Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-07
A QUEER RACE.
BY WILLIAM WESTEL.

| must have caught it that time on the Lady
jane and would have died just the same
whether we had 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. TITS rats, rats, all day longl
think you have all got rats on the brain.
Are you quite sure, now, you did see them
coming across the hawsers?''
Quite. Besides, if they are not from
the Lady Jane how did they get on
board?"
"Anyhow, it 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 Tmade no answer. knew
what he was driving at. In the event of
the fever spreading, he wanted to make
out that it had been brought on board by
Bailey; that the rats had nothing to do
with it. I felt annoyed that he should
thus try to wriggle 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 mystery.
Bailey's death naturally caused great
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. I know I did not. The rats, I felt
sure, would infect the whole ship, and it
J was quite possible that the fate of the
'fLady 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 at half past five on board the
"Diana." The party generally consisted
Of the seven passengers, the captain (who
= presided) and sometimes the first or second
officer. The bell rang fifteen minutes be-
fore the time, and again at the half hour,
when. as a rule, we were all in our places,
except BulnOis who was in the habit OF
unduly prolonging 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.
''Where is Nh. Bulnois?" asked Peyton,
when we were all seated. Asleep, as usual,
suppose. Steward, send boy to rouse
him up, and say that dinner is on the ia
ble.r
Just as we were beginning with our soup
} the boy came back to say that Mr.. Bulnois
was very ill-had a bad headache, was very
sick, and could not come to dinner.
We all looked at 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
It was like the handwriting on the wall al
Belshazzer's feast. The foe was inside the
citadel, and each of US was mentally ask
ing himself whose turn it would be next.
The captain was the first to break the
silence.
"a trifing indisposition, I expect" he
said, with an affected snonchalance which
matched i'll with his anxious face. ''Bul
nois is subject to headaches, l think
will go and see him presently, and give
him sonnet hing that will do him good
Very likely an attack of Indigestion"
The captain looked round as if to invite
an expression of opinion in accordance
with his own; but nobody answered a word
and the dinner was finished hurriedly, anC
In deep, almost solemn silence. But when
Peyton left us to see poor Bulnois, every
tongue was lOOsened.
{ lie IS among US now, and no mistake, I"
/ said Robinson.
"Who?"
yellow Jack. You must have brought
him when you went aboard the Lady
Jane the other day, Erie"
/ "That is impossible. 1 was not there two
minutes, and l came back as naked as |
went. Besides, if had broughtit, Ishould
have been the first victim"
"Well, how is it, then? | can under
stand that quarter master getting it. But
BulnOis never went near him, and at lunch
con he seemed quite we'll, and ate with
good appetite"
: ''Pll tell you what it is" put in Saun-
ders the bank clerk, quiet, observant
little fellow. tits those rats"
rats! What the deuce have rats to do
with it?"
Everything. can see it all now. There
; was not a rat on board before Tuesday. /
have inquired among the men, and | can
not find anybody who saw a single speci-
men until Wednesday, and now they sim
ply swarm; and was it not on Wednesday
morning that the captain had those guards
) put on the hawsers to prevent rats running
over them from the Lady Jane Depend
upon it, 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 rats?"
by Jovel do believe you are right.
And it all comes of taking thatcur fever
ship in tow. Peyton deserves to be thrown
overheard"
mo, no." said; "Peyton is one of the
best fellows in the world. He acted for the
best, and took every precaution. Who
could foresee that rats would come aboard
by hawser?"
HE had no business to run the risk-a
risk that involved others as well as himself
of taking a fever ship in tow; and what
makes it worse, he did it for his own pro
fit. We have no interest in the salvage"
After this I thought it discreet to let the
subject drop, for in truth my friends con-
duct was almost, if not altogether indie
feasible.
Never mind about the captain" inter
posed somebody. 'EWhat are we to dor
that is the question"
"What can we do but grin and abide?"
I answered. There is no possibility of
running away"
"But cannOtwe take omething-brandy
or quinine; or do something with carbolic