Page:Amazing Stories Volume 01 Number 04.djvu/11

Rh "What do you mean, sir?" was the startled re- tort. "Do you think that Germany — ~ ft "My first thought was that the storm had burst," said Captain Evered; "but if such an idea had been entertained at home, the message would have been worded differently. We live in such ticklish times that every precaution must be taken, hut I don't think that is the explanation." No Communication with Station X i( P g "SEEN have you some other theory?" n "I don't like to call it a theory, but I JL brought those two fellows out from Eng- land, and I can't forget what an ill-paired couple - they were." Captain Evered lit a cigarette. "In other words, you think it possible there has been trouble?" queried the doctor. "You were not with us on the outward voyage, and»so have not met them. Wilson showed every sign of being a martinet, and a surly one at that. Macrae, the engineer and operator, is more difficult to describe. He is well-meaning, but with little edu- cation, very nervous, and of weak will; no vice, hut no ballast. So we have the undisciplined temper of one, the peculiar, unstable character of the other, and extremely trying conditions — how trying they can be is known only to those who have been boxed up together for months in that way." "I hope there has been no row between them!" "Very likely not; but nothing would surprise me very much. The one thing certain is that neither of them is on duty, and the more I think of it, the less I believe in outside interference. Such a thing would be an overt act of war, of which there would be other signs by now." ..-'""Station X was thoroughly fitted for radio tele- graphy, as well as with the incomparably larger plant for long-distance telephony. As the distance between herself and the island diminished, the Sagitta made repeated efforts to call up the station, but received no xeply. On the morning of the 14th the island was raised, a tiny ■ speck on the ocean's rim. When near enough for the glass to show every detail on cliff and shore, the cruiser made the tour of it, as a measure of precaution ; but no sign of life was visible, either on land or water. She then fired a rocket to attract attention, and waited, but in vain. Captain Evered's face was the picture of aston- ishment. What had happened to the Chinaman, even assuming the worst in regard to Macrae and Wil- son? Turning to his first lieutenant, he said: "Mr. Fletcher, take the cutter and go and investi- gate. Anderson will go with you. Let the men stay by the boat while you and Anderson land. If yciu see no sign of any one, signal me to that effect; and proceed to the station-house. Take your revolvers. Be careful to disturb nothing that has any bearing on what has happened, and return as soon as you Landing from the "Sagitta" THE boat's crew were piped away and were soon pulling for the shelving beach. The two officers landed and proceeded, to climb the cliff. They stood for a moment, the whole in- terior of the island lying like a map before them. They were watched with much curiosity from the Sagitta. In order to preserve the secret of Station X every precaution had been taken to hide from the non-commissioned ranks the fact that there was any / secret connected with it, or anything different from the other various stations periodically visited. As it is always the unusual that is most like to-be talked about, Captain Evered intended to take every means to hide any discovery of a remarkable ija- ture in connection with the present visit. That there was something out of the usual routine could not be hidden, but he hoped that the statement that there was a case of sickness on the island would he sufficient explanation, whatever the full facts of the ease might be. This was why the doctor had been made one of the landing-party. The agreed sign that nothing was visible was. made, and the two men disappeared over the cliff. "The station looks all right, at all events," said the doctor, "but no sign of anybody. Where the dickens can the fellows have got to?" They pressed on for the station-house, and pushed open the door, which was closed but not latched. On the floor, on its back, lay the body of Macrae, ■-. with an overturned chair beside him. .The appear- ^ anee irresistibly suggested that the poor' fellow had been sitting at the table in front of the instrument, when, from some unexplained cause, he had fallen backward, chair and all, striking the floor with the back of his head. There was no sign that he had made any subsequent effort. "Dead!" said the doctor, after a brief examina- tion; "but where are the others?" ' Catalepsy or Death! THE various rooms of the bungalow-built sta- tion-house were thoroughly searched, but there was nothing to throw any light on th.:ir absence. "Can you tell the cause of the operator's death, Anderson?" inquired Lieutenant Fletcher. "No," replied the doctor; "thereTs no sign of violence. It's very strange."- "Possihly the papers will show something of what has happened," suggested Fletcher, "but I think we'd better not interfere with them. I'll go back and report. No doubt the chief will then come ashore." "Right-oh!" said the doctor, who had turned his attention again to the body in the signal-room. Lieutenant Fletcher accordingly returned to the Sagitta and made his 'report, with the result that Captain Evered immediately decided to go ashore himself and make a personal examination of* the island. On arriving at the station-house, he went straight to the signal-room, where he found Dr. Anderson kneeling by the body of Macrae. ■ "Fletcher and I thought you had better see the place before anything was touched, sir," said An- derson, looking up. "He's dead?" questioned Captain Evered, indicat- ing Macrae. "I thought so at first," was the reply. Captain Evered looked sharply at the speaker, for both in the words and tone there was a significance. Answering the look, Anderson proceeded : "I have made a further examination, and I'm not now