The Mystery

by Stewart Edward White, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Will Crawford (Illustrator)

For breathless interest, concentrated excitement and extraordinarily good story telling on all counts, no more completely satisfying romance has appeared for years. It has been voted the best story of its kind since "Treasure Island."

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Ebooks

286 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

From about 1900 until about 1922, he wrote fiction and non-fiction about adventure and travel, with an emphasis on natural history and outdoor living. Starting in 1922, he and his wife Elizabeth "Betty" Grant White wrote numerous books they claimed were received through channelling with spirits. They also wrote of their travels around the state of California. White died in Hillsborough, California.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery is the latest book I've read and I had such fun reading it. Most of the time anyway. I noticed at once that the author didn't spend much time trying to decide on a title for the book. He was no Charles Dickens. He saved all the good stuff for the inside of the book. Our author was Samuel Hopkins Adams and he wrote our book in 1907. He wrote a whole lot of other things too. From 1891 to 1900, he was a reporter for the New York Sun, then joined McClure's Magazine, where he gained a reputation for his articles on the conditions of public health in the United States. I have a feeling the articles weren't on the good conditions of public health. I read that he was a muckraker so often I finally looked the word up and found Muckrakers were journalists and novelists of the Progressive Era who sought to expose corruption in big business and government. I wonder if it did any good. According to what I read he used his writings to support himself. No kidding. What else would he have used his writings for? In 1905 he published "The Great American Fraud", when he exposed many of the false claims made about patent medicines. I didn't know he exposed "many" of them, I thought they were all frauds. They sold the silliest things as medicine. I'm glad I didn't live then, who knows what my mother would have been buying to give me to stop my seizures. Anyway, his series led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Eventually he got around to writing novels and that's where The Mystery comes in.

In the book we have the United States cruiser Wolverine just sort of sailing around looking for abandoned ships, I'm not sure why, but I guess someone has to do it. The are in one of the deserted parts of the Pacific and they come across the forgotten relict of a once brave ship . Possibly some untold ocean tragedy, there she is, black and forbidding in the waves. But half a mile to the east of the derelict we have the Wolverine and her crew watching. But finding nothing savable in the ship the captain has Barnett, the officer in charge of these things is ordered to blow up the ship:

"Barnett's the man for her then," said Ives. "He's no economist when it comes to getting results. There she goes!"

Without any particular haste, as it seemed to the watchers, the hulk was shouldered out of the water, as by some hidden leviathan. Its outlines melted into a black, outshowering mist, and from that mist leaped a giant. Up, up, he towered, tossed whirling arms a hundred feet abranch, shivered, and dissolved into a widespread cataract. The water below was lashed into fury, in the midst of which a mighty death agony beat back the troubled waves of the trade wind. Only then did the muffled double boom of the explosion reach the ears of the spectators, presently to be followed by a whispering, swift-skimming wavelet that swept irresistibly across the bigger surges and lapped the ship's side, as for a message that the work was done.

Here and there in the sea a glint of silver, a patch of purple, or dull red, or a glistening apparition of black showed where the unintended victims of the explosion, the gay-hued open-sea fish of the warm waters, had succumbed to the force of the shock. Of the intended victim there was no sign save a few fragments of wood bobbing in a swirl of water.

And they continue on until they spot a light, a queer general glow says the lookout. It isn't a regular and proper light, it looks like a lamp in a fog, also by the lookout. An electric glow from a city? The nearest city is eight hundred miles away. A mirage, maybe? Too long a distance. Then this happens:

A great shaft of pale brilliance shot up toward the zenith. Under it whirled a maelstrom of varied radiance, pale with distance, but marvellously beautiful. Forsythe passed them with a troubled face, on his way below to report, as his relief went up.

But the light stops and they eventually go to bed, until again the lookout bothers them again calling that he sees a ship. It seems abandoned, no one answers to their calls anyway. So they send some of the crew with Billy Edwards in charge to board the ship and see what is going on. He calls to them that the ship is the Laughing Lass and it seems abandoned. No people, no rats, no mice, no bugs. I will assume there are usually these things on a ship. I will not be getting on a ship anytime soon. The life boats are all there, a pitcher of half full water is in the rack, sails are OK. Ashes in the galley fire are still warm. So where is everyone? And so the Laughing Lass now has a crew, Edwards, a quartermaster, Timmins, a mate and a crew. They are to keep company and watch for signals, and stay in sight of the main ship. It doesn't happen. The fog sets in, a heavy mist. It keeps up until a curtain had spread between the warship and its charge. The wind died, and the Wolverine now cannot find the abandoned ship. Until after fall of night they moved slowly bellowing for the schooner but got no reply. Eventually the fog lifts, but there is still no sign of the ship. The next night they see the lights once again. Finally, on the second day they find the ship:

As for a prearranged scene, the fog-curtain parted. There loomed silently and swiftly the Laughing Lass. Down she bore upon the greater vessel until it seemed as if she must ram; but all the time she was veering to windward, and now she ran into the wind with a castanet rattle of sails. So close aboard was she that the eager eyes of Uncle Sam's men peered down upon her empty decks--for she was void of life.

Behind the cruiser's blanketing she paid off very slowly, but presently caught the breeze full and again whitened the water at her prow. Forgetting regulations, Ives hailed loudly:

"Ahoy, Laughing Lass! Ahoy, Billy Edwards!"

No sound, no animate motion came from aboard that apparition, as she fell astern. A shudder of horror ran across the Wolverine's quarter-deck. A wraith ship, peopled with skeletons, would have been less dreadful to their sight than the brisk and active desolation of the heeling schooner.

"Been deserted since early last night," said Trendon hoarsely.

"How can you tell that?" asked Barnett.

"Both sails reefed down. Ready for that squall. Been no weather since to call for reefs. Must have quit her during the squall."

"Then they jumped," cried Carter, "for I saw her boats. It isn't believable."

"Neither was the other," said Trendon grimly.

A hurried succession of orders stopped further discussion for the time. Ives was sent aboard the schooner to lower sail and report. He came back with a staggering dearth of information. The boats were all there; the ship was intact--as intact as when Billy Edwards had taken charge--but the cheery, lovable ensign and his men had vanished without trace or clue. As to the how or the wherefore they might rack their brains without guessing. There was the beginning of a log in the ensign's handwriting, which Ives had found with high excitement and read with bitter disappointment.

So when did this happen? According to one of the officers, "Just about the time of the strange glow". Here's some advice, if you are ever on a ship and see strange lights, get off the ship immediately. Now, what they do next is NOT what I would have done, but luckily I wasn't there, for they decide to send another crew over to this unlucky ship. This is what happens:

Not so easily was a crew obtained. Having in mind the excusable superstition of the men, Captain Parkinson was unwilling to compel any of them to the duty. Awed by the mystery of their mates' disappearance, the sailors hung back. Finally by temptation of extra prize money, a complement was made up.

At ten o'clock of a puffy, mist-laden morning a new and strong crew of nine men boarded the Laughing Lass. There were no farewells among the officers. Forebodings weighed too heavy for such open expression.

All the fates of weather seemed to combine to part the schooner from her convoy. As before, the fog fell, only to be succeeded by squally rain-showers that cut out the vista into a checkerboard pattern of visible sea and impenetrable greyness. Before evening the Laughing Lass, making slow way through the mists, had become separated by a league of waves from the cruiser. One glimpse of her between mist areas the Wolverines caught at sunset. Then wind and rain descended in furious volume from the southeast. The cruiser immediately headed about, following the probable course of her charge, which would be beaten far down to leeward. It was a gloomy mess on the warship. In his cabin, Captain Parkinson was frankly sea-sick: a condition which nothing but the extreme of nervous depression ever induced in him.

For several hours the rain fell and the gale howled. Then the sky swiftly cleared, and with the clearing there rose a great cry of amaze from stem to stern of the Wolverine. For far toward the western horizon appeared such a prodigy as the eye of no man aboard that ship had ever beheld. From a belt of marvellous, glowing gold, rich and splendid streamers of light spiralled up into the blackness of the heavens.

In all the colours of the spectrum they rose and fell; blazing orange, silken, wonderful, translucent blues, and shimmering reds. Below, a broad band of paler hue, like sheet lightning fixed to rigidity, wavered and rippled. All the auroras of the northland blended in one could but have paled away before the splendour of that terrific celestial apparition.

On board the cruiser all hands stood petrified, bound in a stricture of speechless wonder. After the first cry, silence lay leaden over the ship. It was broken by a scream of terror from forward. The quartermaster who had been at the wheel came clambering down the ladder and ran along the deck, his fingers splayed and stiffened before him in the intensity of his panic.

I told you to jump if you saw those lights. I don't know if this last crew disappeared because this time the entire ship is gone. All this happens and we're not even at the deserted island yet. We haven't found the only survivor of all this mess, the only one left to tell us the story. I haven't even mentioned the mad scientist, or the criminal crew, the original crew of the Laughing Lass. I didn't mention that the crazy scientist is working on a project that will make you the most powerful man on earth, if you want to be such a thing. If that invention of his doesn't quit sending out lights now and then he won't have anyone on earth left to rule over.

I would give this five stars if I could figure out what exactly the mystery is. I mean the mystery of finding out what happens to these sailors is kind of fun, but why this barely mentioned invention of strange lights would make a person great I don't understand. Luckily, I don't want anything to do with ruling the world, or my town for that matter.

[Chazzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written the early 1907, this is a maritime mystery along the style of Jules Verne in writing and subject.

The Laughing Lass, an abandoned schooner, is found off the coast of a volcanic island in the South Pacific, by the U.S. cruiser Wolverine. There is no one aboard the ship, so the Wolverine’s captain puts a crew on board with the idea of bringing it back. The following day, that crew is missing.

The naval crew find a skiff with a survivor barely alive. He is brought aboard and the tale of the ship, its missing crew and all that happens is told by the survivor.

The tale is about the man who hired the ship for its mysterious voyage, the Laughing Lass crew of cutthroats and the fantastical happenings during the long months spent on the island. It is a tall tale that is told.

The style is verbose and liberally sprinkled with nautical terms. Someone up on old sailing vessels or has read books of this topic/style will understand them.

I did enjoy it and felt I had to finish it. Sometimes reading books from another era, on subjects I don’t normally read about, can make the little grey cells work a bit more.

[Starry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a riveting adventure story from the early 1900s. It has pirates, volcanoes, and mystical energies.
Be forewarned that it also contains some disturbing material: language describing and treatment of the African-American and Mexican characters and the senseless clubbing of seals for fun.

[Rol Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tale of old

I love these old books. No sex or foul language. Well written tale of adventure on a south sea island in the vein of Treasure Island. Difficult to put down. Wonderful read.

[Irving Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Well crafted and nicely worded at all times.
Old style

[Axslingin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, if the aim of Stewart Edward White was to create a bonafide mystery, he certainly succeeded. I finished the book and still wonder what the mystery actually was. We get some clues, but you'll have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks. Sound mysterious?

Standard S.E.W. fare here, not that that's bad; but he does have some deficiencies and if you can get past those, the story isn't half bad, although, as alluded to above, the mystery remains somewhat of a mystery. Somewhat.

The story starts aboard the U.S.S. cruiser Wolverine, and we are immediately hit with the names of the conversants aboard. Not that we know who these people are; we know that they are crew members, but of what capacity is a mystery until later. No, that isn't the mystery, not in the sense of the title. It's a mystery as to why White didn't identify these men right away. Might have worked in a movie, but in a book we just get the dialogue sans descriptions. But, the story picks up interest fairly quickly and eventually we do find out who these guys are.

The Wolverine finds a derelict ship on the high seas-derelict in the sense that it is uninhabited, but upon boarding, there is evidence that there was someone aboard quite recently. The backdrop to this is a volcano flexing its muscles in the background. People disappearing, volcano erupting-all kinds of drama starts to unfold. Eventually they find a man cast adrift, and after bringing him back to his senses, he begins to tell a tale that will make up most of the story. But the story, as told by this guy is so melodramatic that you can't imagine any human being orally speaking in such a way. Writing-wise, it's very good, but it's not oral dialogue. Did I mention this was standard S.E.W. fare? He did the same thing in Arizona Nights. That's what he does. You can use your imagination though. Just picture him telling his tale to the crew, but the book is his mind, and not subject to standard American oral dialogue. White reminds you now and then that he is speaking in this manner, but...ignore it.

What else do we have that identifies this as a Stewart Edward White novel? Racial stereotypes? Check. Keep in mind though, that this is a turn of the century book, and those stereotypes were likely much more common than they are today. Then again, maybe they aren't stereotypes at all; maybe they're just these specific characters. You be the judge.

Then there are the moment where you need to suspend common sense. But then, that kind of defect isn't unique to just White. We have a reporter posing as a 1st mate and apparently, a crack seaman. Not bad for urban newshound. How he put one over on the ornery experienced captain is anybody's guess.

We also have the men frolicking among the poisonous fumes of the volcano. What could go wrong? Apparently, nothing but a little illness. Nothing some fresh air didn't cure. Okay. And what carpenters they were. These guys could build a city if they wanted to, even though they didn't know what they were doing. But they did know.

Here's the most unbelievable part, unless of course, White just left this type of discourse out of the story. There are no women, and not even a discussion of women in the story. These are sailors, and not of the highest order. They seemed more interested in their tobacco stash than anything else. Again, maybe White just didn't want to go there. I did. We all would. Of course, if all these guys were gay, then White definitely would have left this out of a turn of the century story.

We never really find out what the "mystery" is. Some kind of wacky light-or fire-or something that killed everybody that got close to it. I don't consider this a spoiler, because I don't really know what it is myself, and I read the book. Overall though, as I said, a pretty good story, and other than the accounts of the rescued, the dialogue between the men is normal. Just a thing you get around with White. It's a three star, I actually liked the story and was able to get around the above described deficiencies.

[Suzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could hardly put this one down. I downloaded it to my kindle for free to satisfy a requirement in the 2015 Reading Challenge, and found it to be very worthy. It's an interesting, action-packed tale and moved very quickly for me.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ship found drifting at sea with no crew aboard ... Murder! Piracy! Volcanic eruptions!! ... These are all part of The Mystery.

[john r shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tall Tale

Not too impressed with this book, but gave it 4 stars because at times it was hard to stop reading it.

[Myrna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange book but I did enjoy it ... must have, kept reading until I reached the end.