The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-27

wears ago. He was almost startleu Dy
H. Was IL a good or bad omen? Had
the captains wife slipped from that
lofty standard of solemn and religious
devotion TO the great task of her life?
And Immediately his thoughts reverted
70 the handsome lad standing by her
side. and his shaggy brows drew darkly
together again and his bronzed face
took on a look of almost wrath Was
not his noble mistress weakening under
this sailor boys influence? Would she
not, after a few hundred miles had
been put behind them, become soft
hearted, irritable and respondent, like
anv ordinary woman, and fret over and
complain of the hardships of the journey
across these arid plains? He feared so,
he greatly feared so, and turned away,
lest the captains wife might read these
misgivings in his countenance.
Tom Marks and Zach French had
done their work well. Everything was
In readiness for the start Molly was
deeply touched when. upon making a
personal examination of the long line OF
pack wagons, her eyes rested upon a
seaman's chest, bearing upon one end
the words: "Capt. John Allaire." She
turned with parted lips and fearful eyes
inquiringly toward Zach.
San outfit for Capt john" said Zach,
In a low tone of voice.
Molly could make no reply, but she
reached out and took the sailors hard.
rough hand tenderly within hers.
"Mrs. Allaire," said Marks, 80 long
as we follow the government roads the
country will furnish us with all the
forage we need for our cattle, but when
we enter the wilderness il will be neces-
sary to abandon our horses and oxen
and rcplace them by pack and saddle
camels; these we have already sent on
ahead. The wells in these vast arid
tracts are often days apart and it would
be impossible for us TO make our way
from one station to another except by
the use of camels."
II have complete confidence in your
skill and experience as pathfinder,
Col. Marks" replied Molly. IL under
stand that we are TO exchange our
horses and oxen for camel train at
Alice Springs station"
Precisely. madam" answered Marks,
"nnd the moment you have sufficiently
recovered from the fatigue of your long
r'Ilway I1dc, you may give u the sig
nal 10 break away, for everything is in
readiness, even TO the motto painted
upon our pack wagons-'No Step Back
ward"
A faint smile spread over Molly's face
as she bent her shapely head in ac-
acknowledgements of this thoughtful bit
of sentiment
"Move at once, then, Col. Marks"
she cried out, cheerily; ''if too late to-
day, let it be at sunrise tomorrow.
Tom Marks bowed in acquiescence,
and springing lightly on his horse rode
away TO give the necessary orders
Farina Town was one of those viii
lagos which spring up mushroom-like
in a single night along the route Of an
Australian or American railway, and in
n few short months arrogate TO them
selves all the dignity of a city century
old The cunning of the surveyor and
land agent is visible from the very
start and the incongruous legend City
lots for sale" makes its appearance the
day after the town is located. Nothing
is left to chance or individual taste for
settlement, but streets, boulevards and
squares are laid ont with geometrical
and mathematical regularity which, as
the town is built up, gives it a monot-
ony that is as depressing as it Is valu-
able, commercially speaking. The
whole population of Farina Town as
sembled at sunrise on the following day
to witness the departure of the brave
lady and her band of intrepid search
ers. About one.half of the men were
white, the others being half breeds or
semi-civilized natives, well acquainted
with the language, customs and habits
of the wild people who were supposed
to hold Capt. John close prisoner.
The progress of the expedition was.
ON account of the thick forests and the
rugged nature Of the country, neces-
sarily slow. The whites were well
mounted, the negroes followed on foot.
From Farina Town TO Alice Springs
station il was good three hundred and
anu StNtI III NtthS Ncic opthl
in covering this distance. But, al
though the advance was slow, the MEM
bers of the expedition, thanks to the ad-
mirable precautions which had been
taken by Col. Tom Marks, continued in
the best of health and spirits Early
and late in her saddle, sharing the fa-
tigues of the march without murmur,
cheering and inspiring everyone by her
indomitable courage and inexhaustiblc
confidence in her own ability TO accom-
plish the mighty work which she had
set herself, Molly lowered around and
about the little band like an angel of
light and sweetness, like n guiding
spirit deputed by Heaven to sustain,
direct and preserve.
CONCLUDED TOMORROW