Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09
CHAPTER XVII
BY YEA AND NAY.

Mrs Allaire at orce caused the physician
10 be summoned. Itwas at once apparent
30 him that although change had taken
place, yet the mate of the Dreadnaught had
but q few moments to live. The dying
mans eyes were riveted upon Mrs. Allaire
with a strange steadiness.
shelton, asked Molly, eff John Is alive
where did you leave him? Where is hep
''His power of speech is gone, !" said the
physician. at viii be necessary to con-
verse with him BY means of signs.
Directing Mrs Allaire to take hold OF
the mates hand, Zach leaned over him and
spoke as follows in g clear and distinct
tone:
HListen to me, Shelton; I'll put questions
10 you, and according as you open or shut
YOUR ewes we shall know whether we have
guessed the truth or not.
In this wav the sad story of the wreck of
the clipper ship and the fate of Captain and
crew was eicted from The dying man. In
leaving Java Sea Captain John had passed
into Timor Sea through Sunda Strait, but
not of his own free will Tie violent tor.
nsdo had struck the vessel, dismanthug her
and driving her out of her course, and end
ing by throwing her upon the reefs and
rocks of Browse Island. At the mention OF
this name there was a look of surprise on
Shelton's face For the first he now learned
the name of the island on which the Dread
naught had gone to pieces. Two Of the
crew had perished in trying to reach the
shore. The others had lived on
the ships provisions and upon the fish
thev caught. No vessel had ever sighted
their signal of distress. They had remained
six wears on Browse Island, at the end of
=, Tnhu five
men had left the island in boat which had
drifted ashore, and had reached the Austria
lian coast at York Sound, where they fell
into the hands of the natives, four Of their
number having been massacred by them.
The remaining TIM Captain John, the
mate Shelton, and one seaman had been
carried prisoners into the interior. The
seaman had died long ago SO that at that
moment there were but two survivors and
one of them lay at deaths door.
For nine years the Captain and mate had
been held close prisoners by the natives in
hopes that scouts would be sent for the lost
men with offers of large ransonls- At last
an opportunity of escape had presented
itself, but for some reason Captain John
had not taken advantage of it. Shelton
alone eluded his keepers and after wander
ing about hopelessly in the bush for six
months he had been picked up in dying
condition on the banks of the Paroo.
French succeeded in locating with toler-
sble accuracy the hunting grounds of the
tribe in question
'eWe shall go in search of him there"
cried Molly, land we shall find him.
And at these words the eyes of the dying
man frightened Captain John would be
saved, and saved, too, by her whom he
loved so welll
The mate breathed his last toward 8
o'clock in the evening. At the 81 md of
Molly's voice calling him by name, be
had opened his eyes and murmured:
"John John r. and with deep and long
drawn sigh, his spirit had fed.
That evening. as Mrs. Allaire was leav-
Ing the hospital, she was accosted by a boy,
who seemed TO be waiting for her on the
steps. He belonged On board the Brisbane,
one of the steamers which coast along be-
tween Sydney and Adelaide.
Mrs Allaire % be asked tiniidly.
''What do you want, my boy?"
ais Harry shelton dead? 2"
HE is dead. -
sand Captain John ?"
"He's alive Oh, he is hvingr
"Thank you, Mrs. Allaire,'' said the boy
ss he turned away without assigning any
reason for his questions.
AS Molly followed Shelton's remains to
the grave, this lad, unseen by her, walked
near her, lost in the crowd of mournerA