Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-03-01
A QUEER RACE.
BY WILLIAM WESTEL.

DuL Liltic dlCtaIEPtAc1A7' -
must have caught it that time on the Lady
Jane and would have died inst the same
whether we hal taken the ship in tow or
not. How else could he have caught it,"
"The rats. Bolsover tells me that they
actually swarm about the water-casks; and
you know what that means"
Course the ratsr' Peyton exclaimed. pas
sionately. Its rats, rats, all day longi l
think you have all got rats on the brain.
Are you quite sure, now, you did see them
coming across the hawsersW
Quite Besides, if they are not from
the Lady Jane how did they get on
board2"
anyhow, 1t Is not the rats that gave
poor Bailey the fever; he got itin the Lady
Jane and nobody can blame me for that
Who could tell beforehand that she was a
fever ship"
To this query made no answer. knew
what he was driving at. In the event OF
the fever spreading, he wanted to make
out that 1t had been brought on board by
Bailey: that the rats had nothing to do
with it. ! felt annoyed that he should
thus try to wriggIe out Of the responsibility
he had incurred by taking the Lady
Jane" in tow, and only the fact of my be-
ing his guest prevented me from saying SO.
If he had been less obstinate, he would
have cast her Off at once, for besides taking
us out Of our course, she was greatly i'm
peding our progress; and with fever on
board our own vessel. and fever ship in
tow, no port in that part Of the world
would receive us; what he would do with
the Lady Jane" IN such circumstances as
these was a mystery.
On. ID OF liz I'D rapf
alarm, both among the passengers and
crew. The captain tried to persuade them
that It was merely an isolated case, and
that he had adopted such precautions as
would prevent the pest from spreading. |
don't think though, that anybody believed
him know did not. The rats. | felt
sure, would infect the whole ship, and it
was quite possible that the fate of the
"Lady James" crew would be our-and
mine-for the more imminent grew the
danger the less confident felt in my sup
posed immunity.
We dined mt half past five on board the
"Diana." The party generally consisted
OF the seven passengers, the captain (who
prrsidedD and sometimes the first or second
officer. The bell rang fifteen minutes be-
fore the time, and again ut the half hour,
when. as "A rule we were all in our places
except Bulnols who was in the habit of
unduly prolon%ing his afternoon nap, and
about every other day had to be Weakened
up by a special messenger.
This happened on the day Bailey was bur
led and the conversation with the captain
which have just described took place.
"Whcrc is Mr. Bnlnois2" asked Peyton,
when we were nil seated. Asleep as usual,
him up, and say that dinner IS on the ia
bic"
just MS we were beginning with our soup
the boy came bncB to say that Mr. BulnOis
was very ill-had bad headache was very
sick, and could not come to dinner.
We all looked Mt each other. My com
panions turned pale, and have no doubt
did; for the same Thought passed through
every mind Bulnois had got yellow fever.
IL was ike the handwriting on the wall at
BelshaZZcr's feast. The foe was inside the
citadel, and each Of us was mentally ask
Ing himself whose turn it would he next.
The captain was the first to break the
silence
- trtling indispostion, | expect" he
said, with IN affected nonchalance which
matched i'll with his anxious face "Bul-
nois IL subject to headaches, | think.
will 20 and sec him presently, and give
him something that will do him good.
Very likely an attack Of Indigestion"
The captain looked round rs if to invite
an expression of opinion in accordance
with his own; but nobody answered a word
and the dinner was finished huTriedly, and
I'm deep, almost solemn silence. But when
Pcyton left us to see poor BulnOis, every
tongue was loosened.
''iIr IL among US now, and no mistake"
said Robinson.
"Who2"
yellow Jack. You must have brought
him when you went aboard the Lady
jane the other day, Erie"
That is impossible. | was not there two
minutes, and came back as naked as l
went Besides, if had broughtit, should
have been the first victim"
well, how is it, thcn2 | can under
stand that quarter master getting it. But
BulnoiS never went near him, and at lunch
cor he seemed quito well, and ate with
COOL appetite"
I'm tell You what 1t is" put in Saun-
ders, the bank clerk, n quiet obscrvant
little fellow It's those rats"
'ISatsl What the deuce have rats to do
with it?"
Everything. | can sec It all now There
was not n rat ON board before Tuesday.
have inquired among the men, and | can
not find anybody who saw single speci-
men until Wednesday, aud now they sim
ply swarm and was 1t not on Wednesday
morning that the captain had those guards
put on the hawscrs to prevent rats running
over them from the Lady Jane Depend
upon II, he knows only it does not suit his
purpose To say SO. Have you not noticed
how he fires up when anything is said
about rats2"
BY Jovcl | do believe you are right
And it all comes Of taking that cursed fever
ship in tow. Peyton deserves to be thrown
overheard"
NO, no." ] said; "Peyton Is one OF the
best fellows In the world He acted for the
best, and took every precaution. Who
could forcscc that rats would come aboard
by a hawscr2"
lie had no business to run the risk-a
risk that involved others rs well rs himself
-of taking fever ship in tow; and what
makes il worse, he did il for his own pro
ft We have no interest in the salvage"
After this | Thought II discreet to let the
subject drop, for in truth my friends con-
duct was almost, IL not altogether indie
feusihle
Never mind about the captain" inter
posed somebody. What are We to dof
that is the question"
What can we do but grin and abidc'"
answered. There is no possibility OF
running away"
but caunotwe take somcthing.-hrandy
or Quininc; or do something with carbolic
acids"
"CarholIC is merely diSinfectant; It is
being used all over the ship already;
brandy. / should think. Is about the worst
thing you could take. and Quiuinc about
the best \ manual of medicine | was
looking atycsterday, in the captains cabin,
recommends strong doses OF quiuine as
prophylactic."
Let us have Somer'-"Whero can we
get ttf''-"Ilas the captain anyf''-"IIow
much should we take2" shouted the five
passengers.
] said that l believed the captain had
some; and when he returned from seeking
Bulnois they asked him for qunjne even
before they inquired after their sick friend.
He had some. though not very much,
and gave each man small dose forthwith.
Buluois was very i'll; Peyton could not
deny that his symptoms We're those of yell
low fever; and If he had denied it should
have known that he was wrong. for had
been reading the subject up. l had seen
Bailey, and the moment l saw poor Bull
nois (uuuC OF the other fellows would 30
near him) recognized all the signs of the