The morning call., 1893-06-11


which must awaken and find myself in
my he'd at home, starting up to grleve and
yearn for Tom as of old. 1nd saying to
myself: This dream came to me by think
ing before | fell asleep of what his life
would be on board the convict ship, and
hOw | was TO make sue Of joining HIM in
the country he was transported 10.
The shadow vanished. 1t was the last
we ever saw of the convict ship. 1t was
the ftie3t of all disappearances for her;
the folds OF the morning darkness swal-
| lowed her up as though she had been
thuDdered at headlong speed into the
blackness of deaths dominionS, whose OBJ
security was thickened vet by the vapors Of
the ineXtinguishable fires.
l started, sighed and passed my arm
through Toms.
At about s o'clock this morning there
was lull in the wind; it then shifted
suddenly into the southeast, blowing small
at first but refreshing afterward. until il
had settled into the steady pouring of the
trade gale. | ned the wheel while the
three braced the yards forward and soon
the little brig was humming along on what
sailors call taut bowline with her tore
and main royals set, and as fair pros pect
of fine weather to windward as ever the
noble commercial DreeZe Of the South
( Atlantic painted in clouds and in dyes of
! clear, pure blue.
This same morning after breakfast. |
still steering the little ship, Tom ard the
others overhauled the vessel airesh they
! lifted the main batch and took a look he
low; they entered the lazarette searched
/ the fOrepeak. closely again examined the
! crews sleepiag-quarters. They met with
/ everything essential in the equipment of
small brig, suits OF sails, carpenters tools,
/ boatswains' stores in plenty. Indeed, Tom
/ said she was the best found craft of her
sort he had ever seen.
he found brace Of pistols and ammuni-
Al hp me-, ,Ira'S .,,fr, II,
were no other small arms on board.
W hen the brig had been trimmed for the
! trade wind. they went To work to chock
and secure the Childe Harold's quarter
! boat IN the place where the briggs long
! boat had stood; aflerward VIII mixed a
! pot of raint and painted out the name
"Chide Harold. London in the stern Of
/ the boat Mr. Bates then carefully gauged
/ the stock OF fresh water, and found a
/ handsome supply, sweet and good.
- And now. till we made the island of
/ Tristan d'Acunha, there befel nothing
worthy to detain you. We found no diff
Guilty In managing the brig; larger ships
. than the Ola Stormy had been hand ed
ami safely worked across the widest and
widest breasts of ocean in the world by
crews a. least as small as ours. My share
! consisted IN cooking, preparing the cabin
I liable Tor meals. steering when my watch
came round and when Tom vas weary If
standing at the wheel or wished to sc;
upon the deckhouse top to look about.
Both Bates and VIII fell very quiet :;
/ they read Toms resolution in his face ana
/ they heard it Ia his voice, and they came
into his scheme of touching at Tristan as
/ though themselves had been escaped con-
/ yictS eager to hide
| Many long talk did | have with Tom
over his PROJECT. ana l know that l never
I breathed syllable in opposition 70 his
wishes. Particularly do | recall u c0nvpr-
sation we held one night in the first watch
he SteeTed, and j, " 10 was tired, sat on a
chair close beside him. The trade wiz d sang
shrill betwiXt our leaning masts, regularly
as the beat of clock the brig heeled to
the slant If the wln1ward surge and bowed
1 her lee side till the iroth spat and snored
/ along the very line II her bulwark rail.
! NO, I0m," said l, answering him;
! don't call it banishment. Banishment
! for me must be where you are not"
I've tried for your So ke." said he, ito
! think Of another and better plan, but
/ Tristan In my mind forever stands stead
! lily best and first. Let Bates and VIII be-
| lieYe We mean to settle there Our i'm
prisonment shall be just as short or long
/ as we choose"
We can leave when we please?"
NV halers are constantly calling at the
| island; they fish IN many seas, and they'll
! give US wide choice Of retreats"
Yet wish Corporal Glass didn't know
YOU"
Why? BY knowing me he'll the more
kindly believe in my story. What have
u dTead? SUPPOSE news reaches the
Island OF the Sc Zure of the Childe Harold:
would Glass and the few simple families
of the place Imagine me a convict? Not
surely In the face of the story must re-
| late, Marian"
''W hen the news gets home they may
SEND men-ot-war IN search for the convict
/ ship"
! My dear, am sailor first of all; put
| 1t thus: the Childe Harold will be fallen IN
with; no need to search for her in that
case. Or she may founder. Never imag-
/ Inc that OF 80 great company every soul
/ Will perish; She has boats, but a single
! SURVIVOR would suffice to acQuaint them at
| home with her fate. Aud how must the
/ yarn run as regards myself? The convict
who took command got away in a boat.
What became of him? Let them find
! out'
he cried ont yehemently after he had
said this: "Ob, my God, that | should be
forced to hide! But it has come to it. You
are with me and Of me, Marian; but what
sort of future lies before yOu?"
laToSe and kissed him and with nv arm
about his neck held my cheek pressed to
has. lie calmed down quickly and got
MN 10 talk 10 me about the island. He
told me that when the British troops
landed in 1916. the only person on Tristan
WIS an Italian; he was in possession of a
large sum of money. but they never suc-
ceeded in finding out who he was, how lie
came by the money. what had become of
| his companions. Tom said that tie idea of
/ seeking "a refuge in that island had oc-
CURED to him in the time when the con-
plcts were planning the seizure of the ship
His long chat with Corporal Glass on
the occasion of his visit a few years before
occurred 10 him and he remem pered many
things that he had seen and heard. such as
the little UrOltn of pOttapaS situatnd cr, tb,.
tabled tongue Of land, tie scanty stock Of
domestic furniture and utensils, the abund-
ance Of English farm produce. bread, bacon
eggs, butter, milk, poultry and the like
For groceries and clothes. he said, the
families depended on a passing emlgrant
ship or American whaIer. They used no
money: ships were glad to exchange what
the islanders wanted for potatoes and such
fresh provisions as the island yielded.
This is what | can recOllect Of what Tom
told me OF that island.
The days passed quickly; the work OF
the brig kept our hands full, and when of
an evening looked back on the hours. Pd
marvel at the swiftness of their fight. The
southeast trades failed us; we tben took
Strong wind out of the west which drove
US aiong with the speed of steam. There
was small doubt now Of eur making the
ioiahd within the fortnight, computing
rom the day we fell in with the brig. At
iohe intervals a sail hove into view, but we
never sighted anything within speaking
distance, nor would Tom have had any-
eidl anlne 70 say to ship though she had come