The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-06-08

CHAPTER xII.-(oontinued.)

CHAPTER XII.-(Continued.)
BY and by, having eaten Of this mir
aculous provender, the poor creature be-
gan to understand what had taken place.
The coal workings were Abandoned; the
new commandant had probably other
work for his beasts Of burden to exc
cute, and an absconder would be safe
here for q few hours at least. But he
must not stay. For him there was no
rest. If he thought to escape, 1t be-
hooved him to commence his journey at
once Here was provision for his needs.
The food before him represented the
rations Of six men. Was 1t not possible
to cross the desert that lay between him
and freedom on such fare? The very
supposition made his heart beat faster.
1t surely was possible. Twenty miles
day was very easy walking. Taking
piece Of stick from the ground, he made
the calculation in the sand. Eighteen
days, and twenty miles a day-three
hundred and sixty miles. More than
enough to take him to freedom. 1t could
be donel With prudence, it could be
donel He must be careful and abstem-
ious.
Having come to this resolution, the
next thing was to disencumber himself
of his irons. This was more easily done
than he expected. He found in the shed
an iron CAD, and with that and a stone
he drove out the rivets.
Before dawn the next morning he had
travelled ten miles, and by outstanding
his food he succeeded, by the night Of
the fourth day, in accomplishing forty
more. Foot-sore and weary, he lay in a
thicket, and felt at last that he was be-
yond pursuit. The next day he adj
vanced more slowly. The path termin-
ated in glade, and at the bottom of
this glade was something that futtered.
Rufus Dawes pressed forward, and
stumbled over a corpse!
He recognized the number imprinted
on the coarse cloth at that which had
designated the younger Of the two men
who had escaped with Gabbett. He was
standing on the place where a murder
had been committed A murderl-and
what else? Thank God, the food he
carried was not yet exhausted! He
turned and fed, looking back fearfully
as he went.
Crashing through scrub and brake
torn, bleeding and wild with terror, he
reached a spur of the range, and looked
around him. He raised his eyes, and
right against him, like long dull sword
lay the narrow steel-blue reach of the
harbor from which he had escaped. One
darker speck moved on the dark water
1t was the Osprey making for the
Gates. 1t seemed that he could throw Q
stone upon her deck. A faint cry of rage
. escaped him. During the last three day,
In thu bush he must have retraced his
steps, 9nd returned upon his own track
to the settlement More than half hi
allotted time had passed, and he was no
set thirty miles from his prison.
For four days he wandered aimlessly
through the bush. At last, on the Twelfth
day from his departure from the Goa
Head, he found himself at the foot o
Mount Direction, at the head of tn,
peninsula which makes the western sid
Of the harbor. His terrible wandering
had but led him to make a complet
circuit Of the settlement, and the mex
night brought him round the shores O
Birches Inlet to the landing place oppo
site Sarah Island. His stock of pro
visions had been exhausted for two days
and he was savage with hunger. He n
longer thought Of suicide. His dom
inant idea was now to get food. HI
would do as many others had done be
fore him-give himself up to be fogge
and fed. When he reached the landin
place, however, the guard house wa
empty. He looked across at the islam
prison, and saw no sign of life. TIL
settlement was deserted!
The shock of this discovery almost d,
a~t~ Inn AZ Iux,. L..
had seemed centuries, he had kept III
In his faded and lacerated body solel
by the strength of his fierce determine
ton to reach the settlement; and no,
that he had reached It, after journe
Of unparalleled horror, he found II d,
serted. He struck himself to see II b
was not dreaming. He refused to b,
lieve his sye-sight. He shouted, screame
and waved his tattered garments in til
air.
At last the dreadful truth forced itse
upon him. He retired a few PAGES, an
then, with horrible cry Of furious de-
pair, stumbled forward toward the eds
Of the little reef that fringed the shor
just as he was about to fling himse
for the second time into the dark waite
his eyes, sweeping in a last long loo
around the bay, caught sight of stranl
appearance on the left horn Of the Sc
beach. A thin blue streak, uprisiu
from behind the western arm of the lit
inlet, hung in the still air. 1t was Il
smoke Of FIRE.
The dying wretch felt inspired vii
new hope. God had sent him a dire
sign from heaven. The tiny column
blush vapor seemed to him as glorio,
as the pillar of FIRE that led the Israe
ties. There were yet human beings ne,
himi And turning his face from Il
hungry sea, he tottered, with the la
effort of his failing strength, toward Il
blessed token Of their presence.
CHAPTER XIII.
Frere had gone on a brief fishing e
petition. At last a peremptory sign
warned him. 1t was the sound of a mu
ket fred on board the brig. Mr.. Bat
was getting impatient and with a SEQ,
Frere drew up his lines, and ordered Il