Litchfield enquirer., 1881-08-18
WHOLE NO. 2S8O

one was near him, and as leaped down on to the first ledge of rock below me saw that he was not following me, but had disappeared among the brushwood
 When got down to the beach found that the boats crew had reached the shore in safe ty, but of the two passengers nothing had been seen. The capszed boat was sometimes visi- ble as it lifted on tn rollers, but through my glass saw that no one was clinglng to 1t. called for Sooka, but Sooka was missing Every one had seen him land, but he had dis appeared mysteriously. In vain l questioned the other boys as to the cause of the disaster. The only answer I could get out of them was an appeal to look at the sea and judge for my self The woman was a white woman from the big ship, was all they could say about her and, negro-like, they evidently considered the loss of a woman or so of very little conse- Quence.
 All could do was to set watch along the beach to look for the bodies when they should be washed ashore, and this done returned to the factory. My next desire was to find Soo- ka. He could hardly have gone far, so sent | for runner to take message to the native | King under whose protection we on the Point | were, and after whom the Point was called, and who was bound to find the missing man l for me if Le could, or if he had not been brib- ed to let him pass.
 In my sorrow at what had happened, and in my doubt as to the cause of it, l had forgot ten all about Jackson but after l had dis patched my messenger to the King, went to look for him. 1 discovered him crouching in corner of his own bedroom in the dark.
 "Are they found?" he asked. in voice so | hollow and broken that l hardly knew it; and before 1 could answer him he whispered to himself, ''No. no they are drowned | dr owned"
 | tried to lead him into the lighted dining room, but he only crouched the closer to his | corner. At length by the promise of the ever | potent temptation, liquor, l got him to leave | the room. He could scarcely walk, though, | now, and he trembled so violently that was | glad to give him part of q bottle of brandy had by me. He filled a tumbler half fnll oi the spirits, and drank it off. This put
 strength into him, and for little he was calm but as he again and again applied him. self to the bottle. he became drunk, and swore | at me for my impudenCe in giving orders | without his sanction. On this 1 tried to take | the Dc tile from him, but he clutched 1t so l firmly that had to let It go; whereupon he I immediately put it to his lips and swallowed | the rest of the liquor that was in it. Alter which he gave chuckle and staggered to | couch, on which he tumbled, and lay with his eyes open for long time. At last he fell asleep, but l was too nervous to do likewise. and sat watching him the most of the night at least when 1 awoke it was daylight, and it seemed to me that had been asleep but a l few minutes.
 Jackson was still lying on the couch, and his face was calm and peaceful as he softly breathed. The morning, too, was fine, and as 1 walked on to the Veranda 1 saw the sea | sparkling in the sunlight, and there was not sound from it save far-of and drowsy murmur. Not sign remained on it's broad surface of the wrath of the day before. It was wonderfully calm. Lying here and there on the verands, rolled up in their clothes,
 were the servants of the factory, sleeping soundly on the hard blanks.
 | Presently, as the sun rose in the heavens and warmed the air, the place began to show l signs of life and one of the watch that had set on the beach came running across the yard to tell me that the bodies had come ashore. l Immediately upon this l called the ham, mock bearers together, and going down to the
 beach, went considerable way along it toward dark spot, which l knew to be a | group of natives On coming up to the group. l found at least fifty negroes collected round the drowned man and woman, all chattering and squabbling among themselves, and prob. ably over the plunder, for 1 saw that the bod | es had been stripped to their unde-clothing. | Rushing into the crowd, with the aid of q | stick l dispersed it, so far as to make the wretches stand back. The man, of course, was Bransome there was no doubt as to that, although he had received a terrible blow on the left temple, most likely from the pointed stem of the bost ss it had toppled over upon him, and his face was distorted and twisted to one side The woman was evidently Eng fish, young and pretty, although her long hair, heavy and wet, was polluted by the sand that stuck to it, and her half open eyes were filled with the same. On her lips there fingered slight smile. She was of middle hlght, of slender figure, and delicately nur- tured, as the small bare feet and little hands showed. AS looked at the latter l saw wedding-ring on her finger, and thought, | 'lt is Bransome's wife" tried to take the ring away, but it would not come off her fin- ger-which might have known, because the natives would not have left it there had they been able to remove it. then ordered the bearers to lay the bodies into the hamnocks, and that done, our little party wended it's way along the shore bomeward, while the natives l had dispersed followed one after another in African fashion.
 Arrived at the factory bade the boys to place the bodies side by side on a spare bed in an empty room, and then sent them to dig grave in the little burial ground on the Point, where two or three worm eaten wooden crosses marked the resting places of former agents of Messrs. Flint Brothers.
 AS quick interment was necessary in such climate, even on that very day. went tO call Jackson in order that he might perform the duty that was his-that of reading the burial service over the dead, and of sealing up the desk and effects of MT. Bransome. But Jackson was not in the factory guess ed, however, where he was and, sure enough I found him in his accustomed haunt at the end of the Point. The moment he saw me he tried to hlde himself amoug the brushwood, but was too quick for him, and spied him as he crouched behind dwarf palm.
 Il know, know" he cried as I ran up 10 him; "l saw you come along the beach. Bury them, bury them out of sight"
 ''Come, Mir. Jackson,"I replied, ''it isn't fair to put all the trouble on to me an sure 1 have had enough of the weariness aud anxiety of this sad business You must take your share of it. 1 want you to read the ser- vice for the dead over them"
 No, mo-" he almost shrieked "bury them quick; never mind me. Put them out of sight"
 II will not," 1 said, resolutcly. "Fur your own sake you must, at any rate, view the bodies."
 ''They have not been murdered ?" he re- piled. But the startled look with which received the suggestion his words implied seemed to recollect himself, for he rose and took my arm without saying more. As le did so, felt for the first time a sort of repuL- nance toward him. Upto that moment my feeling had been one of pity and anxiety on his account, but now loathed him. This he seemed iustinctively to feel, and he clung closely to me. t-
 Once at the factory, determined that there should be no delay on hls part and 1 took him to the door of the room where the bodies had been laid, but at it he made a sudden ho oy,d auld h:. with his hands, he trembled violently as pushed the door open and advanced to the bedside. The room, huslled and in selmI- darkness-the white sheet, whose surface showed too plainly the forms beneath it--and the scared, terrified face of the man who with brain afire, stood with staring eyes, waich- ing, the bed-made scene have never fUr-