The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-08-02
FOULPLAY.
4 Novel.
srcuA.1rs .rADr AND DION souc,cAuLr.

CHAPTEB II.
After this, Helen Rolleston and Mr., Hazel
never spoke. She walked past him ON the
deck with cold aud naughty contsmpt.
He quietly submitted to 1t; and never pre-.
sumsd 70 cay one word to her again. Only,
a. his determination was equal to his delica.
~, Miss Rollsston found. one day. pape,
on her table. containing advice az to the
treatment q disordersd lungs, expressed
with apparent .coldness, and backed by a
string cfmsdical authorities, quoted mem.
oriter.
She sent this back directly, Endorsed with q
line, in pencil, that she would try hard to
live, now she had friend to protect from
calumny: but should use her own judgement
a. to the means.
let women will be women. She had care
fully taken copy Of his advice before she
cast 1t out with scorn.
He replied. olive with whatever motive
you please; only live"
To this she vouchsafed no answer; nor did
this unhappy man trouble her again, until
One hile night no sat on the deck with his
back against the mainmast, in deep melan.
choly and listlessness, and tell, ut last, into
dOxe, from which he was Weakened by O
peculiar sound below. It was o beautiful aud
Silly night; all sounds were magni6ed and
The father Of oil rats seemed to be gnawing
the ship Gown below.
Hazels curiosity was excited, and he went
softly down the ladder to zee what the sound
really was. But that was not 30 easy, for it
proved to b. below decks; hut he saw light
glimmering through smallscuttle abaft tho
mates caban, and the sounds were in the
neighborhood OF that light.
1t now flashed upon Mr.. Hazel that this
was the very quarter where be had heard
that mysterious knocking when the ship was
lying to In ths gale.
Upon this certain degree Of vague suspic-
ion hogan to ninsls with his curiosity.
He stood still q moment, listening acutely,
then took on his shoes very quietly, and
moved with noiseless foot toward the scut-
tie.
The gnawing still continued.
He put his head through the scuttle, and
peered into dark, dismal place, whose very
existence was new to him. It was, In fact. a
vacant space between the cargo and the
ships run. This wooden cavern was very
narrow, but not less than fifteen feet long.
The candle was at the further end, and be.
his flank turned toward the spectator. This
partly intercepted tho light; but atill il re.
yelled in itiul way the huge ribs Of the
ship, and her inner skin, that formed the
right-hand partition SO to speak, Of this
black cavern: and close outside those gaunt
timbers was heard the wash of the se,.
There war something in close proximity of
that tremendous element and the narrow.
ness Of the wooden barrier.
The bare place, and the gentle monoton.
GUS wash Of the liquid monster, on that calm
night, conveyed to Mr., Haxel'a mind a
thought akin to David's:
"Aa the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liv.
eth, there Is but Q step between me and
DEATH"
Judge whether that thought grew WEAKER
or stronger, when, after straining his eyes for
some time. to understand what was going on
at tlat midnight hour, in that hidden place,
he saw who was the workman, and whnt waa
his occupatioEs
1t was Joseph Wylie, themats. His profile
was illuminated BY the candle, and looked
ghastly, he had in bis hand m auger of en-.
great hole through the ship'sside, just below
the water-mark; IN act. the effort of which
would be to let the sea bodily into the ship
and sink her, with every soul on board, to
the bottom Of the Pacific Ocean.
II was stupefed; and my hairs stood on
end: and my tongue Glove to my jaws
Thus does one Of Virgil'sch describe
In q terrible situation.
Mr.. Hazel always ridiculed that trite line
as pure cxageration; but he altered his
opinion after that eventful night
When he first saw what Wylis was doing,
obstupuit, he was merely benumbed; but. "a
his mind realized the dendisl nature Of the
act, and 1t. Tremendous consequences, his
at least he could not utter q word
~ that interval ofstupor, matters took
an9ther turn. Tho auger went IN up to the
haft: then Wylie caught up with his hand a
wooden plug he had got ready, jerked the
anger away, caught up a hammer, and
ewiftly inserted the plug.
=. N v a as hs was. single jet Of xater
lost NO time; he tapped the plug smartly
with his hammer several times, and tllell,
lifting . mallst with both hands, rained
heavy blows on it that drove itin, and shook
the ships side.
Then Hassl found his voice, and lie uttered
On ejaculation that made the mate look
round; he glared ut the man who was glaring
ut him, and, staggering backward, t1od on
the light. and oil was dal kness and dead
silence.
All but the wash Of the SEQ outside, and
that louder then ever.
But q short interval suficed to restore
one Of the parties to his natural selfposses.
sion.
Lord, sir" said wylie, chow you startled
s.aC. W 0hOuiu AOV CVuIt uUOu u mtn like
that: We might have hnd nn accident"
What were you doing?" said Hazel, in Il
voice that quavered in spite Of him.
Repairing the ship. Found n crack or
two in her inner skin. There let me get O
light. and III explain it to you, sir"
- He groped his way out, and invited Mr..
Hazel into his cabin; Then he struck light,
htion. The ship, he said, had laLored a
good deal in the last gals and he had dis.
covered ono or two fiaws in her, which were
OF no immediate Importance: but experiences
has taught him that in calm weather a shin
ought to be kept tight. s'they say ashore
q stitch ~ time saves nine"
said Hazel, sternly.
The mate laughed. why, SIR" said he,
what other why is there? We cannot stop
on irregular crack; We can frame nothing to
lit it. The way Is to get ready q plug men.
sured trlde larger than the aperture Won
ore going to make; then drill round hole,
and force IN the plug. know no other way
than that; and was ships carpenter for
This explanation, and the manner in which
It was given, removed Mr.. Huzel's apprehen.
stons for the timo being. ut was very alarm
buaiEess."
"Nobody better, sir" said Wyle. "Why,
1t Is not one seaman in three that would
trouble bis hend about IL flaw in ships in.
nor I.e!,, SKIN; but I'm man that looks ahead
Will you have glass of grog, sir, now YOU
are here? keep that under my eye, too: be-
tween ourselves, il the skipper had as much
in his cabin as have here, that might b
worse for % all than a crack or two in the
ships inner skin"
: Mr.. Hazel declined to drink grog at that
time la tAe @arping, but wished him good
him than HI had eyer had till then.
Wylie, when lie was gone, drew q tumbler
Of neat apirits, drank half, and carried the
rest back to his work.
Yet Wylie was q very sober man in a gen.
eral way. Rum was his tool; not his mas.
when Hazel came to think of it all neg.
done: The inuer skim Bst' s wien IL Is wylie
Withdrew his anger. the water had squifted lifted
$!utiousiy; He felt it hard to helisvc that
this keen jet Of water could he caused by a
email quantity that had found it's way be-
tween the skin Of the ship and her copper, or
her top b0oting; 1t seemed rather to be dine
to the direct pressure of the liquid monster
He went to the captain that afternoon.
and first told him what he had seen, offering
no solution. The captain, on that occasion,
was in an amphibous state; neither wet nor
dry; and his reply was altogetherexc EXCEPTIONAL.
He received the cemmuA ication With! pSmr.
Gus c;vtlity; then swore i greatoath, and said
ts would nut the mdtk iii IRONS: 9CdnfouHd
bottom" r
"But, stop moment" said Mr.. Hazel
lit 10 only fair you should also hear how he
accounts for his procesding.'
The captain listened attentively to the ex.
PLANTATION, and altered his tone. 20, that is
different matter" said he. "You need he
under no alarm, Dir; the laundering a lnbber
;,a,::,s.s what ne is about, at that work.