Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-06-30

~fRf ooJa tAIf hloVhAiJs ntR
pose you can't. II they come, l must
for the Cape, with the first breeze, II
they do come; that is all can see for
H." And he turned away 10 watch the
burning vessel.
In the meanwhile the two boats made
straight for the red column that uprose
like a 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 a violet
mist of lower ether The heavens were
emptied OF sound. and each dip Of the
oars was re-echoed In space by a sue
cesslon Of subtle harmonles. As the
blades struck the dark water, II flashed
fire, and the tracks of the boats resem-
bed two sea snakes writing with silent
undulations through n lake Of quicksil-
yer. At last the foremost boat came to
a 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 it2' he cried
But he heard only a smothered growl
from Frere. II was, In fact, nothing Of
consequence-only prisoner giving
In"
whats the matter with your" says
Frere. "Oh. you, is lt7-Dawesl OF
course. Dawes. never expected any
thing better from such a skulking hound.
Come, this sort Of nonsense won't do
with me- II isn't as nice as lolloping
about the hatchways, / dare say, but
you'll have to go on, my fine fellow"
'He seems sick, sir" said a compass
sionate bow.
give way, nowl Put your backs into It'll"
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 hrst to run in under the black
cloud that hung over the crimsoned
water.
keep wide" he said. IF there are
many fellows yet aboard. they'll swamp
US; and | think there must be. rs we
haven't met the boats" and then raising
his voice, as the exhausted crew lay on
their oars, he hailed the burning ship.
She was a huge, clumsily built vessel.
with great breadth Of BEAM and lofty
deck. Strangely enough, though they
had so lately seen the fire, she was al
ready a wreck, and appeared to be com
plctey deserted. The chief hold of the
fire was amldships. and the lower deck
was one mass Of fame. 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 rome
and spar distinct and clear, his strainine
eyes could see no living soul aboard. AS
they came nearer, they could distinguish
the glded letters of her name.
What is 1t, menT' cried Frere, his
voice almost drowned amidst the roar of
the flames. "Can you seei'
Rufus Dawes, impelled. II would seem.
by some strong impulse Of curiosity.
stood erect, and shaded his eyes with
his hand
1.-THE Hydaspes"
Frere gasped. The Hydaspesl The
ship In which his cousin Richard Devine
had sailed The ship for which these
in England might now look In vain! The
liydaspes. which Something he had
heard during the speculations as to this
missing cousin flashed across him
Back water. men. Round with herr
Pull for your lives. The Hydaspesl |
know her. She Is bound for Calcutta.
and she has five tons of powder aboardr'
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 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.
/. had come at last
A dull rumblng sound; the burning
ship parted asunder; pillar of fire.
hecked with black masses that were
beams and planks. rose up out Of the
ocean; there was a terrific crash. as
though sea and sky were coming togeth-
er; and then a mighty mountain Of water
rose, advanced, caught. and passed them.
and they were alone-deafened stun
ned and breathless, in a sudden horror
OF thickest darkness. aud silence like
that Of the tomb. The splashing Of the
falling fragments awoke them from their
stupor, and then the blue light of the
Malabar struck out a bright pathway
across the sea, and they knew that they
were safe.
On board the Malabar two men paced
the deck, waiting for the dawn. 1t came
at last. The sky lightened, the mist
melted away, and then a long. low. far
on 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 mar
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 laborlng oars, crowd OF
ID h.. Il. -. a.