Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-11
YSTANLEY J.MEMNAN.
AUTHoR Or THE MAd ~ slAcnn
"A GENTLEMAN or FRANCE, EwE~

INC CO. AL a'snrs assrRyrD
face to q rusbIight And we Will DC there
tonight
She started up with wild gesture. For
a moment she had sat down on q cask
standing beside her and forgotten our
peril and the probability that we might
never see Leigh OF all. Now, have said,
she started up. No. nor she cried, strug-
Cling for breath ana uruerance. -On, no,
mol Let us go at once We must start at
once!'' Her voice was hysterical in its sud-
den anxiety and terror as the conscious
ness of cur position rolled back upon her
Captain, listen, listenr' size pleaded
Let us start now, and my husband will
give you double. l will promise you dou-
BILE whatever he said IL you will chance the
fog
think all who heard her were moved,
save the captain only. He rubbed his head
and grinEcd. Slow and heavy, he saw
nothing in her prayer save the freak of a
woman wild to get to her man. He did
not weigh her promise at a groar. She
was but a woman. And being foreigner
he did not perceive a certain air of breed
ing which might have influenced a native
He was one of those men against whose
stupidity Father Carey used to say the
gods fight in vain. When he answered
good naturally: No, 10, mistress. it is
impossible. 1t would not be seamanship, {"
felt that we might as well try to stop the
ebbing tide as move him from his position.
The feeling was maddening one. The
special peril which menaced my conpan-
ions did not know. but l knew they
feared pursuit, and had every reason to
fear it for myself. Yet ut any moment,
out of the fog which encircled us SO closely
that we could barely see the raft below,
and the shore not at all, might come the
tramp of hurrying feet and the stern hail
of the law. 1t was maddeEing to think of
this and to know that we had only to cast
of a rope or two in order to escape and co
know also that we were absolutely help
less.
expected that Mistress Bertram, brave
as she had shown herself, would burst into
n passion of rage or tears But apparently
she hal one hope left. She looked at me.
/ tried to think-to think hard. Alas,
l seemed only able to listen. An hour had
gone By since we parted from that rascal
in the court. and we might expect him to
appear ut any moment vengefui and ex-
ultant, with a posse at his back. Yet
tried hard to think, and the fog presently
suggested a possible course. Look here, /"
! said suddenly, speaking for the first
time, If you do not start until the fog
lifts, captain, we may as well breakfast
ashore and return presently"
THAT is as you please, he answered
indifferontly.
What do you think" I said, turning
to my companions with as much careless
ness as 1 could command. Had we not
better do that!''
Mistress Bertram did not understand
but in her despair she obeyed the motion
of my hand mechanically and walked to
tho side. The younger woman followed
| more slowly, so that had to speak to her
with some curtness, bidding her make
haste, for 1 was in a fever until we were
clear of the Whelp and the Lion wharf.
1t had struck me that, if the ship were
not to leave mt once, we were nowhere in
SO much danger as on board. At large
in the fog We might escape detection for a
time. Our pursuers might as well look for
| a needle in a haystack as seek us through
| it when once we were clear of the wharf
And this WIS net the end of my idea.
But for the present it was enough. There
fore 1 took up Mistress Anne very short.
Come" said, 'be quick! Let me help
you"
She Obeyed, and / was ashamed Of my
| Impotence when at the foot of the ladder
she thanked me prettily. 1t was almost
| with good cheer in my voice and q rebound
of spirits that explained as hurried my
| companions across the raft what my plan
| was.
The moment We were ashore felt safer.
| The fog swallowed us up quick, rs the
Bible says. The very hull of the ship van
| ishcd from sight before we had gone half
4 a n L. n
| fog before, and to me it seemed portentous
| and providential-a marvel as great as
the crimson hail which fell in the London
| gardens to mark her majesty's accession.
Yet after all, without my happy thought,
the fog would have awaited us little. We
had scarcely gone score Of yards before
the cautious tread of several people has
| tening down the strand toward the wharf
struck my ear They were proceeding in
silence, and we might not have noticed
| their approach if the foremost had not by
chance t-ippcd and fallen, whercupon one
| laughed and another swore With a warn
| ing hand srasped my companions arms
| and hurried them forward some PAGES I'M
til felt sure that our figures could not be
| seen through the mist. Then halted, and
we stood listening, gazing into one an
| others strained eyes, while the step came
| nearer and nearer, crossed our track and
then with n noisy rush Numbered on the
wooden raft My ear caught the jingle OF
harness and clank of weapons.
| 1T is the watch" muttered. Come,
| and make no noise. What l want is lit
tie this way. I fancy l saw it as we passed
down the wharf
| They turned with me. but VIC had not
taken many steps before Mistress Anne.
who was walking ON my left side, STUN
bled over something. She tried to save
| herself, but failed and fell heavily, utter
ing as she did 50 n loud cry. sprang &c
her-assistance. and even before / raised
her laid my hand lightly on her mouth.
Hush l said softly. For safety 4
sake. make no noise. What is the mat
tcr."
"Ohr' she moaned. making no effort tc
rise, my ankle, my ankle! am sure
have broken it
muttered my dismay, while Mistres.
Bertran,, stopping anxiously, examined
the injured limb Can You stand." she
| asked
Sut il was no time for questioning and
| rlrr hpr aside The trun,, which b,r