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The Mystery by Samuel Hopkins Adams;Stewart Edward White
page 25 of 291 (08%)

"No; it isn't all," said Barnett gently. "There's something else.
Captain's orders?"

"Oh, no. Captain Parkinson doesn't take enough stock in my report to tell
me to withhold anything," said Edwards, with a trace of bitterness in his
voice. "It's nothing that I believe myself, 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 ordered 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
together like frightened sheep. And I heard one say to another: 'Hey,
Boney, d'you feel like someone was a-buzzin' 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 schooner must have been so near the electric
disturbance that her instruments were permanently deranged."

"That would lend weight to the volcanic theory," said Carter.

"So the captain didn't take kindly to your go-look-see?" questioned Ives
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