The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-24
MIR. NELSON'S WILL.
DY H. RIDER HAGGARD.

night was still dark. Looking up, Angus
tn could only ju.. make ont the outlines
of the huge bellying sails, for the kanga-
roo was rushing @!ung before the westerly
wind under fuli head of steam, and with
every inch of her canvas set 10 ease the
screw. There was something very exhil-
aratinG about the movement, the fresh
ness of the night, ans the wild sweet song
OF the wind as it sang among the rigging.
Augusta turned her face toward it, and,
being alone, stretched out her arms as
though to catch it, The whole scene
awoke some answering greatness in her
heart: something that slumbers in the
bosom of the higher race of human beings,
and only stirs-and then but faintly-
when the passions move them, or when
Nature communes with her nobler chill
dren. She felt that at that moment she
could write as she had never written yet.
All sorts of beautiful ideas, all sorts OF
aspirations after that noble calm, and pur-
fly of thought and life for which we pray
and long but are not allowed to reach,
came flowing into her heart She almost
thought that she could hear her lost Jean
nie's voice calling down the gale, and her
strong imagination began TO paint her
lowering like sea bird upon white wings
high above the mainmast's taper point,
,nd gazing through the darkness into the
soul of her she loved. Then, b. those
faint and imperceptible degrees with
which thoughts fade one into another,
from JEANNE her thought got round TO
Eustace MceSon. She wondered IL he had
ever called at the lodgings at Birmingham
after she left. Somehow, she had an idea
that he was not altogether indifferent to
her; there had been a look in his eyes she
did not quite understand She almost
wished now she had sent him n line or a
message. Perhaps she would do so from
New Zealand. Just then her meditations
were interrupted by step, and, turning
round, she found herself face TO face with
the Captain.
"Why, Miss Smthers," he said, "what
on earth are you doing here at this hour?
making up romances?"
Yes" she answered, laughing, and
with perfect truth. "The fact of the mat
ter is, could not sleep so / came on deck:
and very pleasant it is"
Eyes" said the Captain, "if you want
something to put into your stories you
won't find anything better than this. The
kangaroo is showing her heels, isn't she,
Miss Smitherss That's the beauty of her,
she can sail as well rs steam: and when
she has a strong wind like this abaft, it
would have TO be something very quick
that would catch her. | believe that we
have been running over seventeen knots
an hour ever since midnight. l hope to
make Kerguelen Island by seven O'Clock
To correct my chronometers."
"What is Kerguelen Islandf" asked Au-
gusta.
"Ohl it is n desert place where nobody
goes, except now and then a whaler to fill
up with water. | believe that the astron.
omers sent an expedition there few years
ago to observe the transit of Venus; but il
was failure because the weather was SO
nisty-it is nearly always misty there.
Well, must be off, Miss Smithers. Good.
night; or, rather, good-morning. Before
the words were well out of his mouth there
was wild shout forward -''ShiD dhcadm
Then came an awful yell from a dozen
voices" "Starb0Grd! Hard d-stdrbodrd,
for Gods sdkcn
With a wild leap, Ike the leap Of q man
suddenly shot, he'Captain left her side
and rushed on TO the bridge. At the same
instant the engine bell rang and the steer.
ing chains began to rattle furiously on
the rollers at her feet as the steam steer.
inc gear did its work, Then came another
yell
ATS q lphdter-n0 lightsh and an an
swering shrek of terror from some big
black object that loomed ahead. Before
the echoes had died away. before the great
ship could even answer to the helm, there
was n crash. such as Augusta had never
heard, ard n sickening shock, that threw
her on her hands and knees on TO the deck,
shaking the iron masts till they trembled
rs though they were willow wands. and
making the huge sails flap and for an in
stant fly aback. The great vessel, rushing
along at her frightful speed of seventeen
knots, had plunged into the ship dhead
with such hideous energy that she cut
her clean il two-cut her in two and pass
ed over her as though she were pleasure
boat.
Shrek upon shrek of despair came
piercing the gloomy night, and then, as
Augusta struggled to her feet, she felt a
horrible succession of bumps, accompanied
by n crushing, grinding noise 1t was the
Kangaroo driving right over the remains
OF the whaler.
In n very few seconds it was done, and
looking astern, Augusta could just make
out something black that seemed to float
for second or two upon the water, and
tnen ulsappear into It's dcptnS. IL was the
shattered hull of the whaler.
Then there arose Il faint murmuring
sound, that grew first into u hum, then
into roar, and then into clamor that
rent the skies, and up from every hatch
way and cabin in the great ship, human
beings-men, women, and children, came
rushing and tumbling with faces white
with terror-white rs their night gear.
Some were absolutely naked, having
slipped Off their night dress and had no
time TO put on anything else: some had
put on ulsters aud great-coats, Others had
blankets thrown round them or carried
their clothes in their hands. Up they
came, hundreds and hundreds of them,
Uor there were thousand souls on board
the kangaroo,D pouring aft like terrified
spirits flying from tie mouth of Hell, and
from them arose such hideous clamor as
few have lived To hear
Augusta clung to the nettings to let the
rush go by, trying to collect her scattered
senses and TO prevent herself from catch
ing the G.'eadful contagion OF the panic.
Reing brave and cool-headed woman,