The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-04-13
THE BIG QUICKSAND.

some mlScnleI, you can uepoQu upon IL.
ssNonsense, Ella; nonsenser' cried bluff
old Captain Myers; and he pushed back
the broad brimmed straw hat which pro-
tected his head from the fierce tropical
sun. .'The crew is all right, and by
sundown, if this breeze holds, We'll be at
the mouth of the Colorado
perhaps you know best, papa" said
the captains pretty daughter: ''but
believe they are plotting mutiny or some
other dreadful thing. and Mr.. Ed
wards
'.Humph!' growlingly interrupted the
captain, and he scowled darkly. ''It's
from Frank Edwards then that you get
these false ideas about my crew."
Nothing of the kind, papar' protested
Ella, although she blushed rosily. 'sIt
was 1 who first noticed the queer actions
of the men, and called his attention to
the matter. He said he would suggest
TO you
'sWell, don't want his suggestionsl'
beloved the captain. I'm commander
of the. Peerless, and have sailed these
waters long enough to know my bust
ness These things are all in your imag
ination, and l don't thank Frank Ed
wards for encouraging you in hbeling
Il my HOSJ eAC6n6uU Crew even Dy
thought"
Having thus delivered himself the cap
tain turned on his heel and entered the
cabin. while Ella, with another direful
look toward the sullen faced crew,
heaved a deep sigh and sank into a
chair which the first mate of the Peer
less, handsome Frank Edwards, had
placed for her on the poopdeck beneath
an improvised awning that had been
stretched to shelter her from the rays of
the burning sun.
Her face frightened presently, when a
quiet step sounded on the deck, and the
mate stood beside her. e
s'What did he say?" he asked in an
eager whisper.
'Pooh-poohed the whole thing as a
silly girls foolish fancy, and stalked into
the cabin, red with anger, wNen 1 men
toned your name"
81 feared as much" said the young
man sadly. He is blind tc the daily
Vaccinations of those copper faced ras-
Gals, and it is no use giving him advice.
''They were plotting mischief before
we were out of sight of Guaymas.
-sThat scar faced scoundrel, Manuel
Rosario, has learned that we have a
cargo of arms, ammunition and general
stores for the troops at Fort Yuma, and
this knowledge has excited his cupidity
'tWhen we stopped for water at San
Francisco island he met an agent of the
insurgents, and was promised liberal
sum if he would capture the vessel and
turn it and the cargo over to them.
HE does not know that l overheard
him plotting.
If he did he would be cowardly and
desperate enough to knock me on the
head with a Delaying pin some dark
might"
s.Oh, Frank cried Ella, and her beau
tiful face paled with apprehension. "Do
be careful and watchful-for my sakel'
al willI' was his response, ''and as
your father will not take the precaution
10 checkmate any move these ruffians
may make l will perfect my plans so
that we can escape from the bark in case
Rosario and his men mutiny and seize
her
'sAnd papa?' faltered Ella
'-rll force him to go with u.s. Now
don't worry, dear heart, for feel able
to cope with these rascals when the time
for action comes"
They were in the upper Gulf of Cali
fornia, where it narrows to meet the
waters of the Colorado river
The bark Peerless, of which Elias fa-
ther was captain and owner, was loaded
with arms and ammunition and other
supplies for the United States troops at
Fort Yuma.
All but two of the original crew ship
ped in New York had died of the yellow
fever, which broke out with terrible vir-
Rlence shortly after they passed Cape
st. Lucas and entered the gulf.
The captain had managed to get his
vessel into Guaymas. and there the two
remaining members of his crew had de-
serted.
In consequence he was obliged to ship
= native crew and employ Manuel Ro-
sario, an ex-pearl diver who, unknown
TO him, was implicated in a revolution
then in progress on the peninsula, to en-
list the requisite number of men.
Rosario had got together band of as
bloodthirsty ruffians as it was possible to
find, and had no difficulty in inducing
them to lend willing acquiescence to
all his nefarious schemes.
He boldly planned to make Captain
Myers, the captains daughter, Ella, and
the mate, Frank Edwards, prisoners,
seize the vessel and run it into seclud-
ed harbor between the head of San Fran
cisco island and the mouth of the Colo
rado river.
Here he would be joined by party of
the insurgents, who would loot the yes
Bel, after which it would be broken up.
The tides ON the Gulf of California
are gigantic, the rise and fall of the
water averaging seventy-five feet.
Rosario knew that they would enter
the mouth of the Colorado river that
night, and as the tide was particularly
swift at that point the bark would be
securely anchored during the ebb and
6ow of the tremendous current
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