Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-05-11


But the man seemed certain" said
the other. HE mentioned my Wife's
maid, tool"
We'll" says Pine, "look here. Sup
pose we tell these scoundrels that their
design is known. Very good. They will
profess absolute ignorance, and try again
on the next opportunity, when, perhaps, |
we may not know anything about 1t. At
all events, we are completely ignorant
of the mature of the plot and the names
of the ringleaders. Let us double the
sentries, and quietly get the men under
arms. Let Miss Sarah do what she
pleases, and, when the mutiny breaks
out, we will nip it in the bud clap all
the villains we get in irons, and hand
them over to the authorities in Hobart
Town. l am not cruel man, sir, but
we have got a cargo of wild beasts
aboard, and must be careful"
According to the usual custom on
board convict ships, the guards relieved
each other every two hours, and at =
p. m. the guard was removed to the
quarterback, and the arms which, in
the day time, were disposed on the top
of the arm chest were placed in an arm
rack constructed on the quarterback for
that purpose Trusting nothing to Frere
who, indeed, by Pines advice, was
kept in ignorance of the whole matter
-Vickers ordered all the men, save
those who had been on guard during the
day, to be under arms in the barrack,
forbade communication with the upper
deck, and placed as sentry at the bar
rack door his own servant, an old sol
der, on whose fidelity he could thor
oughly rely. He then doubled the
guards, took the keys of the prison him
self from the non-commissioned officer
whose duty it was to keep them, and
saw that the howitzer on the lower deck
was loaded with craps. 1t was a quar-
ter to Z when Pine and he took their
station at the main hatchway, determin-
ed to watch until morning.
At quarter past any curious per-
son looking through the window of Cap
tain Blunt's cabin would have seen an
unusual sight That gallant commander
was sitting on chair, and the hand
some waiting maid of Mrs. Vickers was
standing by his side. His gray hair
was matted all ways about his Redeemed
face, and he was blinking like an owl in
the sunshine He had drunk a larger
quantity of wine than usual at dinner.
'Cuc-come, Sarah" he hiccoughed.
Its all very fine my lass, but you
needn't be so-hic-proud, you know.
| I'm plain sailor-plain s'lor, Srr'h.
| Ph'n'as Bub-blunt, commander of the
| Observation-Disclosures. Wors' 'sh good talk
in? You lovsh me, and I-hic-lovsh
you, Sarah"
The ships bell struck seven Now or
never was the time. She seized the mo-
ment, drew from her pocket the lauda-
mum bottle and, passing her hand over
his. shoulder. poured half it's contents
into the glass.
Come, finish that and be quiet, or
I'll go away" she said
He balanced himself on his heels for
a moment and, holding by the molding
of the cabin, stared at her with a fatu-
GUS smile of drunken admiration, then
looked at the glass in his hand, hic-
| coughed with much sOlemnity thrice,
and as though struck with a sudden
sense of duty unful6lled. swallowed the
contents at gulp. The effect was al
most instantaneous, He dropped the
tumbler, lurched toward the woman at
the door, and thea making half-turn
in accordance with the motion of the
vessel, fell into his bunk and snored
| like a grampus
Sarah Purfoy watched him for few
minutes, and then having blown out the
light, stepped out of the cabin, and clos
! ed the door behind her The dusky gloom
which had held the deck on the previous
night enveloped all forward of the main
mast. A lantern swung in the forecas-
| tie, and swayed with the motion of the
/ oh In ErbA a. A..
a glow through the open hatch, and in
the cuddy at her right hand the usual
row of oil lamps burned. She looked
mechanically for Vickers, who was ordi-
narily there at that hour. but the cuddy
was empty. So much the better she
| thought, as she drew her dark cloak
around her and passed Frere's door As
she did So a strange pain shot through
her temples, and her knees trembled.
With a strong effort she dispelled the
dizziness that had almost overpowered
her, and held herself erect. 1t would
never do to break down now.
She seemed to be listening for some
thing. Her nervous system was wound
up to the highest pitch of excitement
The success of the plot depended ON the
next Eve minutes. At that instant the
report of a musket shot broke the ST
lence. The mutiny had begun!
The sound awoke the soldier to
sense of his duty. He sprang to his
feet, made for the door. The moment
for which the convict's accomplice had
waited approached. She chung to him
with all her weight. Suddenly the rich
crimson died away from her lips, leaving
them an ashen gray color. Her eyes
closed in agony; loosing her hold of him,
she staggered to her feet, pressed her
hands upon her bosom, and uttered a
sharp cry of pain.
Tha fever which had heen ON her for