Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-21
THE CALIFORNIANS,
Bx JULES VERNE. Copyright 1891 by the Authors' Alliance.
CHAPTER XVII. RY YEA AND NAY.

 BY YEA AND NAY.
 Mrs. ANaire at once caused the physi- clan to be summoned. It was at once apparent to him that although a change had taken place yet the mate of the Dreadnaught had but a few moments to live. The dying mans eyes were riveted upon Mrs. Allaire with strangesteadi, ness.
 ''Shelton," asked Molly, eff John is alive where did you leave himq Where is he?'
 His power of speech is gone," said the physician. ''It will-be necessary to converse 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 a clear and dis tinct tone: "Listen to me, Shelton. I'll put the questions to you and according as you open or shut your eyes we shall know whether we have guessed the truth or not"
 In this way the sad story of the wreck of the clipper ship and the fate of cap tain and crew was elicited from the dying man. In leaving Java sea, Capt. John had passed into Timor sea, through Sunda strait, but not of his own free will. A violent tornado had struck the vessel, dismantling her and driving her out of her course, and ending by throw ing her upon the reefs and rocks of Browse island. At the mention of this name there was look of surprise on Shelton's face. For the first he now learned the name of the island on which the Dreadnaught 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 they caught. No vessel had ever sighted their signal of distress. ! They had remained six years on Browse island, at the end of which time Capt. John, Shelton and five men had left the island in a boat which had drifted ashore, and had reached the Australian 1 coast at York sound, where they fell | into the hands of the natives, four of their number having been massacred by them. The remaining three, Capt. l John, the mate Shelton, and one seaman had been carried prisoners into the in | terior. The seaman had died long ago, | so that at that moment there were but | two survivors and one of them lay at l deaths door,
 | For nine years the captain and mate had been held close prisoners by the natives in hopes that scouts would be Esent for the lost men with offers of large ransoms. At last an opportunity | of escape had presented itself, but for some reason Capt. John had not taken | advantage of it. Shelton alone eluded his keepers and after wandering about hopelessly in the bush for six months he had been picked up in a dying con- dition on the banks of the Paroo.
 French succeeded in locating with tolerable accuracy the hunting grounds of the tribe in question.
 "We shall go in search of him there" :" cried Molly, land we shall find him."
 And at these words the eyes of the dying man brightened.' Capt. John would be saved, and saved, too, by her whom he loved so wenl
 The mate breathed his last toward nine o'clock in the evening. At the sound of Molly's voice calling him by name, he had opened his eyes and mur- mured: "John! JohnI" and with deep and long drawn sigh his spirit had fled.
 That evening, as Mrs. Allaire was leaving the hospital, she was accosted by a boy who seemed to be waiting fo1 her on the steps. He belonged on board the Brisbane, one of the steamers which coast along between Sidney and Ade laide.
 ''Mrs. Allaire2" he asked timidly.
 "What do you want, my boy?"
 ''Is Harry Shelton dead?"
 "He is dead"
 "And Capt. JohnP"
 . "He's aliveI Oh, he is ivingg' "Thank you, Mrs. Allaire," said thu
 boy, as he turned away without assign
 ing 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 O | mourners.