Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-06-30
for The Term of Ills Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE


| W lne weight Oh the BODY, SUNK so tina
the head Of the convict alone appeare,
above water. In this fashion he gainet
the middle of the current, and the out
going tide swept him down toward thu
mouth of the harbor.
Rufus Dawes, drifting with the cur
rent, had allowed himself to coast alonl
the eastern side of the harbor until tn,
pilot station appeared In view on the op
posite shore. BY this time it was nearly
Z O'Clock. He landed at a sandy cove
and, drawing up his raft, proceeded tC
unpack from among his garments piece
of damper. Having eaten sparingly, and
dried himself In the sun, he replaced
the remains of his breakfast, and pushed
his floats again into the water.
Arrived at his destination about mid.
day, he set to work to lay his snares
| The goats, with whose sides he hoped
to cover the coracle, were sufficiently
numerous and tame to encourage him to
use every exertion. He carefully exam
ined the tracks of the animals, and found
| that they converged to one polnt-the
| track to the nearest water. With much
| labor he cut down bushes. so as to mask
the approach to the water hole on all
ately conjoined. Close to the water, aud
at unequal distances along the various
tracks, he scattered the salt he had OBJ
tanned by his rude distllstion of sea
water. Between this scattered salt and
the points where he judged the animals
would be likely to approach, he set his
traps, and retired to watch the effect
of his labors.
About two hours after he had gone,
the goats came to drink. There were
five goats and two kids, and they trotted
calmly along the path to the water The
watcher soon saw that his precautions
had been in a manner wasted. The lead
ing goat marched gravely into the
syringe, which, catching him round the
neck, released the bent rod, and sprung
him off his legs into the air. He uttered
a comical bleat, and then hung kicking
The other goats bounded off at this sud
den elevation of their leader and three
more were entrapped at q little distance.
Rufus Dawes now thought it time to
secure his prize. though three of the
springes were as yet inspiring. He ran
down to the old goat, knife in hand,
but before he could reach him the bare
~ dried catgut gave way, and the old
fellow shaking his head with grotesQue
dismay, made off at full speed. The
others, however, were secured and killed.
The loss of the syringe was not a seri-
Gus one, for three traps remained I'M
sprung, and before shutdown Rufus
Dawes had caught four more goats. Re
moving with care the catgut that had
done such good service, he dragged the
carcasses to the shore, and proceeded
to pack them upon his floats. He dis
covered, however, that the weight was
too great, and that the water, entering
through the loops of the stitching In the
side, had so soaked the rush grass as
to render the floats no longer buoyant
He was compelled, therefore, to spend
two hours In resulting the skin with
such material as he could find. Some
light and fock-like seaweed, which the
action of the water had swayed after
the fashion of haybands along the shore,
formed an excellent substitute for grass,
and having bound his bundle of rushes
lengthwise, with the goatskln as a CEN
terpiece, he succeeded in forming a sort
of rude canoe, upon which the carcasses
hoated securely.
The tide was now running In, and he
knew 1t was imperative that he should
regain the further shore while the cur
rent was In his favor. He touched the
chilled water and drew back. For an
instant he determined to wait until the
beams of the morning should illumine
that beautiful but treacherous sea, and
then the thought of the helpless child,
who was, without doubt, waiting and
watching for him on the shore, gave new
strength to his wearied frame; and fixing
his eyes on the glow that, lowering above
the dark tree-line, marked her presence
he pushed the raft before him into the
sea-
Padding and pushing, he gradually
edged it toward the freight; and al
last, just when his stiffened limbs re-
fused to obey the impulse of his will
and he began to drift onward with the
onward tide, be felt his feet strike firm
ground. Dragging the carcasses abov,
| high-water mark, he rounded the little
| promontory and made for the fire. HI
gained the fire before the solitary watch
er there heard his footsteps, and spread
his hands to the blaze In silence.
Frere, starting, cried, at Is you
Have you succeeded?
There are six carcasses down by tn,
rocks. You can have meat for breakfas
tomorrow"
The child. at the sound of the voice
came running down from the hut ooh
Mr. Dawes! | am so glad! We wer
beginning to despair-mamma and l."
Dawes snatched her from the ground
and, bursting into a joyous laugh, swunI
her into the air. Tell me-" he cried
holding up the child with two dripping
arms above him, what you will do 70
me if bring you and mamma SAT
home again?'
Give you a free pardon" said SyI
VIA and papa shall make you his SCI
yant! Frere burst out laughing a
this reply; and Dawes. with a chokin
sensation in his throat, put the chill
upon the ground. and walked away.
In the morning, however, Ruff
Dawes was first at work. and made n
allusion to the scene of the previou
evening. BY dint of hard work they &c
the four goats skinned, and the entrail
cleaned ready for twisting, by breakfas
tune; and having broiled some of IN
| E6ah l..