ESTANCIA. NEWS-HERALD.
LATE
CON
CHAPTER XXXI Continuad.
Lea yon! and I were the last, and we
left the dinghy awamped behind us,
dangling and crashed against the steel
aide of the schooner, upheld only by
the strength of the rope. It waa all
the work of feverish minute. In
which thought was Impossible because
of the stress of action. But now, as I
clung breathless to those lower mlzien
ratlines, the seven of us jammed upon
the Uttle platform, the green surge of
water below Blushing against the
wreck we had lost left, the strange si
lence of this vessel which we had
boarded struck me with full force. In
heaven's name, what could It mean?
It was broad daylight; If there was a
man alive aboard, he could never have
failed to see or hear us In this fierce
struggle for life. Yet no one was vis
ible; no sound of voice was heard; no
face peered over at us above the rail,
It was like a ghost schooner, and I felt
the very heart of me chill as I stared
Into the blank faces of my huddled
companions, and along the shiny sides,
and the deserted rail.
"This Is a rum go, sir," ventured
Leayord soberly. "Alnt she got no
crew?"
"I dont know what to make of It"
I confessed, "but we'll soon find out
Help the lady, Leayord. Olson, come
with me."
We footed the ropes, and swung up
to the rail, clinging there long enough
to gain swift view of the deck beyond.
