The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25

fend in the cooperage who claims a man
every third night. They wouldn't stay on
the island-nothing could persuade them.
Even Moussa, who is a faithful boy enough,
| would, as you have seen, leave his master
| in a fever rather than remain for the night.
| If we are to continue to run this place we
must reassure our niggers, and don't
know any better way of doing it than by
| putting il a night there myself This is
the third night, you see, so 1 suppose the
! thing is due, whatever it may be-"
'Have you no clew? asked. WAS there
no mark of violence. no blood stain, no foot
prints, nothing to give hint as to what
kind of danger you may have to meet?"
Absolutely nothing. The man was gone,
and that was all. Last time it was old Ali,
| who has been wharf tender here since the
| place was started. He was always as
| steady as rock and nothing but foul play
| would take him from his work"
| WELL" said 1, 81 really don't think that
this is one-man job. Your friend is full
| of laudanum, and, come what might, he
can be Of no assistance to you. You must
let me stay and put in a night with you
| at the cooperage."
well, now that's very good of you, Mel
drum" said he heartily shaking my hand
across the table. ITS not a thing that I
should have ventured to propose. for it is
| asking a good deal of a casual visitor, but
If you really mean it,
| Certainly mean it. If you VIII excuse
me moment will hail the Gamecock and
let them know that they need not expect
me-"
AS we came back from the other end Of
the little jetty we were both struck by the
| appearance of the night huge, blue
black pile of clouds had built itself up upon
| the landward side, and the wind came from
it in little hot pants, which beat upon our
faces like the draught from a blast fur
mace. Under the jetty the river was swirl
| ing and kissing. tossing little white spurts
of spray over the planking.
"Confound it," said Doctor Several. I'VE
| are likely to have a flood on the top of all
troubles. That rise in the river means heavy
rain up-country, and when it once begins
| you never know how far it will go. We've
had the island nearly covered before now
| Well, we'll just go and see that Walker is
comfortable, and then if you like we'll set
tie down in our quarters"
The sick man was sunk in a profound
slumber. and we left him with some crushed
lines in a glass beside him in case he should
awake with the thirst of fever upon him.
| 1L6I we IIldue our way through the uIl-
natural gloom thrown by that menacng
cloud. The river had risen so high that the
little bay which 1 have described at the
| island had become almost obliterated
through the submerging of it's thanking pen
insula. The great raft of driftwood, with
the huge black tree in the middle, was
swaying up and down in the swollen cur
rent.
That's one good thing flood will do for
u.s. said the doctor. 1T carries away all
the vegetable stuff which is brought down
onto the east end of the island. 1t came
down with the freshet the other day, and
here 1t will stay until flood sweeps it out
into the main stream. Well, here's our
room, and here some books, and here is
my tobacco pouch, and we must try and put
in the night as best we may"
By the light of our single lantern the
great lonely room looked very gaunt and
dreary. Save for the piles of slaves and
heaps of hoops there was absolutely nothing
in it, with the exception of the mattress for
the doctor. which had been laid in the cor
ner We made a couple of seats and table
out of the slaves, and settled down together
for long vigil. Several had brought a
revolver for me, and was himself armed
with double-barreled shotgun. We loaded
our weapons and laid them cooked within
reach of our hands. The little circle of light
and the black shadows arching over us were
so melancholy that he went off to the house,
and returned with two candles One side
of the cooperage was pierced, however, by
several open windows, and it was only by
screening our lights behind slaves that we
could prevent them from being extinguished.
The doctor, who appeared to be man of
l 49, L. i
I observed that every now and then he laid
it upon his knee, and took an earnest look
all round him. For my part, although 1
tried once or twice to read, found it i'm
possible to concentrate my thoughts upon
the book. They would always wander back
to this great empty, silent room and
to the sinister mystery which overshadowed
it. I racked my brains for some possible
theory which would explain the disappear
ance of these two men. There was the black
fact that they were gone, and not the least
title of evidence to why whittier.
And here we were waiting in the same place
waiting without an idea as to what we
were waiting for. l was right in saying
that it was not a one-man job. 1t was try
ing enough as it was, but no force upon
earth would have kept me there without a
comrade.
What an endless, tedious night it was!
Outside we heard the tapping and gurgling
of the great river, and the soughing of the
rising wind Within, save for our breathing,
the turning of the doctors pages and the
high, shrill ping of an occasional mosquito
there was heavy silence. Once my heart
sprang into my mouth as SeveralPs book
suddenly fell to the ground and he sprang
to his feet with his eyes on one of the win
dows.
did you see anything, Meldrum?"
mo. Did your
"Well, had a vague sense of movement
outside that window" He caught up his
gun and approached it. mo, there's moth
ing to be seen, and yet could have sworn
that something passed slowly across it,"
"A palm leaf, perhaps" said I, for the
wind was growing stronger every instant.
very likely said he, and settled down
to his book again, but his eyes were for
ever darting little suspicious glances up at
the window. / watched it also, but all was
quiet outside.
And then suddenly our thoughts were
turned into a new direction by the bursting
of the storm. A binding flash was followed
by clap which shook the building Again
and again came the vivid white glare with
the thunder at the same instant like the
flash and roar of monstrous piece of ar
tillery. And then down came the tropical
rain, crashing and rafting on the CORFU