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

falling fragments awoks them !tom thsil
stupor, and then the blue light Of the
Malabar struck out q bright pathway
were safe.
On board the Malabar two men paced
the deck, waiting for the dawn. It came
! at last. The sky lightened, the mist
melted away, and then a long, low, far
off streak Of pale yellow light foated
on the eastern horizon. BY and by the
water sparkled, and the sea changed
color, turning from black to yellow, and
from yellow to lucid green. The man
at the mainmast hailed the deck. The
boats were in sight, and as they came
toward the ship, the bright water fash
ing from the laboring oars. a crowd of
spectators hanging over the bulwarks
cheered and waved their hats.
Not a soul!' cried Blunt. mo one
but themselves. Well, I'm glad they're
safe anyway"
The boats drew alongside, and in a
few seconds Frere was upon deck.
NO use," cried Frere, shivering. 1--WE
only just had time to get away. The
nearest thing in the world. sir. They
must have taken to the boats"
Then they can't be far off, cried
Blunt, sweeping the horizon with his
glass. 'TheJ must have pulled all the
way. for there hasn't been enough wind
to fill hollow tooth WITH
perhaps they pulled in the wrong d.
rection," said Frere ''They had a good
four hours start of us, you know"
Then Best came up and told the story
to crowd of eager listeners. The sail
ors having hoisted and secured the boats
were hurried off to the forecastle, and
the four convicts were taken in charge
and locked below again.
You had better 60 and turn in,
Frere," said Pine. gruffly. ''It's no use
whistling for a wind here all day."
Pine took couple of turns up and
down the deck, and then, catching
Blunt's eye, stopped in front of Vickers
'You may think it a hard thing to
say, Captain Vickers. but it's just as
well if we don't find these poor fellows.
We have quite enough on our hands as
it is. The fever has broken OUT
Vickers raised his brows. He had no
experience of such things; and though
the intelligence was startling, the crowd
ed condition of the prison rendered it
easy to be understood, and he appre-
hended no danger to himself.
ut is only in the prison. as yet" says
Pine, with grim emphasis on the word;
but there is no saying how long it
may stop there. 1 have got three men
down as it is"
"Well, sir, all authority in the matter
is in your hands. Any suggestions you
make l will, of course, do my best to
carry out"
THANK We. l must have more room
in the hospital, to begin with. The SOL
diers must lie little closer. And you
had better keep your wife and the little
girl as much on deck as possible"
Vickers turned pale at the mention
Of his child. do you think there is
any danger"
"There Is, Of course, danger to all Of
US; but with care we may escape it.
There's that maid, too Tell her to keep
to herself little more. She has a trick
of roaming about the ship l don't like.
Infection is easily spread, and children
always sicken sooner than grown-up
people,"
Blunt, hitherto silently listening. put
in word for the defense of the absent
woman. "She is right. enough, Pine"
said he. "What's the matter with herr"
Yes. she's all right, I've no doubt.
She's less likely to take it than any Of
us. You can see her vitality in her face
as many lives as a cat. But she'd
bring infection quicker than anybody"
"I'll-rn 60 at once" cried poor Wick
ers, turning round
Go We continued)