The Wilmingtonian., 1885-03-28

gave loud hail that must have been heard |
on board. No answer. Again he hailed,
ard we all Joined in the shout. No answer.
II only seemed that the Yigilant turned |
point further from Us. At last she came |
abreast of our boat, She was then about |
three miles distant. Mcguire hoisted a |
white shirt On the end of an oar, and we
shouted again. But the Yigilant passed on,
and left our boat to its fate.
They landed on the beach, and o'Reilly's
friends went back TO Bunbury, promising to
return in week, and leaving him hiding in
a secluded sand valley close to the shore.
He climbed tree aud caught an opossum,
and also captured a few kangaroo rats.
These animals supplied him with food.
After three days O'Reilly still believing that
Captain Baker must be cruising for him
somewhere off the coast, resolved to make
another attempt to board the whaler,
The row boat was too heavy for him to
pull alone. Six or seven miles up the beach
he found an old dory, half buried in the
sand. He dug the dorY out, launched it,
water-tight by plugging the cracks with pa
per bark, and put to sea alone.
Before night had passed the hcad-land,
and was on the Indian ocean, | knew there
was current going northward. Next
morning gave up pulling, and sat down to
watch and wait.
1t was very hot. The sun famed above
and the reflection from the water was
scorchng. That day, toward noon, l saw
sail. 1t was the Vigilant-there was no
other vessel there. She drew near to me- so
near that heard voices on deck. | saw the
men aloft on the lookout, but they did not
see meat least Captain Baker says so.
She sailed away again, and was out of sight
before night.
The dew and the coil air refreshed me-
and resolved to pull back to shore and
wait for Maguire's return. | pulled all
night, off and on and in the morning saw
the sand hills at the headland of Geography
bay.
After that second bitter disappointment
O'Reilly left his sand valley no more. He
slept most of the time for five days, and
then NGaguire came back with the good
news that Father McCabe had arranged for
O'Reilly's passage on another New Bedford
wllaIer, the Gazelle, Captain Clifford But
Mcguire also brought an unwelcome travel
ing companion in the person of criminal
convict, one Martin Bowman, ticket-of-
leave man, and one of the worst characters
in the colony.
Bowman had discovered the means Of
O'Reilly's escape, and had threatened to put
che police on the track unless he was taken
off too.
That night we slept little, someone al
ways keeping an eye on Bowman. WI
vera up at daybreak, and soon after WI
i were ahoat. We pulled straight out TO
ward til, headland as Captain Clifford hat
q instructed.
e BY noon we saw the two whaleships com
S ing along with fine breeze Toward even
ing we heard a hail, and somebody shouted
8 my name, and cried out, "Come on board!'
e We we've all overjoyed.
4 We pulled along side, and l was helpe,
1 out of the boat by the strong arms of Hen
h ry Hathaway, the third mate. Captain Gil
h ford made me welcome, and gave me plac
in the cabin. Martin Bowman, the escape
l. criminal, was sent forward among tn
it crew.
Six months afterw ard when the Gazell
N touched at Ruderique, and English island ii
d the Indian ocean, the governor came aboard
d searching for au escaped convict from Aus
trailia, black haired man.
lie Twas standing with Mr.. lIussey, the mat
1t when the governor made the demand
70 Mr., Hussey said that no such person was o
Iy board The governor answered that he ha
information that man had escaped On th
r Gazclle.
l. Mr.. Hussey feared that lie might seize til
Sc ship, 50 he said that man Of that descril
s. tion, who had come on board of the coas
I'd of Australia, might be the person. He cal
ed Bowman, whom every one on board dc
" tested, and he was put in irons and take
1t, ashore.
ne We knew that lie would tell the whu
a story (the wonder is that he did not do
to then; but ho wished to make terms for b
own relcaso). That night the officers OF IL
n Gazele threw overheard the grindston
IN with my hat, while lay hid in the captain
so cabin, A cry Of "mau overheard" ";
ey raised, boat was lowered, and the hi
of picked up. There were on board some Il
glish ex-eonyicts who had shipped in Au
a trala; and these only waited for the chan
to get me rotaken.
nd But enc of them, utterly deceived by Il
officers strategy, declared that he saw II
ire sink where my hat was picked up.
a When the governor came on board ne
tn day to demand his prisoner the flag was
al half mast, and the officers sorrowEully to