushing dark above us
howed me Marnac lying by the steers
man's side. Was he alive or dead? I
did not know, nor did I stay my labor to
make inquiry.
The daylight came at last, the God
given light for which all poor mariners
must pray in their hours of danger.
With it came a lessening of the wind
and a falling sea. Yet there had been
an anry menace in the brilliant colors
that lit the eastern sky, and I stared
eagerly over the muddy green of the hur
rying surges. Indeed, I was the first
to see a steamer's smudge of smoke on
tud Wcbielll bkjliue.
"Her be making for we, gentlemen,"
remarked our steersman, after a long
atare at the distant vessel. "Happen her
would take 'e aboard, if you be so
minded. The weather be blowing up
again, and it's a long reach back to
Polleven."
"I don't like deserting the shin, Isaac,"
aid Graden; "though, to tell the truth, I
don't relish another day in the chops of
the Channel."
"Bain't no desartion, sir. Me and
Jake can take her whoam; and, to tell
e the truth, her'll ride the lighter for
the want of him!"
He pointed to where Marnac sat
crouching under an oilskin coat. Save for
occasional shivers, the old man seemed
to be no worse for his handshake with
Death. He received the sailor's remark
with a benevolent smile. "Doan't 'e go
grinning at me, you wicked-minded old
toad!" cried Isaac. "Twas only through
special mercies that Providence forgot
jou was on board. We'd ha' been sunk
for zarten, else."
Within half an hour we could see
the steamer clearly, an ancient tramp of
the seas, bluff in the bows, square in the
flank, with a coloring of soot and rusty
iron. She answered our signals with a
melancholy toot and stood towards us.
Graden, who had been watching her ap
proach at my side, turned and walked
aft.
"I have already dropped your revolver
overboard, Professor Marnac," he said,
"but I must trouble you to hand me youi
pocket-book. Money, you kuow, is ofteu
the most valuable of weapons."
The professor obeyed with a gentle
cluck of amusement.
"I trust. Sir Henry, that the notes
are not damaged," be said in the low.
musical tones with which I was so fa
miliar. "Indeed, I was assured that the
case was waterproof."
"Now, your loose gold, if you please."
"Here it is, Sir Henry, with my watch
and chain. Observe that my pockets
are now completely empty. Ah, Mr. Har
land, forgive me if I did not notice you
before. I fear that these nautical adven
tures will Interrupt your course of
studies. Did you hear whom the uni
Tersity have appointed In my stead? I
should be sorry if my students, amongst
whom I always held you to be the most
tudious, if not the most able, should be
long without a lecturer like sheep that
lave lost their shepherd, Mr. Harland."
I turned from him with a feeling of
nausea. Mad or sane, he had done such
deeds as placed him beyond the Inter
course of humanity.
The steamer was close upon ns now,
and as she came rolling down the heave
of the swell we were hailed from the
bridge In a tongue that was strange to
me. Before we could reply, a seaman
bad sprung to the bulwarks and sent the
colls of a line spinning over us. This
Isaac made fast, allowing a fair space to
Intervene between his little craft and
the rusty metal fabric that towered
above us. '
"Good-bye, Isaac," said Graden, shak
ing the little Cornishman warmly by
the hand. "I will see to your check the
moment I get to London."
"Doan't 'e mention it, sur. I was
right proud to take 'e. Nor do 'e trouble
about we uns. Jake and I will be mak
ing Polleven by midnight at latest
please be."
CHAPTER XIX.
It was an anxious scramble they had
to swing out a chair for Marnac but the
trawler was as handy as a row-boat, and
at last the three of us stood on the deck
of the stranger. A mora ill-assorted trio
of bedraggled voyagers never ranged in
line.
But If we were strange to look npon,
ao were the group of men who confronted
fls. They were of the degenerate Latin
' breed, dark, small, uncertain in temper,
and dirty by nature and training. Their
eafaring dress seemed as 111-sulted to
them as a sash and a colored cloak would
be to a British shellback.
"EenglesheJ" asked one whom I took
to be the mate. "Eengleshel What
ay?"
"We are Englishmen who war driven
at to aea by last night's storm. If I
aney aea the captain, I will explain,"
aid my coos la.
The man grinned his lack of eomnrs-
hension. Plainly his vocabulary vai of
the smallest
"These men are Portugese, Sir Hen
ry, said Marnac, stepping quickly for
ward. "I know their tongue. Allow
me to explain the situation."
But he got no further. My cousin's
long arm shot out, gripping his collar
firmly from behind. With a gentle heave,
he swung the professor from his feet
and dropped him behind us.
Please to keep silence, Professor
Marnac. Your explanations might be
somewhat biased.V said he, with a grim
smile. And then Vuruing to the sailors,
who had been watching the little seen
with evident surprise
"Do none of you speak English?" he
asked.
They seemed to understand the ques
tion, for some talk, eked out by much
gesticulation, ended in one of their num
ber trotting up the ladder to the bridge,
where be disappeared into the wheel
house. An instant later a long, red-headed
man emerged and came running to
wards us.
"And shure wud 01 not have greeted
yer honors before now," lie exclaimed
in the most strenuous of brogues: "but
'twas me trick at the wheel, and niver a
wan of these spalpeens wud relieve me.
An' what can Oi do fer ye now at all?"
"What boat Is this?"
"The Portugaise ship, San Joseph,
fr'm, Buenos Ayres to Hamburg, wid a
mixed cargo, and a very mixed crew,
sorr. If it hadn't been fer a back an
swer whin the wine was in me, faith!
it's not in this greasy flat-ir-ron that Tim
Blake wud be after serving."
"Do you speak the language, my
man?"
"Indade an' 01 do, soor; an' good ral
son, seeing that 'tis fower years come
Christmas that Oi've been steward on th'
yacht iv wan iv tha' Portugaise no
bility." "That's good news. And now where
is the captain?"
"Faith! bnt 'twas a Jool iv a time we
were after havln' in the Bay last night,
sorr, an' the old man's turned in. The
second mate has gone aft, gatherin' his
courage in both hands fer to wake him.
Indade, sorr, 'tis a r-resolution that wud
nut the fear iv the Lord into a better
man than hi in."
"Rather a Tartar, eh?"
"A strong man, sorr, an' a good sea
man fer a greaser, though his temper is
nost pro-digious. But see, here he comes,
ike a dook out iv a theater."
He was indeed a fine figure of a man,
fully six feet in height and proportion
itely broad. His skin was very dark,
nd his eyes of the deep blackness that
I have since observed in Indian races, but
very soft and glowing. His hair, which
lie wore at a greater length than is cus
tomary amongst sailors, showed under
his cap in glossy curls; and his mus
tache was twisted back almost to his
ears.
He bowed to us with a deliberate cour
tesy, muttering a greeting in his own
tongue. He spoke no English, and it was
through the medium of Tim Blake that
he offered us hospitality. It was no
time for explanations, so, guarding Mar
nac between us, we hurried down to a
large cabin where warm garments and
steaming cups of hot coffee and
sugar were brought by the worthy Irish-
water were brought by the worthy lntn
man, to whose care we bad been as
signed. As far as could be judged, I
had not contracted so much as a cold
in the head, despite my long exposure.
When we had completed our change of
clothes, my cousin beckoned me outside
the cabin, closing the door on our pris
oner. "I have asked Blake to take me to the
captain, for it Is right that he should
know the true position of affairs," he
whispered. "While I am gone, you must
sit with Marnac. Remember, do not let
him out of your sight for a moment."
"Very well," I said, and he strode off
down the dark alley of the passageway.
When I re-entered the cabin I found
Marnac muffled to the chin, under the
blankets of a bunk. He gave me one of
his quick, evil glances, that was un
pleasantly reminiscent of an aged rat
surprised in an iron gin. I had so great
a horror and detestation of the man that
bis mere presence was a source of phys
ical discomfort to me; and when, sitting
up amongst his wraps, he commenced to
pester me with questions. I could endure
it no longer. I retired outside the cabin,
seating myself with my back to the door.
I was as well there, I argued, as In the
interior, and In a position infinitely more
satisfactory to myself.
The garments they had lent me were
thick and warm; the dose of brandy had
been considerable. I was weary from
the toil of a sleepless night Those are
my excuses for the fact that in the
course of the next five minutes I fell
soundly asleep.
It was Graden who woke me, a very
angry and exasperated Graden who
shook my senses Into with with unnec
essary violence. I started up, protest
ing against his treatment
"I thought better of you than this,"
be said,' with his hand, still fixed In my
collar.
"My back was against tha door. He
could not pass without waking ma. What
does it matter?" I grumbled, with every
sign of irritation.
"I told you to watch him, to stay In
side the cabin, and I find yon snoring
here. No more excuses, please. You
know the ability of the man. Let us
hope he has not taken advantage of any
chances you gave him."
He opened the door cautiously, peeped
In, and then flung it wide with a great
oath. The cabin was empty!
Yet there was no doubt as to his man
ner of escape.. In. the middle of the
flooring there gaped a little hole, with
a heavy square of wood lying beside it
On examination we found that this en
trance had also been barred by a grat
ing, which now swung downwards on its
hinges, disclosing a wooden ladder, the
foot of which was indistinguishable in
the gloom below.
"He is in the hold!" I cried, "ne is
hiding somewhere amongst the cargo!
We shall never find him without the help
of the crew."
Amongst the excellent points In my
cousin's character was that of perfect
self-control. There was no anger in
his voice to remind me of my blunder
when he spoke again.
"It's not the hold, Cousin Robert,"
he said. "This is the ship's lazarette,
where the food is stored. There are usu
ally two entrances, each similar to this.
If he has escaped by the second, It's a
bad business. It will mean he has found
a friend, for these gratings should be
secured. But it may be that he is lurk
ing amongst the pork and biscuits. If
so, we ought to find him easily enough.
I don't want to bring the crew into this
affair If I can help it It will be enough
if the captain knows."
"That's the blackest part of the luck.
The ship caught it pretty badly last
night; they were right in the thick of
it I found the captain on uecic super
intending three or four sailors who were
clearing away the wreckage of one of the
boats. He was In an amnrlng temppr,
I nn1 Rlaba aAvaai ma thnt if T hnH A
favor to ask him, I had best let him cool
off a bit. So I dismissed the Irishman
and climbed up to the bridge. I should
think I'd been there about twenty miw
utes watching the work, when I saw a
sharp-looking lad pop out from the com
panion and go over to where the captain
was standing. They had a fine pow-wow
together, looking up at me from time to
time. It rather puzzled me, and pre.
ently I dropped down the stairs and
walked over to where they were. The
captain seemed decidedly chilly, and I
soon saw by his manner that he was not
wanting a talk Just then. Whereupon
I came below. So kindly light the lamp
I see in the bracket yonder, Cousin Rob
ert and we'll go hunting again."
CHAPTER XX.
We descended die ladder, Graden go
ing first, and I following with the lamp,
the light of which I endeavored to throw
over his shoulder.
It seems a cowardly thing to confess,
writing as I am in the broad daylight,
with the bees amongst the flower-beds
singing their song through the open win
dow, but though we were two to one, and
our quarry an old man, my cousin had
twice to rate me for the deliberation of
my movements. We peered about
amongst the lurking shadows, with the
thunder of the seas hammering on the
iron sides without Now and again
heave of the ship would send us stag'
gering opart, to bring up amongst un-
expected barrels. Perhaps it was the
want of sleep that had jangled my
nerves, but I knew in my heart that if
I were suddenly to catch a sight of those
wicked eyes staring out from the gloom
before us, I should shriek and run like
a hysterical schoolgirl.
But Marnac was not there. The grate
of the second stairway was closed and
locked, and yet he had disappeared,
Someone had helped him that was plain
enough. We stood disconsolate amongst
the details of the ship's larder.
"Well, he's gone right enough," said
my cousin. "Hallo! what the deuce is
this?"
He took the light from my hand and
stooped to examine something at his feet.
It was a steel cylinder, about eight feet
In length; a second lay beside it
"Ammonia! So they run a cold stor
age on board.
"How do you know that?" I asked
"My dear cousin, if you can't remera
ber the part that ammonia plays in the
manufacture of ice, I shall not attempt
to hallo! stop that stop that,
say!"
He sprang forward, caught his foot
in an empty sack, and fell heavily, ex
tinguiBhing the lamp. As he did so,
saw an arm reach down and draw up the
grating through which we had descended
A key clicked in the padlock. Graden
was on his feet in an instant, and to
gether we rushed to the foot of the lad
der.
In the patch of grey daylight above us
we could see the face of the captain
looking through the bars, and peeping
down beside him, with the sweetest dim
pie of an old man's smile upon his lips,
was Professor Marnac!
There was a pause, filled with much
whispered talk from above. Then the
red head of our friend Tim Blake came
thrusting into the picture. He seemed
much distressed at the situation.
"Faith; but 'tis not Oi that knows
fwhat to belaive," said he; "but the skep
per here will have it that yer're a pair iv
desprite and revolting characters. Oi am
also to tell ye, gintlemen, that ye've the
very mischief's own choice of ut. Eyther
ye will let me r-run through yere pock
uts wid me practiced hand, upon which
ye may come up an' make us acquainted
wid yere gineal defence, or, if ye re
fuse, be jabbers! but they'll clap on the
hatches an lave ye In the dark."
"Tell the skipper, make, said my
cousin, "that he has been grossly de
ceived, for we are law-abiding English
gentlemen. Nevertheless, if he will keep
to his term am- hear our case out, we
consent to being searched."
(To be continued.)
AH good thought and good action
dalm a natural alliance with good
cteen
WELL. HERE IS
"Five hundred English, school teachers will come to America to In
spect the higher branches of Yankee schools." News Item.
MW:f:tKtt(l!)1i))1))Mt
m
Marvelous, jk ji
Quaint and Curious.
Martin Luther's Tankard.
This Interesting relic of tbe great Re
former Is of ivory, very richly carved,
and mounted In silver gilt There are
six medallions nn
its surface, which
consist, however, of
a renetltlon of two
8m subjeeta. The upper
one represents tne
agony in the garden,
and the Savior pray
ing that tbe cup
might pass from
Him ; the base repre
s e n t s the Lord's
Supper, the center
dish being the Incar
nation of the bread. On the lid, In old
characters, Is the following Inscription :
"C. M. L., MDXXIIII." This drinking
vesfsel, which, Independent of Its ar
tistic merit, -was no doubt highly valued
as a mere household possession, brings
to mind many recollections of the life
of him who raised himself from a very
lowly position to one of great power
and usefulness.
Martin Luther, who was the son of
John Lotter or Lnutlier (which nnme
our Reformer afterwards changed to
Luther) and Mnrgnret Llndenen, wns
born In the little town of Islebern, In
Saxony, on November 10th, 1483. Ills
father was a miner. Luther died In
1540, and princes, earls, nobles, and
students without number, attended the
funeral of the miner's son In the church
of Islebern. On this occasion, Mnlanc
thon delivered the funeral oration.
Tomb of Caecllla Metella.
Of the tombs of Consular Rome noth
ing remains except perhaps the sarco
phagus of Sclplo; and It Is only on tbe
eve of the Empire that 'we meet with
the well-known one of Csecllla Metella,
the wife of Crnssus, which Is not only
the best specimen of a Roman tomb
now remaining to us, but the oldest
building of the Imperial cty of which
we have an nutheutlc date. It con
sists of a bold square basement about
TOMB OF CAECILIA METELLA.
100 feet square, which was originally
ornamented in some manner not now
Intelligible. From this rose a circular
tower about 94 feet In diameter, of very
bold masonry, surmounted by a brace
of ox-skulls with wreaths Joining them,
and a well-proflled cornice; two or
three courses of masonry above this
seem to have belonged to the original
work; and above this, almost certain
ly, In the original design rose a conical
roof, which has perished. , The tower
having been used as a fortress In tbe
middle ages, battlements bare been
m
rivf55'6 inwmt mm
"EXHIBIT A."
added to supply the place of the roof,
and It has been otherwise disfigured,
so as to detract much from Its beauty
as now seen. Still we have no tomb
of the snme Importance bo perfect, nor
one which enables us to connect the
Roman tombs so nearly with the Etrus
can. The only addition In this Instance
Is that of tbe square basement or
podium, though even this was not un
known at a much earlier period, as for
Instance In the tomb of Aruns. The
exaggerated height of tbe circular base
U also remarkable. Here It rises to
be a tower Instead of a mere circular
base of stones for the earthen cone of
the original sepulchre. The stone roof
which probably surmounted tbe tower
was a mere reproduction of the orig
inal earthen cone.
A P0CAH0NTA8 MEMORIAL.
Monument to Bo Erected Boon to
Flrat Great American Woman.
The first great American woman is
soon to have a bandsome monument
erected, in ber honor. Pocahontas,
daughter of the mighty Indian chlef-
POCAHONTAS.
tain, Powhnttan, she who saved the
life of John Smith, surely deserves the
title of first of the ne world's women
to achieve for the good of humnnlty
and to take a place in history as tbe
earliest example of the aborigine who
mastered the ways ot civilization. The
story of early Virgln.a Is one of the
world's classics. Artists have pictured
that dramatic scene when the 12-year-old
daughter of Powbattun placed her
own body between that of Smith and
the war club that hung over him ready
to deal the death blow. That was only
a little short of 300 years ago, and Po
cahontas, who did much for the set
tlers of the new world, has waited
long for her memorial of stone, but
justice will finally be done her In a
superb art work.
The Pocahontas Memorial Associa
tion, of Washington, has the movement
In charge, and the distinguished Amer
ican sculptor, William Ordway Part
ridge who has to his credit a number
of superb pieces, hag been selected to
make the monument
Most of the women who are promi
nent In the movement are descendants
of Pocahontas, for tbe Indian princess
became the ancestor of some of the
best families In the South. But Poca
hontas' descendants are not confined
to Virginia. Pennsylvania has one la
the person of Miss Harrlette de Bonne
ville Kelm, of Reading. She Is on of
the, vice presidents for the Pennsylva
nia division of the Pocahontas Society,
and is lending effective aid toward the
memorial.
If you can't have your way, be sat
isfied with the next best thins.