Show LAI A A 4 A B PARR 1511 cc d ca of SYNOPSIS tl TI e story opens with the introduction of john step stepi ens adventurer a massa cl man marooned by auti orioles e a at valparaiso chile being inte interested reste d in mining operations in bol via he was de bounced by ch ie le as an insurrectionist and as a consee ence was hiding at his I 1 otel his attention was attracted by an i ng lishman n and a young woman stephens rescued tl tie e soung oung woman from a drunken officer he was vias thanked by I 1 er admiral of the peruvian navy con fronted steph stephens ns told I 1 urn im that war had been declared between chile and peru and offered him the office of captain he desired tl at that night the esmeralda a cl ilean vessel should be captured stephens accepted the c coan mn assion stephens met et a motley crew to which he was vas assigned he lie gave them final in they boarded tl e essel they successfully s fully captured the vessel supposed to be the esmeralda meralda Bs through strate strategy y capt stepi ens ga e d erections lons ions for tl e 2 de of tl e craft he ile entered the cab in n and discovered the englis i woman and her n aid stepi e s quickly learned the wrong vessel had been captured it was lord darl agton s private yacht the lords lord s wife and maid being aboard he ile explained tl ti e c tuition to I 1 er lady il I 1 IP lp tl TI en first mate tuttle laid bare tt e plot saying that tl e sea queen had I 1 een taken talen in order to go to tl e anbarc t c circle tuttle explained that on a former N boyage I 1 e had learned that the donna ionna isabel was lost in 1753 he ire had roun foun I 1 it frozen in a huge case of ice fee 0 on n an island and contained much gold S stephens consented to be tie tl e captain of th the e exiled I 1 tion ion he ile told lady darl dart agton she was greatly alarmed b but u t expressed confidence in him ahe q ea queen enco a vessel in the tog fog stepi ens atte pled to communicate th this er beaus caus d a fierce it qt ruggle and I 1 e was overcome 0 v c amp tut tuttle tie finally squaring the sit bation tl TI en the sea queen headed south again under tuttle s guidance tl e ves set made progress toward its goal DP no a the mate told step ens that he bel bell leed eNed tuttle now acting as skipper insane because of his queer actions 9 3 epi ens eng was awakened by crashing of glass he ire saw tuttle in the grip ot of a spasm of rel alous mania and overcame h m the sal sat or upon regaining I 1 Is senses was taken III tuttle con m eted sule de by sho otin upon vote of the crew beep stepi I 1 ens a queed the leadership and the men decide 1 to continue the treasure hunt tl e islands being c opposed to be boniv 00 miles d stant tuttle was burled buried in tl ti e sea e 11 jadv darlington pronouncing the service es v ace Ste stepi ens awaking from sleep bleep saw tl e ghost sed to have formed the bas s tor for tuttle s rel g ous mania upon advice ot of lady darl agton stepi ens started to probe t e ghost he lie cs m upon L aleut leut aut sanchez tl e drunk in fn officio officer r he be I 1 lad ad humbled in chile he ile found that at sanchez inspiration en do p g neer mcknigh t ed ghost to scare fhe men into giving up the quest steph ons ns announced that the sea queen was at the spot where tuttle s quest was sup sun posed to be the c ew mag a anxious to go on in further searel de no a and steph PIS conquered them in a fiat fi feht ht lady darl dart agton thanked him the sea queen star started t cd northward she was vms wrecked in a fog T stephens t e p bens de do nova lady darlington and h her ee r ma d being among tl ose to set cut out in a life boat ten were rescued S epi ens n saw only one chance in a thou aeple rand f tor or life lady darlin darlington darlinton ton confessed I 1 cr er to love v 3 to stephens and he did I 1 I 1 ad adv D darl arl agton told her life story I 1 ow she had been bartered for a title her yearning arning ve tor for absent love she revealed herself as the school acl ool chum of stephens kister shel she a wish to die in the tea sea rather than face her former friends and go bick to the old life A sh p was as gated the craft proved to be a derel ct tl ey boarded her she was frozen tight wi with tv hund hundreds reft of years of ice fee the ves eel set was the donna isabel lost in 1753 17 vears years previous the frozen bodies of the dormer crew were removed CHAPTER continued that breakfast was the first warm meal any of 0 us had enjoyed tor for five days and we ate it together sitting about on the galley deck the men were unusually silent even the voluble kelly holding his tongue no doubt their thoughts were with their perilous situation and the glew some task con fronting them yet they partook heart lly ily ot of the food and I 1 endeavored by ayery means in my power to arouse their courage and cheerfulness to that end I 1 dwelt on the possibility of the wealth that migu oe concealed between decks pro 3 an early search but I 1 spoke most to lady darlington admiring greatly the easy manner in which she bore herself amid such rude surroundings and adapted herself to the necessities of our situation all semblance of pride and exclusiveness had iani vanished shed and she was a simple hearted woman bearing her trials with silent fortitude only once did she even refer to our discoveries aft and then only to appear perfectly sat isfried when I 1 explained that the cabin it would have to wa was in such disorder be cleaned before fit for occupancy rough as the experience of the ous night had been her dress soiled her ler hair ruffled never had she ap pared more attractive than when sit ting in the midst of us on that galley de k with the gray daylight streaming in through the bidlen loot the ruddy flames of the fire flickered across her face I 1 saw the men glance toward her in respectful admiration as they filed 0 it one b one and thus left us for a moment alone no matter what words I 1 whispered in the brief time before I 1 joined them but as I 1 glanced lack back where she remained standing there was a smile upon her lips and a mist of tears in her ea ees es As tor for myself I 1 was prepared for the work ot of the day the urgent need of getting some form of sail up and of releasing the rudder was as indeed imperative any approach of storm would have found us utterly helpless yet we could not live on board with those frozen bodies att aft I 1 left dade busied in the galley and took the others with me they went reluctantly grumbling among yet I 1 permitted them no port unity for open levolt driving them to the i ork I 1 hid upon of f N 4 Q I 1 there was a smile upon her lips and a M st of tears in her eyes and shaming them by leading the way myself I 1 need not dwell upon the ant details the most disagreeable portion tell fell to me although johnson took hold like a man after the first few moments of reluctance the oth ers devoted themselves dil gently to scraping off the ice fee gathering up and casting overboard the accumulation of litter about the main cabin and the various staterooms and assisting us its only as we passed the heavy rig d bodies through the stern ports we performed this unpleasant task of burial hastily but with all gentleness there was little to do except to wrap the stiffened figures as best we might weight them though they were them selves like stone and consign them to the gray sea not heartlessly but with unspoken prayers upon our lips we watched them sink silently into the depths they had resisted so long never shall I 1 forget the face of the child the last to be buried nor the sickening feeling aith mith which I 1 sank back upon a bench staring about the vacated cabin when the awful task was finally accomplished yet the re aliza tion that it was oyer with the cabin cleared and habitable made new men of all of us the bedding was brought forth and aired before the open ports the furniture restored to position and a fre started in the huge box stove this qu cl ly warmed the icy ley interior and yielded a new aspect of cheerfulness de nova and kelly explored the steward stewards s pantry d ering a quantity of frozen biscuit several hams rigid as lock together with numerous flasks of some liquid turned into solid ice we found can dies also hard as nails though they burned fairly well after a period of sputtering and we fitted six of them into the great lantern by noon we had completed the work and had brought lady darlington and celeste aft for dinner CHAPTER in wh ch we learn the story of th donna isabel the short antarctic day left us lit tie opportunity tor for the work on deck however hoever I 1 kept the men employed as long as possible first setting them at hauling up the longboat and stowing it safely away under shelter and then at untangling some of 0 the raffle forward they went nent at this tast task rather unwillingly for it was carried on in full view of that ice fee casi casl eted figure guarding the forecastle yet they got out two fairly serviceable spars and a considerable amount ot of cordage so protected by the ice coating as to be still of value when we finally I 1 cocked off and started aft in a body a dark cloudy night was about us the snow falling so ly as to make male it impossible to see across the deck dade was busily preparing prep aung supper in the wrecked galley the red glare of his fire shining forth through the drifting flakes while glimpses of leht stole out in welcome from the forward cabin windows the latter appeared shipshape and cheele I 1 enough as we slid back the door and stepped within scarcely a reminder was left of that horrible in tenor dominated by death which had been revealed to me a few hours be tore fore by the smoky glare of the torch while we were laboring forward to clear the deck dons doris and celeste evi dently had also been diligently cm em plowed and with womanly intuition had given to the desolate interior a home like touch which was irresistible I 1 could only come to a pause gazing abl t and wondering it we could real ly be afloat upon a century old wr wreck eck tossed helplessly on the waters of the polar sea the odd old fashioned swinging lantern threw violet hued rays over the snug scene while rhile in the center the table covered by a spotless cloth was fairly glistening in a bril biant display of ancient silver newly polished and of decorated glass doris who had been engaged in giving the arrangement some final deft touches turned instantly at the sound of our entrance her sweet face brightening with interest as she read the amaze ment pictured in my eyes you have actually worked a marvel I 1 exclaimed admiringly where in the world did you unearth such a display from a locker behind the steward stewards s pantry she replied smilingly but oh with m ith a shiver it was most bitter cold in there when we first opened he door I 1 actually had to wait hall half an horn before venturing in yet you hould should have seen what we found this thi s is not half the silver service wa was s simply magnificent and see every piece is beautifully en graven with a facsimile fac simile of the ship and a master piece of art I 1 gazed at the bit of plate handed me weighing it in my hand and study ing the decidedly elaborate scroll I 1 have read that these old galleons were often furnished regardless of ex pense I 1 said and the dons were agh livers did you make any other discoveries 7 only several cases of liquor but all were frozen solid the cazarette laz arette opens the pantry and we succeeded in lifting the trapdoor but the cold of the air which came up was so intense that we were compelled to drop it again immediately I 1 never imagined such an atmosphere possible it is the breath of years of polar winter I 1 explained this very cabin was of that same temperature when we first broke through its ice covering she pressed her palms to her tern tem pies staring about her at the gray gold decorated interior do iou actually mean to tell tal me that that this wreck has been drift ing and tossing about all that time she questioned unbelievingly no not arif drifting ting and tossing about but solidly imbedded within the ice far south of this this vessel is the donna I isabel abel he the same one tuttle saw and her logbook lies in that farthest stateroom state room yonder its last entry was made in september Sp 1753 she sark down upon the bench her eyes up ur TP wa fa e and I 1 heard her lips lipi r soft y september 1753 september 1753 as though the conception could hardly find accept ance in her mind the men were grouped close beside the entrance while de do nova and celeste had gone forward to assist dade in bringing his supper from the galley so that for the moment we were comparatively alone As I 1 bent over wondering what I 1 had best sa she questioned quickly with a little sharp of the breath and and the people jack the crew crewe what became of 0 them dead more than a century ago I 1 answered solemnly I 1 did not stop this morning to read the log and so I 1 know little of their story but the vessel itself tells of storm and of long struggle in the ice probably most of those on board perished from expos ure and cold her hands clasped mine her cheeks white from apprehension were were there any any an y bodies herec yes I 1 replied reluctantly not dar ing to say otherwise how how many manya pour four men a woman and a child an instant she stared into my face then swept her eyes about the light ed cabin only to bury them within her hands her whole body trembling A a woman and child here here for years oh merciful god she lifted her eyes again filled with horror her hands clenched they they were actually here ap pea ring natural 4 7 looking as they did in lifee yes they seemed to be sleeping for they had been solidly filzen frozen in the very attitudes in which they died the woman rested on the couch yonder she had beautiful dart dark hair and eyes and must have been about 30 years of age the child was in a bunk a little flaxen haired girl of bf three or four and and you burled buried them As best we could we wrapped them in blankets and consigned them to the deep with a prayer for their souls I 1 bent closer doris dear don t let this rest so heavily upon you I 1 wish I 1 might have kept it all hidden it was 0 only the end of one of the in numerable tra tragedies gedles of the sea we must face our own on needs now and that task will require all our courage I 1 thought she did not hear me the tears con continuing tinning to fall fail between her fingers half suppressed sup presed sobs shaking her form yet as I 1 rested my hand upon her shoulder she looked 1 up at me out of moistened eyes her lips firmly set yes yes I 1 know jack but but it Is all so terrible and and has come coine to me with such a shock I 1 can not comprehend it that they should have actually been here here all those years waiting but I 1 will not think of it any longer I 1 I 1 will do some thing to make me forget we all messed together sitting upon the long benches drawn up about the table dade waiting upon us with dor is and celes coles e occupying places be tween de nova and myself at the beginning we spoke little the strangeness of our surroundings holding us silent but the minds of all being busy with the same thought we insensibly drifted into conversation regarding our chances of rescue and the history of the old vessel vesse in whose cabin we floated once de nova introduced the subject of the treasure which in be stored away below deck and th the io men exhibited their interest by nu berous question but I 1 gae gaie them lit it tie encouragement along this line re aliling that tor for the present our earll earli est effort should be to transform the wreck into some degree of safety a sail first and a clean rudder these attained the search for treasure might begin what a scene and group that was tho thi night withof the drifting fog of snow the hl hipless pless hulk rising and falling upon the |