The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-04-27


more men taken sick, let them pass the
word for me at once. l shall be on
deck"
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 fire-ball, and tongue like strip
Of leather. Don't know itY' and Pine
grinned. mournfully. 1--WE got him
moved into the hospital. Hospital! As
dark as VOLTS mouth. I've seen dog
kennels l liked better"
Blunt nodded toward the volume of
lurid smoke that rolled up out of the
glow. Suppose there is a shipload
there? l can't refuse to take 'em in"
NO." says Pine, gloomily. II sup
pose you can't. If they come, l must
stow 'em somewhere. Well have to run
for the Cape, with the first breeze, if
they do come; that is all l can 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 gigantic torch over the silent sea-
The pull was a long and a 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 a cloud. The stars hung
low in its expanse, burning in violet
mist of lower ether. The heavens were
emptied of sound, and each dip of the
oars was re-echoed in space by uc-
cession Of subtle harmonies. As the
blades struck the dark water, it flashed
fire. and the tracks of the boats resem-
bled two sea snakes writing with silent
undulations through lake of quicksil-
yer. At last the foremost boat came to
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 a smothered growl
from Frere. It was, in fact, nothing of
consequence prisoner "giving
in"
whats the matter with your" sa VS.
Frere. "Oh, you, is it?-Dawes! Of
course, Dawes. 1 never expected any
thing better from such skulking hound.
Come, this sort of nonsense won't do
with me. 1t isn't as nice as lolloping
about the hatchways, l dare say, but
you'll have to 60 on, my fine fellow
He seems sick, sir" said a compass
bow.
"Sick! Not he. Shamming. Come,
give way, now! Put your backs into itv
And the convict having picked up 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. eff there are
many fellows yet aboard, they'll swamp
us; and I think there must be. as we
haven't met the boats" and then raising
his voice, as the exhausted crew Law on
their oars, he hailed the burning ship.
She was huge, clumsily built vessel.
with great breadth of beam. and a lofty
deck. Strangely enough, though they
had 80 lately seen the fire, she was al
ready a wreck, and appeared to be COM
pletely deserted. The chief hold of the
fire was amidships, and the lower deck
was one mass of flame. The fire roared
like a cataract, and huge volumes of
fame-fecked smoke poured up out of
the hold. and rolled away in a low-lying
black cloud over the sea.
As Frere's boat pulled slowly round
her stern, he hailed the deck again and
again. Still there was no answer: and
though the food Of light that dyed the
water blood-red struck out every rope
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 it,, men" cried Frere, his
voice almost drowned amidst the roar of
the flames. "Can you see"
Rufus Dawes, impelled, it would seem,
by some strong impulse of curiosity,
stood erect, and shaded his eyes with
his hand.
THE Hydaspes"
Frere gasped. The Hydaspes! The
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!
Pull for your lives. The Hydaspes! 1
know her. She is bound for Calcutta.
and she has Eve 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 of 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 a word was spoken.
With straining arms and laboring chests,
the rowkers tugged at the oars, their
eyes fixed on the lurid mass they were
leaving. Frere and Best. with their
faces 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.
| ings were blurred by the fire. Another
moment and all would be over. All
| ~