The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-07
CHAPTER XIV.

Mr.. Sutherland was right Sweet
water did not return with the pilot Ac-
cording to the latter there was nc
Sweetwater on board the ship to re-
turn. At all events. the minutest search
had not succeeded in finding him in
the cabins, though no enc had seen him
leave the vessel, or, indeed. seen him al
all after his hasty dash below decks. II
was thought on board that he had sue
ceeded in reaching shore before the
ship set sail, and the pilot was suitably
surprised at learning this was not so
SO We're Sweetwater's friends and asso-
eiates, with the exception of a certain
old gentleman living on the hill, and
Knapp, the detective. He, that is, the
latter, had his explanation at his
tongues end.
''Sweetwater is a fakir He thought
he could carry off the honors from the
regular force, and when he found he
couldn't he quietly disappeared. We
shall hear of him again in the BraziIs' -
An opinion that speedily gained
ground, so that in few hours Sweet
water was all but forgotten, save by his
Mother, whose heart was filled with
suspense, and by Mr.. Sutherland. whose
breast was burdened by gratitude. The
amazing fact that Frederick the vii
tage Scapegrace, and Amabels reck-
less, If aristocratic, lover, having been
made the legatee of the upright Mrs.
Webb's secret savings, had something
70 do with this. With such a topic in
hand, not only the gossips but those
Rho had the matter of Agatha's muir
der in hand, found ample material to
occupy their thoughts and tongues
without wasting time over a presump-
tuouS busybody, who had not wits
enough to know that five minutes before
sailing time is an unfortunate moment
in which to enter a ship.
And where was Sweetwater that he
could not be found on the shore or on
the ship? We will follow him and see.
Accustomed from his youth to rambIe
over the vessels while in port, he knew
this one as well as he did his mothers
house 1t was, therefore, a surprise TO
the sailors when, shortly after the de-
parture of the pilot, they came upon
him lying in the hold, half buried under
a box. which had partially fallen upon
him. He was unconscious, or appeared
10 be so, and when brought into open
light showed marks of physical distress
and injury; but his eye was clear and
his expression hardly as rueful as one
would expect of a man who finds him
self en- route for the Brazils with barely
a couple of dollars in his pocket and
every prospect of being obliged to work
before the mast to earn his passage
Even the captain noticed this and eyed
him with some suspicion. But Sweet
water, rousing to the necessities of the
occasion, forthwith showed such a mix
ture of discoura cement and perplexitv
that the honest sailor was deceived and
abated half, at least, of his oaths. He
gave Sweetwater a hammock and adj
mitted him to the mess, but told him
that as soon as his bruises allowed him
TO work he should show himself on deck
or expect the rough treatment common
~ bestowed on stowaways
1t was prospect to daunt some men,
but not Sweetwater. Indeed. il was no
more than he had calculated upon when
he left his little savings behind with
his old mother and entered upon this
enterprise with only a little change i'm
his pocket. He had undertaken, out of |
love and gratitude to Mr.. Sutherland. to |
rid Frederick of dangerous witness, |
and he felt able to complete the sacri- |
fee. More than that, he was even
strangely happy for time. The Ella |
ton of the willing victim was his. that
is. for few short hours, then he began |
TO think of his mother. How had she
borne his sudden departure? What |
would she think had befallen him, and |
how long would he have to wait before |
he could send her word of his safety?
If he was to be of real service to the |
man he venerated he must be lost long
enough for the public mind to have be-
come settled in regard to the mysteries
of the Webb murder and for his own |
boastfui connection with il to be for
gotten. This might mean years of ex-
lie. He rather thought il did: mean
while his mother, OF himself he thought
little.
BY shutdown. he felt himself suffi-
GENTLY recovered from his bruises to go
up OH deck. 1t was a mild night.
and the sea was running in smoothly,
long waves that as yet but family pre-
saged the storm brewing in the distant
horizon. AS he inhaled the fresh air
the joy of renewed health began to
infuse its life into his veins, and lift
the oppression from his heart, and. glad
for a few minutes of quiet enjoyment
he withdrew 10 solitary portion OF
the deck and allowed himself to forget
his troubles in contemplation of the