The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-09-06
srcuAsLEs aEApr AND DION porccurAI.

s.sAN sS"o S"9su W Nv ouce u my Cellurb In
Fenrhurch Street. Forty chests oflcad and
copper, think you said." And no took q
note of this directly. Wylio was not q little
discounted ut this unexpected turn things
had taken; but ho held his tongue now, fol
fear OF making bud worse. Wurdlaw senior
went on TO say that he should have to con
duct the business of the firm for time in
spite of his old age and failing health.
This announcement made Wylie porspire
with anxiety, aud his three thousand pounds
seemed to melt away from him.
"But never mind" said old Warllaw
Il am very glad you came
In fact, you are the very man I want
ed to see. My poor afflicted friend has ask
ed after you several times. Be good enough
to follow me.
He led the way into the dining-room, ant
there sat the sud father in all the quiet dig
nifty Of calm. unfathomnble sorrow.
Another gentleman stood upon tho rui
with his back to the fire Whiting for Mr.
Wardlaw; this was the fnmily physician. who
had just come down from Arthurs bedroom
and had entered by another door through
"NOll, doctor Rnil Wurdlaw, anxiously
'whnt il your report?"
Not SO good as could wish; but nothinl
to excite immediate alarm. Overta axed brain
sir. wenkcned and un,,bie to support thi
calamity. However, We have reduced th
fever; the symptoms Of delirium have bee
checked, aud think we shall escape brail
fever If liz is kept quiet. ! could not hav
snid us much this morning."
The doctor then took his lcuve, with /,
promise to cnll next morning; und, M s0ol
as lie was gone, War'llaw turned to General
RolleSton. and said. "liere is WyIc, sir
Come forward. my nun. and speak to the Gen
to him ON the chart the very spot where the
PrOserpino was lost?"
"Woll, SIR" said Wylir, 81 think I coull. .
The great chart OF the Pacific wna then
spread out upon the table. aud rarely has q
cLart been examined aa this WIS. with th,
pleading heart ns well as the ut raining eye
The rough sailor became an oracle: tn,
Others hung upon his words, and follOwe,
his brown finger on the chart with fearful in
terest.
''ie zee. sir" said he, addressing the ole
merchunt, for there wus something ON hi.
mind that nude him avoid speaking directl,
to General Rolleson, "when We came out o
Sydney the wind being south and by west
Hudson took the nortIerly course instead o
er frcshened from the same quarter, SO that
with one thing and another, hy when ",
were month out, size was five hundred
miles or sO nor'ard OF her true course Bu
that wasn't all; when the leak gained on us
Hudson ran the ship three hundred miles b,
my reckoning to the nor'east: and. remsm
Der, the day bcfore she founderetl, he told m,
she was in latitude forty, and Easter Islant
bearing due north"
Here is the SPOT, then" said General Rol
lesion, and placing his finger on the spot.
"Ay, sir, said Wylie, addressing the mer
chant: "but she run about eighty-fvo miles
after that, on II nOrtilerly course-no-&ind
in the wnter, she'd make lee way-say eighty
two miles, or'east by east"
The General toek eiglty-two miles of the
scalo. with pnir of dividers. and set out
that distance on the ehart. He held the in.
strymentiHIed on the point thus obtained.
Wylic eyed the point. and. after a NOM
ent'B consideration. nodded his heud
"There, or thereabouts," he suid, in a low
voice, aud looking ut the merchant
A pause ensued, and the two old men OK.
nmincd tho speck pricked on the map, as Il
it were the waters covering the Proserpiue.
Now, SIR" snid Rolleston, ''traco the
course Of tho boats: and he hundcd Wylis q
pencil.
Tho sailor slowly nvertel his head, but
W
traced two lines. the one short and strnigl,t,
running nearly northeast. "TLat' the wuy
the cutter hcuded when We l0st her in the
night"
The other line ran parallel to the first for
half an inch. then, turning, bent backward
and run due south.
This was our course" said Wylio.
General Rollpst0n looked up and said,
why did you desert tho CUTTER"
The matelooked ut old Wnrdlaw, and,
aftei some hesitation, replied: "Aiter We
lost sight Of her, the mon with me declared
that VIZ could not reach either Jnan Fernan.
dez of Valparaiso with our stock Of provis.
ions, and insisted on stnnding for the sen
trackof Australian liners between the horn
and Sydney"
This explanation WIS received in dead
silence. Wyiie Hdgetcd. und his eyeb wan.
dercd round tl,ero
General ltollcston applied his com pnsses
to the chart. Il find the I'rosrphe was not
ono thousand miles from I:aster Island.
Why did you not make Tor that lund?"
I'VE hnd no charts, sir, said Wylic to the
merchant. "and I'm no navigator"
II see no lnmd lnid down herenwny, north.
east of the spot where the slip went down"
No." replied Wylie. that's what the men
said when they nude inc 'bou, ship
Then why did you lead the way north.
east at Hll?"
"lm no navigator" answered the man,
sullenly.
He then suddenly stnmmerei out: "Ask
my men whnt We went through Why, sir,"
Ito Wardlnw), Il Gun hardly believe that |
am alive, md nit here talking to you about
this cursed business. And nobody offers me u
drop Of any thing
WurdInw poured him out n tumbler of wine.
His brown hund trembled little, and lie
gulpe1 tile wine down like water.
General Eollcston guve Mr. Wardlaw a
look, and Wylie was dismissed. Hs slouched
down tho street all in a cold perspiration;
but still cllnging to his three thousand
pounds, though small wns now his hope of
over seeingit.
When lie was gone General Rolleston pac-
Wardlaw eyed him with the greatest
intrrest, but avoided speaking to him. At
last he stopped short, and stood erect, as
Veterans halt and painted down nttllecl,nrt
"I'll start ut once for that spot" said he
III 40 in the next ship hound to Valparaiso
there II charter n small vessel and rHnsark
those waters for no. . truce of my poor lost
girl"
"Cnn yon think Of no better way than
that?" said old Wardaw, gently, and with a
slight tone OF rrproacl.
No not at this momant. o yes. by the
bye, the Greyhound and Drendnaught ore
going out to survey the islands OF tho Puci
A.. | have interest enough to got O berth
in the Greyhound"
"What! so In government ship! under
the orders Of II mnn, under tho orders of
another man, under the orders of Board
Why, il you heard our poor girl was alive
upon u rock the Dread nnught would be
sure to run up IL bunch ofred-taps to the fore
that moment to recall the Greyhound. and
the Greyhound would go bnck No." aaid
he rising suddenly, and confronting the Cen
eral. and with the color mounting for once
in his sallow face, 'yom sail in no bottom
hut one freighted by wnrdlaw and Son, and
the captuin shull be under no orders but
yours. We have bought the steam -sloop
Springbok. acven hundred tons. Ill victual
her for IA year. man her we'll, and you shall
go out in her in less than o week. l give
you my hand on that"
They gruspcd hands.
But this sudden warmth and tenderness.
coming from IL man habitually cold, over.
powered the stout General. "What. sir" ha
faltered your own son lies In danger, yet
your heart goes 80 with me-such goodness
lit IL too much for me-"
NO. no." faltered the merchant, affected
In his turn; ''it is nothing. Your poor girl
was coming home in thnt cursed ship tn
marry my son. Yes, he lies i'll iorIovc OF her;
God help him and me too: hut you most ol
nll. Don't General: don't! We have got
work to do; We must be brave, SIR; brave l
say, and compose ourselves. Ah my friend,
you and are Of the one age; and this il II
heavy blow Tor US: and We are friends no