The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-05-18
Tor The Term of His Natural Life
CHAPTER TX.
BY MARCUS CLARKE

CHAPTER TX.
1t was 8 o'clock, and the relief guard
was coming from the after deck. The
crowd Of prisoners round the door held
their breath to listen.
Its all planned" says Gabbett. in
low growl. "W'en the door hopens we
rush, and we're in among the guard
afore they know where they are Drag
'em back into the prison, grab the harm
rack, and it's all over"
Stand from the door, Miles, says
Pines voice outside, in it's usual calm
accents.
The Crow was relieved. The tone was
an ordinary one, and Miles was the SOL
der whom Sarah Purfoy had bribed
not to fire. All had gone well.
The keys clashed and turned, and the
bravest of the prudent party, who had
been turning in his mind the notion of
risking his life for a pardon to be won
by rushing forward at the right moment
and alarming the guard, checked the
cry that was in his throat as he saw the
MEN round the door draw back little
for their rush, and caught a glimpse of
the giants bristling scalp and barred
gums.
ron-plated oak swung back, and, with
the cultural snarl of a charging wild
boar, Gabbett hurled himself out Of the
prison.
The red line of light which glowed for
an instant through the doorway was
blotted cut by a mass of figures. All
the prison surged forward, and before
the eye could wink. five, ten, twenty of
the most desperate were outside. 1t
was as though a sea. breaking against a
stone wall. had found some breach
through through which to pour its
waters. The contagion Of battle spread.
Caution was forgotten, and those at the
back, seeing Jenny Vetch raised up on
the crest of that human billow which
reared its black outline against an in
distinct prospective of struggling figures,
responded to his grin of encouragement
by rushing furiously forward.
Suddenly a horrible roar like that of
q trapped wild beast was heard. The
rushing torrent choked in the doorway.
and from out the lantern glowed into
which the giant had rushed a fash broke.
followed by a groan, as the perfdious
sentry fell back. shot through the breast.
The haas in the doorway hung irreso-
lutte. and then, by sheer weight of pres
sure from behind. burst forward, and
as it SO burst, the heavy door crashed
Into its jambs. and the bolts were shot
into their places.
All this took place by one of those
simultaneous movements which are so
rapid in execution. so tedious to describe
In detail. At one instant the prison door
hn1 a. -
The picture which had presented itself
to the eyes of the convicts was momen:
tarJ. The period Of time that had elaps-
ed between the opening and the shutting
Of the door could have been marked by
the musket shot
The report of another shot, and then
q noise of confused cries. mingled with
the clashing of arms. informed the i'm
prisoned men that the ship had been
alarmed. How would it go with their
friends on deck? Would they succeed
In overcoming the guards. or would ley
be beaten back? They would soon know:
and in the hot dust. straining their eyes
to see each other. they waited for the
Issue. Suddenly the noises ceased. and
z strange rumbling sound fell upon the
ears of the listeners.
What had taken place? This, the men
pouring out of the darkness into the
eudden glare of the lanterns. rushed, be-
wildered, across the deck. Miles, true
to his promise, did not fire. but the next
instant Vickers had snatched the fire.
lock from him, and, leaping into the
stream, turned about and fired down to-
ward the prison. The attack was more
sudden than he had expected. but he
did not lose his presence of mind. The
shot would serve a double purpose. It
would warn the men in the barrack. and
perhaps check the rush by stopping I'D
the doorway with corpse. Beaten back.
struggling and indignant, amidst the
storm Of hideous faces, his humanity
vanished, and he aimed deliberately At
the head of Mr.. James Vetch; the shot.
however. missed its mark. and killed
the unhappy Miles.
Gabbett and his companions had by
this time reached the foot of the COM
panion ladder. there to encounter the
cutlasses OF the doubled guard glea ming
redly IN tho glow Of the lanterns.
glance up tho hatchway showed the
giant that the arms he had planned TO
seize were defended by ten frelocks
and that, behind tho open doors of tho
partition which ran abaft the mizzen.
mast. the remainder of the deta chmant
stood to their arms. Even his duly in.
tellect comprehended that the desperate
project had failed. and that he had
been betrayed. With the roar of de-
spair which had penetrated into the
prison, he turned to fight his way back
just in time to see the crowd in the
gangway recoil from the fash of the
musket fred by Vickers. The next in
slant Pine and two soldiers. taking adj
vantage Of the momentary cessation of
the press, shot the bolts and secured the
prison.
The mutineers were caught in a tran
The narrow space between the barrac ks
and the barricade was choked with
struggling figures. Some twenty con-
victs, and half as many soldiers, struck
and stabbed at each other in the crowd.
There was barely elbow room. and at
tackled and attackers fought almost with
out knowing whom they struck. Cab
bett tore a cutlass from a soldier, shook
his huge head. and calling on the Mooch-
er to follow, bounded up the ladder des-
perately determined to brave the fire of