The morning call., 1893-02-19
mass of loyalty and devotion from head to

mass of loyalty and devotion from head to
| foot"
will, you are here to say you will help
me, L exclaimed, bending toward him and
lifting my hands and clasping them in a
posture OF prayer to him in the passion OF
anxiety that was upon me.
Il am more willing to help you," said he,
than was when you talked to me the day
before yesterday-for this reason. Eve
been on board the Childe Harold: she don't
tow over to Deptford till Wednesday next.
met our carpenter on the quayside and
asked him if he knew how they meant to fit
out the vessel forraTd. He said he'd heard
they meant to bnlkhead space eff in line
with the forecastle entrance above to serve
as n,, prison, the hospital to be
bulkhead standing?' said l. Yes. said
he, otherwise the prisoners 'ud be climbing
into the forecaste through the hatch |
went aboard and had look. When | talked
gotten the line of maindeck that runs right
forward. The space betwixt that line
and the deck overhead is used as
storeroom. Why had | forgotten this?
Because, to tell you honestly the truth,
Marian, l was never once down in that
part OF the vessel so as to remember
1t. The storeroom would make different
hiding place from the f0repeak de-
scribed. The forepeak's under it. There
they keep the Goals. You never could have
hidden in IT, But the storeroom should be
middling clean, black Al a SWELL mind you,
but not deep like the forepeak. The fore
castle where the men sleep is immediately
over. If a person wanted TO get out he
could knock ON the closed hatch and there'll
be men in the forecastle to hear him. The
horizon has cleared tritle since | looked
into the stOrer00m."
How big is this Storeroom."
"a good size" he answered: seven feet
high-the beam | don't know"
And the forecastie hatch is within reach
OF my hand to thump at if l want TO get
Out?" | exclaimed. "It will be the one
place in the whole ship for me, Will"
There's no other place, and that's a
fact"
"Tne stores'll be clean and sweet enough
L daresay-bolts of canvas, casks Of stuff
spare lines and such things. I'll be able to
put myself out OF sight if your bO'sun or
any other man should come down with a
light l shall need water TO drink; how
about that?"
you're talking as If the job was settled"
Ut Is settled" | cried, taking him by the
shoulders aud playfully pushing backward
IN sudden transport Of mingled EN- 0tion.
rs not fresh water to be sneaked below
while the ships fitting? I'll think it over
and tell you how it may be done"
Il am not coming TO you to learn my bust
ness. said he with toss OF his head that
ran CLEAN from his eyes like a sparkle Of
water swept by a sudden wind.
What are you going 10 do this afternoon,
WHIP"
Nothing"
Come with me to the East India docks
and We'll board your ship and talk things
over Wen then go to the Brunswick
Hotel. drink tea there, and settle every
thing"
He eyed me doubtfully; his heart was
not yet in it. though the dear fellow was
coming my way. went upstairs to dress
myself for the trip, the hour being about 3.
with daylight enough to follow To serve
my end Yet though we were together
until o'clock that night. talking and
planning and schemiDg, l found him
still as reluctant at the end as at the
beginning. He had three objections. First.
he considered that his keeping the matter
secret from his father and mother was like
telling them a lie. Next, Tom might not
prove enc Of the convicts of his ships;
suppose he (W1D should be unable to COM
mnnicate with me in my hiding place until
| had been carried too great distance from
England to be set ashore; / should be In
convict ship. woman locked up with
rogues and villains. sailing to Tasmania for
no purpose at all, with the chance of miss
ing my sweetheart and never meeting him
again this world. And third. the Young fell
low seemed to shirk from the notion of nay
being alone In a colony.
l began TO despair of him at last, and
growing defiant after three or four days OF
talking with him without his drawing closer
to my wishes, | resolved to look about me
and see how ! might help myself, aud l
plainly and holly told him that whether he
chose or not to give me hand in my enter
prise he would find me on board his ship
all the same. il it came to my spending
years income in bribing the Jumpers and
ringers at work on the vessel to conceal me.
He went away from this talk and nothing
then was settled, but on the following morn
ing he came hV apUNintmpnt To 90 with me
for a turn on the river as far as Woolwich,
and our way to Blackwell he said he had
made up his mind TO help me-
To be continued