42 



— and from faint beginnings it gradually, as darkness increased, 

 grew into a real presence, and, as the hours waned, it became brighter 

 and brighter until, standing on the ship's deck, one could read or- 

 dinary print. At first the light flashed from east to west for an hour 

 or more, nowhere showing with particular brightness. Here and 

 there the light appeared as light gossamer clouds through which, 

 however, could be seen the coldly brilliant flashing of the stars. 

 But there was not, even low down on the horizon, a single fleck 

 of cloud to be seen, and these steam-like spots of color changed 

 their location so suddenly as to keep one busy following them up. 

 They seemed to be playing " tag " in the heavens, and the approach 

 of one was the signal for the departure of others. Sometimes they 



The second stage of the display was reached when these wandering 

 messengers in the heavens became temporarily stationary. From being 

 cloudlike the ligut changed into great bars. Now and then one of 

 these bars of light would open out like a fan and spread through an 

 arc of about thirty degrees and then suddenly contract again. During 

 this stage the light did not expand at the point nearest the horizon ; 

 there it remained fixed while the top flew out and back again in fan- 

 like sprays. In this stage, only, the aurora probably resembled the il- 

 lustrations. The tips of the fan-like sprays were not of equal length, 



