Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-12-29
| For The Term of His Natural Life
By MARCUS CLARKE

BY MARCUS CLARKE

mindful OF the safety OF the ship than
he. There was, however, no time for ex-
PLANTATION, for, as he reached the hatch
way, he was met by the ascending giant,
who uttered hideous cry at the sight
of this unexpected adversary, and, too
close to strike him, locked him in his
arms. The two men went down togeth-
er. The guard on the quarterback dar-
ed not fire at the two bodies that, twined
about each other, rolled across the deck,
and for a moment Mr.. Frere's cherished
existence hung upon the slenderest
thread imaginable.
The Moocher, spattered with the blood
and brains of his unfortunate comrade,
lad already set his foot upon the low
est step of the ladder, when the cutlass
was dashed from his hand by a blow
from dubbed freiock, and he was
dragged roughly backward. AS he fell
upon the deck, he saw the Grow spring
out of the mass of prisoners who had
been, an instant before, struggling with
the guard, and, gaining the cleared space
at the bottom of the ladder, hold up his
hands, as though to shield himself from
a blow. The confusion had become sud
denly stilled, and upon the group be-
fore the barricade had fallen that mys-
FERROUS silence which had perpleXed the
inmates of the prison.
They were not perplexed for long.
The two soldiers who, with the assist
ance of Pine, had forced to the door of
the prison, rapidly unbolted a trap door
in the barricade and, at a signal from
Vickers, three men ran the loaded how
itzer from its sinister shelter, and, train
ing the deadly muzzle to a level with
the opening in the barricade, stood ready
to fire.
''Surrender!' cried Vickers, in a voice
from which all humanity" had vanish
ed. Surrender, and give up your ring
leaders, or I'll blow you to piecesw
There was no tremor in his voice, and
though he stood, with Pine by his side,
at the very mouth of the leveled can
non, the mutineers perceived with that
acuteness which imminent danger brings
to the most stold of brains, that, did
they hesitate an instant, he would keep
his word. There was an awful moment
of silence, broken only by a skurrying
noise in the prison, as though a family
of rats, disturbed at a flour cask, were
scampering to the ships side for shell
ter.
The entrapped men looked up the
hatchway, but the guard had already
closed in upon it, and some of the ships
crew were peering down upon them. Els
cape was hopeless.
Zone minute!" cried Vickers, conf
dent that one second would be enough
zone minute to go quietly, Or"
Surrender, matesn' shrieked some I'M
known wretch from out of the darkness
of the prison. ''Do you want to be the
death of us?'
Jenny Vetch feeling, by that curious
sympathy which ner1 Gus natures pos
sess, that his comrades wished him to
act as spokesman, raised his shrill tones.
1--WE surrender" he said. Its no use
getting our brains blown out" And,
raising his hands, he obeyed the motion
of Vickers' finger, and led the way to-
ward the barrack.
Bring the irons forward therer'
shouted Vickers, fastening from his per-
ilous position; and before the last man
had filed past the still smoking match
the clink of hammers announced that the
Grow had resumed those letters which
had been knocked off his dainty limbs a
month previously in the Bay Of Biscay.
In another moment the trap door was
closed, the howitzer rumbled back to its
clearings, and the prison breathed again.
In the meantime, scene almost as
exciting had taken place on the upper
deck. Gabbett, with the blind fury
which the consciousness of failure brings
to such brute-Iike natures, had seized
Frere by the throat, determined to put
an end to at least one of his enemies.
But desperate though he was, and with
all the advantage of weight and strength
upon his side, he found the young lieu
tenant a more formidable adversary than
he had anticipated.
Maurice Frere was no coward Taken
by surprise as he was, he did not lose
his presence of mind. The convict was
so close upon him that there was no
time to strike, but, as he was forced
backward, he succeeded in crooking his
and thrust one hand into his collar.
Over and over they rolled, the bewii-
dered sentry not daring to fire, until the
ships side brought them up with violent
Jerk. and Frere realized that Gabbett
was below him. Pressing with all the
might of his muscles, he strove to resist
the leverage NulCH Inc Sluul WAS apply
ing to turn him over but he might as
we'll have pushed against a stone wall
With his eyes protruding, and every
sinew strained to its utmost, he was
slowly forced round, he felt Gabbett re-
leasing his grasp, in order to draw back
and aim at him an effectual blow. Dis
engaging his left hand, Frere suddenly
allowed himself to sink, and then draw
ing up his right knee, struck Gabbett
beneath the jaw. and. as the huge head
was forced backward by the blow, dash
ed his fist into the brawny throat. The
giant reeled backward, and, falling on
his hands and knees. was in an instant
surrounded by sailors.
Authority was almost instantly tri-
umphant on the upper and lower decks.
The mutiny was over.
OH ApTER