Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-04-27

and had left their death-fraught vessel
to her fate. They were miles of by
this time.
The boats tore through the water.
Eager as the men had been to come,
they were more eager to depart. For ten
minutes or more not a word was spoken.
With straining arms and laboring chests,
the roWkers tugged at the oars, their
eyes hxed on the lurid mass they were
leaving Frere and Best. with their
races turned back to the terror they fed
from, urged the men to greater efforts
Already the flames had Tapped the flag;
already the outlines of the stern-carv-
ings were blurred by the fire. Another
! moment and all would be over All!
Il had come at last!
A dull rumbling sound; the burning
ship parted asunder; a pillar of fire,
hecked with black masses that were
beams and planks, rose up out of the
ocean; there was terrific crash, as
though sea and sky were coming togeth-
er; and then mighty mountain of water
rose advanced, caught, and passed them,
and they were alone-deafened stun
ned and breathless, in a sudden horror
OF thickest darkness, and a silence like
that of the tomb. The splashing of the
falling fragments awoke them from their
stupor, and then the blue light of the
Malabar struck out a bright pathway
across the sea, and they knew that they
were safe.
On board the Malabar two men paced
the deck, waiting for the dawn. II came
at last. The sky Iightened. the mist
melted away, and then a long, low. far
Of IL
on the eastern horizon. BY and by the
water sparkled and the sea changed
color, turning from black to yellow. and
from yellow to lucid green. The man
at the mainmast hailed the deck. The
boats were in sight, and as they came
toward the ship, the bright water flash
ing from the laboring oars. crowd Of
spectators hanging over the bulwarks
cheered and waved their hats
"Not a soulp' cried Blunt. ''No one
out themselves. Well, Pm glad they're
safe anyway"
The boats drew alongside, and in a
few seconds Frere was upon deck.
No use" cried Frere, shivering. 1--WE
only just had time to get away. The
nearest thing in the world, sir. They
must have taken to the boats"
''Then they can't be far off" cried
Blunt sweeping the horizon with his
glass "They must have pulled all the
way, for there hasn't been enough wind
to fill a hollow tooth with"
Perhaps they pulled in the wrong d.
rection," said Frere. 'They had a good
four hours start of us, you know"
Then Best came up and told the story
to crowd of eager listeners. The sail
ors having hoisted and secured the boats
were hurried off to the forecastle. and
the four convicts were taken in charge
and locked below again.
You had better go and turn in,
Frere," said Pine, grufly 'Tt's no use
whistling for a wind here all day"
Pine took couple of turns up. and
down the deck, and then, catching
Blunt's eye, stopped in front of Vickers.
You may think it a hard thing to
say, Captain Vickers, but it's Just as
well if we don't find these poor fellows.
We have quite enough on our hands as
it is. The fever has broken out"
Vickers raised his brows. He had no
experience of such things; and though
the intelligence was startling, the crowd
ed condition of the prison rendered 1t
easy to be understood and he appre-
hended no danger to himself.
1T is only in the prison, as yet" says
Pine, with a grim emphasis on the word;
but there is no saying how long ii
may stop there. have got three men
down as it Is"
well, sir, all authority in the matter
is in your hands. Amy suggestions you
make 1 will, of course, do my best to
carry out"
Thank We. l must have more room
in the hospital, to begin with. The SOL
diers must lie a little closer. And you
had better keep your wife and the little
girl as much on deck as possible
Vickers turned pale at the mention
of his child. "DO you think there is
any dangerT
There is, of course danger to all of
us; but with care we may escape it.
There's that maid, too. Tell her to keep
to herself little more She has a trick
of roaming about the ship l don't like.
Infection is easily spread, and children
always sicken sooner than grown-up
people"
Blunt hitherto silently listening, put
in word for the defense Of the absent
woman. "She Is right enough, Pine"
said he. whats the matter with herr"
yes, she's all right, I've no doubt
She's less likely to take it than any Of
us. You can see her vitality in her face
-as many lives as a cat. But she'd
bring infection quicker than anybody"
"Tll-I'n go at once" cried poor Wick