The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-06-22
brush wood. with sylvi. Sitting ,..,

him.
"Hs = better" said Mrs. vs.kers die
daining to refer to the scene Of the
morning. "Sit down and have somstbinr
to eat, Mr.. Frere."
Are you betterT asked Erera. a.
ruptly.
TO his surprise, the convict answered
quite civilly, II shall be- strong again in
day or two, and then l can help vou.
sir" sop sou'
Within week from the night ON
which he had seen the smoke Of Frere,s
hre, the convict had recovered his
strength. and had become an important
parsonage. He was skilled in ali tbe
mysteries of the prison sheds. He knew
now to sustain life on as little food as
possible He could fell trees without a n
ak, bake bread without an oven. build
weather-proof hut without bricks or
mortar. From the patient he became
the adviser; and from the adviser. the
commander.
as the time wore on, and the scanty
stock of provisions decreased. he found
that his authority grew more and more
powerful. Did question arise as to the
Qualities of strange plant, it was Rufus
dawes who could pronounce upon II.
were fish to be caught, it was Ruins
dawes who caught them. Did Mrs.
Vickers complain of the insta bility of her |
brush wood hut, it was Rufus Dawes
VINO worked a wicker shield. and. Mas.
tering 1t with clay, produced wall that
oened the keenest wind. He made cups
OUT OF pine knots, and plates out of bark
strips. He worked harder than anv
three men. Nothing daunted him. moth.
ing discouraged him. When Mrs. yick.
ers fell sick, from anxiety, and insna,.
cient food, 1t was Rufus Dawes who
gathered fresh leaves for her couch. who
cheered her by hopeful words. who vol.
unfairly gave up half his own allowance
OF meat that she might grow the strong.
er ON 1t. The poor woman and her child
called him "Mr." Dawes.
But the days stole on and no vessel
appeared. Each day they eagerly scam
ned the watery horizon; each day thew
longed to behold the bowsprit of the re.
turning Ladybird glide past the iuttine
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 7
stsrve.
One day Sylvia was sitting in the sun :.
reading the English History" which
oy the accident of fright, she had
brought with her on the night of the
nutiny. "Mr. Frere," said she. sud
ienly, what is an alchemist?"
man who makes gold" was Frere's q
lot very accurate definition.
Did the ancient Britons know it?"
No; not so old as that"
Sylvia suddenly gave a little scream.
ne remembrance of the evening when
ne read about the ancient \Britons to o
oor Bates came wildly into her mind t,
nd though she had since re-read the I,
assage that had then attracted her at A
ention hundred times, it had never :
efore presented itself to her in its full
lgnihcance. Hurriedly turning the
'eli-thumbed leaves, she read aloud the 81
assage which had provoked remark: cl
The ancient Britons were little bet hi
sr than barbarians. They painted their l.
odies with woad, and, seated in their
ght coracles of skin stretched upon TT
ender wooden frames, must have pre-
ented a wild and savage appearance"
"A coracle! That's boat! Can't we tn
AXE coracle, Mr.. Dawes?" =
The convict knitted his brows gloom
y. Es
Come, Dawes" cried Frere, forget Re-
ng his enmity for IAN instant, in the M
ash OF new hope, cant you suggest IA
Rufus Dawes, thus appealed to as the M
,knowledged head of the little society. ~
1t pleasant thrill of self-sat sfaction.
don't KNOW" he said; ~ must think
It, 1t looks easy, and yet" He
FUSED as something in the water caught ES
s eye. 1t was mass of bladdery sea- H.
eed that the returning tide was watt
9 slowly to the shore. This object III
hich would have passed unnoticed at s
" other time, suggested to Rufus M
awes new idea. "Yes," he added. ~
'wly, with change of tone, sit NAV I'M
done, l think l see my way. How
r do you think it is across the bay p" i&
asked Frere.
About four miles," M
The convict sighed. "Too far to swim "a
W, though l might have done it once. III
1t this sort of life weakens a man.
must be done, after ALL"
What are you going to dor asked
ere. Gal
TO kill the goat" fro
ITO be continuedl