Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-02

him. VIA SIZING near
a,;. he is better said Mrs. vickers die.
ualning to refer to the scene Of tbs
- Ing, SIT down and have somatb;ne
70 ear, Mr.. Frere.' o'A-'A7
ruptly. asked frere, abb
10 MS surprise, the convict answered.
quite ciyilly, 4 shall be strono aga;n -
sir'' can help you,
~ ,'nih week from the night on
snicn lie had seen the smoke of Frera.s
tue convict had recovered his
IN and had become an important
pel sonage. He was skilled in all the
NY stefles OF the prison sheds. He knew
now TO sustain life on as little food as
possible. He could fell trees without an
"a, odhe bread without an oven, build
a Weather proof hut without bricks or
- Tar. + rom the patient he became
aas... "uf isef' ana from the adviser, the
commander
AS the time wore on, and the scantv
STOCK OF provisions decreased. he found
tilat ms authority grew more and more
powerful. Did question arise as to the
QUANTITIES OF strange plant. it was Rufus
DaWes who could pronounce unon #
W ere hsh to be caught. it was Rufus
DaWes who caught them. Did Mrs
Nlckers complain of the instability of her
Orush wood hut, it was Rufus Dawes
VINO worked wicker shield, and, plas-
terlng 1t with clay, produced a wall that
uened the keenest wind. He made Guns
out OF pine knots, and plates out of bark
STRIPS He worked harder than any
three men. Nothing daunted him. moth
ing discouraged him. When Mrs Wick
ers Tell sick, from anxiety, and inspffi-
clent food. 1t was Rufus Dawes who
sathefed fresh leaves for her couch, who
cheered her by hopeful words, who vol
unfairly gave up half his own allowance
Oh meat that she might grow the strong
er on it. The poor woman and her child
called him Mr." Dawes.
But the days stole on and no vessel
appeared. Each day they eagerly scan
ned the watery horizon; each day they
longed to behold the bowsprit of the re-
turning Ladybird glide past the iutting
rock that shut out the view of the har-
Dor, but in vain. Mrs. Vickers' illness
increased, and the stock of provisions
began to run short. Dawes talked of
putting himself and Frere on half allow
ance. 1t was evident that, unless sue
cor came in a few days, they must
starve.
One day Sylvia was sitting in the sun
reading the English History" which,
by the accident of fright, she had
brought with her on the night of the
mutiny. Mr. Frere," said she, sud-
denly, what is an alchemist?"
"a man who makes gold," was Frere's
not very accurate definition.
did the ancient Britons know it?"
''No; not so old as that"
Sylvia suddenly gave a little scream.
The remembrance of the evening when
she read about the ancient Britons to
poor Bates came wildly into her mind,
and though she had since re-read the
passage that had then attracted her at
tention a hundred times, it had never
before presented itself to her in its full
significance. Hurriedly turning the
wellthumbed leaves, she read aloud the
passage which had provoked remark:
The ancient Britons were little bet
ter than barbarians. They painted their
bodies with woad, and, seated in their
light coracles of skin stretched upon
slender wooden frames, must have pre-
scented a wild and savage appearance"
"a coracle! That's a boat! Can't we
make a coracle, Mr.. Dawes?
The convict knitted his brows gloom.
lily.
Come, Dawes" cried Frere, forget
ting his enmity for an instant, in the
flash of new hope, cant you suggest
something's
Rufus Dawes, thus appealed to as the
acknowledged head of the little society,
felt a pleasant thrill of f-satisfaction.
81 don't know" he said; 81 must think
of it. 1t looks easy, and yet He
paused as something in the water caught
his eve. 1t was a mass of bladdery sea-
weed that the returning tide was watt
ing slowly to the shore. This object,
which would have passed unnoticed at
any other time, suggested to Rutus
Dawes a new idea "Yes," he added,
slowly. with a change of tone, sit may
he done, I think | see my way. How
far do YOU think it is across the bay:
he asked Frere.
"About four miles"
The convict sighed ''Too far to swim
now. though I might have done it once.
Rut this sort of life weakens man.
II must be DONE after all"
"What are you going to do! asked
Frere.
s'To kill the goat.
" ~