Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-04-28

Nofu Ioh me al once. l snail be on
deck"
The guards stared in each others
faces with some alarm. but said moth
ing thinking more Of the burning ship.
which now famed furiously across the
placid water than Of peril nearer home !;
but as Pine went up the hatchway he
met Blunt
We've got the fever aboard! Head
like ire-bali, and tongue like strip
OF leather. Don't | know it?' and Pine
grinned, mournfully. i've got him
moved into the hospital Hospital. As
dark as VOLTS mouth. I've seen dog
kennels | liked better"
Blunt nodded toward the volume Of
lurid smoke that rolled up out of the
glow. Suppose there s shipload
there? l can't refuse to take 'em in.
No. says Pine. gloomily. 81 sup
pose you can't. If they come, | must
stow 'em somewhere. Wen have to run
for the Cape, with the first breeze. if
they do come; that is all | cnu see for
it, And he turned away to watch the
burning vessel
In the meanwhile the two boats made
straight for the red column that uprose
like a gigantic torch over the silent sea
The pull was a long and n weary one.
Once fairly away from the protecting
sides Of the vessel that had borne them
thus far on their dismal journey, the
adventures seemed to have come into
new atmosphere. The immensely of
the ocean over which they slowly moved
revealed itself for the first time
The great sky uprose from this silent
sea without n cloud The stars hung
low in its expanse, burning in n violet
mist of lower ether. The heavens we're
emptied of sound, and each dip of the
oars was reechoed in space by a sue
cesson Of subtle harmonies. As the
blades struck the dark water, It flashed
fire, and the tracks of the boats resem-
bed two sea snakes writing with silent
undulations through a lake of quicksil.
yer. At last the foremost boat came to
a sudden pause. Best gave CHEEKY
shout and passed her. steering straight
into the broad track Of crimson that al
ready reeked on the sea ahead.
What is it?' he cried.
But he heard only smothered growl
from Frere. 1t was, in fact, nothing of
consequence-only a prisoner giving
in"
What's the matter with you?" SAYS
Frere "Oh, you, is it?-DaweS OF
course, Dawes. | never expected any
thing better from such a skulking hound.
Come, this sort of nonsense won't do
with me. 1t isn't as nice as lolloring
about the hatchways. | dare say, but
you'll have to go on. my fine fellow"
He seems sick, sir" said a compass
| sionate bow.
Sick! Not he. ShammnE. Come
| give way, now! Put your backs into itr'
And the convict having picked IN his
oar, the boat shot forward again. But
for all Mr.. Frere's urging. he could not
recover the way he had lost. and Best
was the first to run in under the black
cloud that hung over the crimsoned
water.
Keep wide" he said 'If there are
many fellows yet aboard. they'll swami
us; and l think there must be. rs we
haven't met the boats" and then raising
his voice, as the exhausted crew Law on
their oars he hailed the burning shin.
She was huge, clumsily built vessel
with great breadth of beam. and a lofty
deck Strangely enough, though they
had so lately seen the fire. she was al
ready wreck, and appeared to be com
pletely deserted. The chief hold Of the
| ire was amidships, and the lower deck
was one mass of flame. The fire roared
Ike a cataract, and huge volumes Of
| fame-hecked smoke poured up ont of
the hold, and rolled away in a low-lyinr
black cloud over the sea.
AS Frere's boat pulled SLOWLY rnund
her stern, he hailed the deck again and
again. Still there was no answer: and
though the flood of light that Owed tbe
water bloodred struck out every rome
and spar distinct and clear, his straining
eyes could see no living soul aboard. As
| they came nearer, they could distinguish
| the gilded letters of her name.
What is II. menu" cried Frere, his
voice almost drowned amidst the roar of
| the flames. Can you seeF'
Rufus Dawes. impeled, it would seem.
by some strong impulse of curiosity.
stood erect, and shaded his eyes with
| his hand
The Hydaspes."
Frere gasped. The Hydaspes, Tho
ship in which his cousin Richard Devine
had sailed The ship for which those
| In England might now look in vain, The
Hydaspes, which Something he had
heard during the speculations as to this
missing cousin flashed across him.
| Back water. men, Round with her,
| Pun for your lives, The Hydaspes! I
| know her. She is bound for Calcutta,
and she has five tons of powder aboard"
There was no need for more words.
| The single sentence explained the whole
mystery of her desertion. The crew had
taken to the boats on the first alarm.
and had left their death-fraught vessel
TO her fate. They were miles off 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 word was spoken.
WIN 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-
ngs were blurred by the 6re. Another
moment and all would be over. All,
l. had come at last,
| A dull rumbling sound: the burning
I ant