d be rendered.
No one could live near her, nor could a vessel of any kind approach.
They could hear such frightful shrieks as would have made a demon
shudder. Finally nothing could be seen save sheets of sulphurous flame
jumping and skipping over the water as if playing with the waves. Then
all became dark, and a streak of suffocating smoke hung over the water,
as if a lake of burning brimstone was belching forth over the sea.

"All on the Fairy Queen stood aghast and looked as though stricken
with paralysis. When the dark cloud of smoke had passed away there
was nothing in sight save one small boat, perhaps a mile away. The
Will-o'-the-Wisp was gone forever, and it looked as though all on
board had gone with her. The Fairy Queen steamed up and steered in
the direction of the small boat, and found that it contained but two
persons. It was found that one sailor and Dr. Blackman had escaped by
cutting loose with the little boat when the first signs of trouble were
discovered. The doctor knew what was coming, and made away for dear
life.

"When Jackson and Capt. Redingson made themselves known to him he was
greatly surprised. They then talked the matter over, and all agreed that
all the schemes of the Professor and Dr. Blackman were at an end.

"Capt. Redingson turned to Jackson, saying, 'There is my dream.'

"Blackman said Dr. Mears and the Professor were lost, and their great
secret with them.

"Capt. Redingson asked how this fire could have occurred.

"The Doctor thought some of the Professor's material must have ignited
in some way. 'The truth is,' he said, 'the ship was wrapt in flames in
an instant. I saw this sailor jump into the life-boat, and I followed
him. We are the only ones of all on board that are saved. The rest were
all burned to death before they could possibly get from the vessel into
the sea. There has never been any such combustible made before, and
perhaps never will be again. But it is lost.'

"He seemed very despondent all the rest of the voyage. When they arrived
in Montreal and conveyed the sad intelligence to Jacob Thomlinson and
Mr. Carey, they were overwhelmed with disappointment. Their schemes were
all blasted and they were bewildered.

"Finally, after some days of talking and consulting, they concluded to
send Dr. Blackman to Richmond for instructions as to further
operations. The first news that reached Richmond of the burning of
the Will-o'-the-Wisp created great consternation. The