Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-05-18
CHAPTER x

the ironing of the last of the mutineers,
at once OWNED its cause.
''Thank God!' he cried, there's
breeze at lastI'' And as the overpOwer-
ed Gabbett, bruised, bleeding and bound,
was dragged down the hatchway, the |
triumphant doctor hurried upuOn deck to
find the Malabar plunging through the
whitening water under the influence of
a fifteen-knOt breeze.
"Stand by to reef topsails. Away
aloft, men, and furl the royalsp cries
Best from the quarterback; and in the
midst of the CHEEKY confusion Maurice
Frere briefly recapitulated what had
taken place. taking care, however, to
pass over his own derelictiOn Of duty
as rapidly as possible,
Pine knit his brows. do you think
that Sarah Purfoy was in the plct?"
he asked.
"Not shew says Frere, eager to avert
inquiry. How could she be? Plot!
She's sickening Of fever, or I'm much
| mistaken"
Sure enough, they found Sarah Pur-
| foy lying where she had fallen a quar-
ter of an hour before. The clashing Of
the cutlasses and the firing Of muskets
had not reused her.
1--WE must make a sick bay some
where" says Pine, looking at the sense
| less figure. with no kindly glance;
| Though l don't think she's likely to be
very bad. ConfOund her-I believe she's
| the cause Of all this. I'll find out, too,
| before many hours are over; for I've told
| those fellows that, unless they confess
all about it before tomorrow morning,
! I'll get them six dozen apiece the day
after we anchor in Hobart Town. I've
great mind to do it before we get
there Take her head, Frere. and Wen
get her out of this before Vickers comes
up. What fool you are, to be sure!
knew what it would be. with women
on board ship. l wonder Mrs. V. hasn't
been out before now. There steady past
the door. Make haste, now, before that
little Parson comes. Parsons are reg
ular old women to chatter" and thus
muttering, Pine assisted to carry Mrs.
Vickers' maid into her cabin.
II don't wonder at you making a
fool of yourself. Chances are you've
caught the fever, though this breeze
will help to blow it out of us. Blunt,
tool"
what do you meant" asked Frere,
what has Blunt to say about herr
"Why, man, she was making eyes at
every man on the ship! 1 caught her
kissing a soldier once"
Maurice Freres checks grew hot. All
the time he had fattered himself that
he was fascinating the black-eyed maid
the black-eyed maid had been twisting
him round her finger, and perhaps imi
| IL, Iii bn
ton of her soldier lover, 1t was not +
pleasant thought; and vet, strange t.
say, the idea of Sarah's treachery die
not make him dislike her. There is {
sort of love which thrives under i'll
, treatment.
Vickers met them at the door. "Pine
Blunt has the fever. Mr.. Best founC
him in his cabin grooming. Come anC
look at him
The commander of the MaIabSP wa
lying on his bunk in the betwisted condi
ton into which men who sleep in thei
clothes contrive to get themselves. Tn
doctor shook him, bent down over him
q and then loOsencd his collar. He's no
sick Halloow says Pine. smelling a
the broken lumber. whats this? Smell
queer Laudanum! He's been ho
, cuSed!'
"Nonsensew
= 81 see it," slapping his thigh. at
that woman! She's drugged him, an
, meant to do the same for-"V'rer
gave him an imploring look)-"for any
body else who would be fool enough t
, let her do it. Dawes was right, sill
She's in it; I'll swear she's in it,"
n What! my wife's maid? Nonsense!
said Vickers.
= 'Its no nonsense. That soldier VIII
was shot-what's his name Miles, h
. but, however, it doesn't matter. 1t
all over now
. ',The men will confess before morn
: ing" says Vickers, land Wen see." An
he went off to his wife's cabin.
= His wife opened the door for hin
:. She had been sitting by the child's bee
:, side. listening to the firing, and waitin
!. for her husbands return, without mul
4 muir. Flirt, fribble, and shrew as sh
= was, Julia Vickers had displayed,
cases of emergency, that glowing couI
age which women of her nature at time
\ possess Though she would yawn owe
any book above the level of a gente
= love story; attempt to fascinate, wit
ludicrous assumption of girlishness, boy
~ young enough to be her sons; shudder [
= frog, and scream at a spider, she coul
= sit throughout a quarter of. an hour {
- such suspense as she had just unds
\ gone with as much courage as if 81
|. had been the strongest minded woma
: that ever denied her sex. els II 4
\ over?'' she asked.
eyes, thank Godv' said Vickers, pau
y ing on the threshold. "All is safe nov
- though we had a narrow escape, b
- lieve. How's Sylvan -.
~ The child was lying On the bed, vii
v her fair hair scatteud over the pillON