Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-06-29
CHAPTER xv.-1Contlnued.,

pSCOHe lOHu VI HeI uuH1D cohpduiOh.
Kill NannyI Oh, Mr.. Dawes! What
forT
Il am going to make a boat for you,"
he said, ''and / want hides and thread
and tallow."
A few weeks back Maurice Frere
would have laughed at such sentence;
but he had begun now to comprehend
that this escaped convict was not a man
to be laughed at, and though he detested
him for his superiority, he could not but
admit that he was superior.
''You can't get more than one hide off
a goat, manT he said, with an inquiring
tone In his voice-as though it were
just possible that such marvellous being
as Dawes could get a second hide by
virtue of some secret process known only
to himself.
II am going to catch other goats at
the pilot station"
But how are you going to get there. "
"Float across. Come, there is no time
for questioning. Go and cut down some
saplings, and let US begin"
The lieutenant master looked at the
convict prisoner with establishment, and
then gave way to the power Of knowl-
edge, and did as he was ordered. Be
fore shutdown that evening, the carcass
of poor Nanny, broken into various most
unbutchery fragments, was hanging on
the nearest tree; and Frere, returning
with as many young saplings as he could
drag together, found Rufus Dawes en-
gagged In a curious occupation. He had
killed the goat, and, having cut off its
head close under the jaws, and its legs
II IT, NnA ko
carcass through a slit, which slit he had
now sewed together with strings. This
proceeding gave him a rough bag, and
he was busily engaged in filling this bag
with such coarse grass as he could col
lect Frere observed, also, that the fat
Of the animal was carefully preserved,
and the intestines had been placed in
pool Of water to soak
The convict, however, declined to give
information as to what he intended to
do. "It's my own notion" he said. Let
me alone. l may make failure Of 1t. !"
Frere, on being pressed by Sylvia, af-
fected to know all about the scheme. He
was CALLED to think that a convict brain
should contain a mystery which he could
not share.
On the next day, by Rufus Dawes
directions, Frere cut down some rushes
that grew about a mile from the camp
Ing ground, and brought them in on his
back. This took him nearly half a day
to accomplish. Short rations were be-
ginning to tell upon his physical pow
ers The convict, on the other hand,
trained by a woful experience in the
boats to endurance Of hardship, was
slowly recovering biz original strength.
What are they fOrf asked Frere.
as he flung the bundles down.
''To make a float. You are very dull,
Mr.. Frere. am going to swim over to
the pilot station and catch some of those
goats. can get across on the stuffed
skin, but / must float them back on the
reeds"
Frere saw that his companion was
cleaning the intestines Of the goat. The
outer membrane having been peeled off,
Rufus Dawes was turning them inside
out. This he did by turning up short
piece Of it, as though it were a coat
sleeve, and dipping the turned-up cuff
into a pool Of water. The weight of the
water, pressing between the cuff and
the rest of it, bore down a further por-
ton; and so, by repeated clippings, the
whole length was turned inside out. The
inner membrane having been scraped
away, there remained a fine transparent
tube, which was tightly twisted and set
to dry in the sun.
'SThere is the catgut for the noose,"
said Dawes. 81 learned that trick at
the settlement Now, come here"
Frere, following saw that a fire had
been made between two stones, and that
the kettle was partly sunk in the ground
near it. On approaching the kettle, he
found 1t full of smooth pebbles.
''Take out those stones" said Dawes.
Frere obeyed, and saw at the bottom of
the kettle quantity of sparkling white
powder, and the sides of the vessel
erusted with the same material
whats that?" he asked.
"salt."
'How did you get itT'
81 filled the kettle with sea water, and
then heating those pebbles red hot in the
Gre, dropped them into It. We could
have caught the steam In a cloth and
wrung out fresh water, had we wished
20 do So"
Frere burst out in a sudden, fretful
admiration; what a fellow you are,
Dawesl What are you'll mean, what
have you beenT
A triumphant light came into the 9TH
er's face, and for the instant he seemed
about to reply by some startling revela-
ton. But the light faded, and he check
ed himself with a gesture of pain.
IL am a convict Never mind what
have been. A sailor, shipbuilder, prod
lgal. vagabond-what does 1t matter 7
II won't alter my fate, win itT
IF we get safely back" says Frere,
''I'n ask for free pardon for you. You
deserve It."
II don't want favor at your hands.
Let US get to work. Bring up the rushes
here, and tie them with a fishing line. "
- y LN--l- !