Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-04-13
CHAPTER III

space per man, cut a little short by egi-
gencies of shipboard, the cuddy was
wont to pass some not unpleasant even
lngs. Mrs. Nickers, who was poetical
ana owned guitar, was also musical,
ana sung to it. Captain Blunt was a
JoYlal, coarse fellow; Surgeon Pine had
mania for story telling, while if Wick
ers was sometimes dull, Frere was al
ways hearty. Moreover, the table was
Wen served, and the sultry evenings
passed away with a rapidity of which
the wild beasts tween decks had no
conception. On this particular even
ing, however, the cuddy was dull. Dim
ner fell HAT, and conversation languish-
ed
mo signs of breeze Mr.. Best 2"
asked Blunt, as the first officer came in
and took his seat.
'None, SIR"
"These-he he!-awful Gains" saws
Mrs. Vickers. "A week, is it not. Can
tain Blunt ?"
Thirteen days, num-" growled Blunt.
1T is infamous the way they crowd
these ships. Here we have over two
hundred souls on board, and not boat
room for half of 'em"
1.-Two hundred souls! Surely not
says Vickers. "By the regulations
"One hundred and eighty convicts.
fifty soldiers, thirty in ships crew. all
told, and-how many ?-one, two, three
seven in the cuddy. flow many do
you make that?'
I'VE are just little crowded this
time" says Best.
1t is very wrong" says Vickers.
pompously, very wrong. By the regu-
lations-"
But the subject of the regulations was
even more distasteful to the cuddy than
Pines interminable anecdotes. and Mrs.
Nlckers FASTENED to change the subject.
Are you not heartily tired of this
dreadful life, Mr.. Frere?"
Wei, it is not exactly the life
had hoped to lead" said Frere. rub
bling freckled hand over his stubborn
red hair; "but must make the best
of it."
Eyes, indeed" said the lady, in that
subdued manner with which one COM
ments upon well-known incident. 'it
must have been a great shock to you to
be So suddenly deprived of so large a
fortune"
Not only that, but to find that the
black sheep who got it all sailed for
India within a week of my uncles death!
Lady Devine got letter from him on
the day of the funeral to say that he
had taken his passage in the Hydaspes
for Calcutta, and never meant to come
back again"
"Sir Richard Devine left no other
childrenY'
mo; only this mysterious Dick, whom
l never saw, but who must have hated
me-"
Dear, dear! These family ouarrels
are dreadful things. Poor Lady Deyine.
to lose in one day a husband and a
sonr
And the next morning to hear of the
murder of her cousinl You know that
we are connected with the Bellasis fam
ily My aunt's father married a sister
OF the second Lord Bellasis."
Indeed. That was a horrible mur-
der. So You think that the dreadful man
you pointed out the other day did 1t %
'The jury seemed to think not" said
Mr.. Frere, with a laugh; ''but don't
know anybody else who could have a
motive for it. However, I'll go on deck
and have a smoke"
Il wonder. what induced that old
hunks of a shipbuilder to try and cut
of his only son in favor of a cub Of
that sort" said Surgeon Pine to Can
tain Vickers, as the broad back Of MI.
Maurice Frere disappeared up the COM
panion.
''Some boyish follies abroad. 1 believe:
selt-made men are always impatient Of
extravaganza. But it is hard upon
il l. l.
for all his roughness; and when a young
man finds that an accident deprives him
OF quarter of a million of money and
leaves him without a sixpence beyond
his commission in marching regiment
under orders for a convict settlement,
he has some reason to rail against fate.'
How was it that the son came in
for the money, after all, thenY
why, it seems that when old Devine
returned from sending for his lawyer to
alter his will, he got fit of apoplexy
the result of his rage, l suppose-and
when they opened his room door in the
morning they found him dead"
And the sons away on the sea some
where" said Mr.. Vickers, land knows
nothing of his good fortune 1t is quite
a romance"
Il am glad that Frere did not get
the money" said Pine, grimly sticking
to his prejudice; 81 have seldom seen
a face liked less, even among my vel
low jackets yonder"
"Oh, dear, Doctor Pine! How can
your" interrupted Mrs. Vickers. John,
viii go on deck"
At the signal the party rose.
Go - continued.l