The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-06-08
Tor The Term of His Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE
CHAPTER XII.-(Continued.o

oAu ny, having eaten OF this mir
aculous provender, the poor creature be-
gan to understand what had taken place.
Inc coal workings were Abandoned; the
new commandant had probably other
WORK Tor his beasts of burden to exc
cute, and an absconder would be safe
mere for few hours at least. But he
must not stay. For him there was no
rest. II he thought to escape, it be-
hooVed him to commence his Journey at
once. Here was provision for his needs.
Inc food before him represented the
ratlons OF six men. Was it 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 a
DAY was very easy walking. Taking a
piece OF stick from the ground, he made
the calculation in the sand. Eighteen
Gays, and twenty miles a day-three
hundred and sixty miles. More than
enough to take him to freedom. 1t could
be done! With prudence, it could be
done! 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
th1cket, and felt at last that he was be-
yond pursuit. The next day he adj
vanced more slowly. The path termin-
ated in a glade, and at the bottom of
this glade was something that fluttered.
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 murder!-and
what else? Thank God, the food he
carried was not yet exhausted! He
turned and fled, 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. It seemed that he could throw
stone upon her deck. A faint cry of rage
escaped him. During the last three days
In thu bush he must have retraced his
steps, end returned upon his own track
to the settlement! More than half his
allotted time had passed, and he was not
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 Coal
Head, he found himself at the foot Of
Mount Direction, at the head of the
peninsula which makes the western side
of the harbor. His terrible wandering
had but led him to make a complete
circuit of the settlement, and the next
night brought him round the shores of
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 no
longer thought Of suicide. His DOM
inant Idea was now to get food. He
would do as many others had done be-
fore him-give himself up to be logged
and fed. When he reached the landing
place, however, the guard house was
empty. He looked across at the island
prison, and saw no sign of life. The
settlement was deserted!
The shock of this discovery almost de-
prived him of reason. For days. that
had seemed centuries, he had kept life
IN his jaded and lacerated body solely
by the strength Of his fierce determine
ton to reach the settlement; and now
that he had reached it, after a journey
Of unparalleled horror, he found It de-
serted. He struck himself to see If he
was not dreaming. He refused to be-
lieve his eye-sight. He shouted, screamed
and waved his tattered garments in the
air.
At last the dreadful truth forced itself
upon him. He retired a few PAGES, and
then, with a horrible cry of furious des-
pair, stumbled forward toward the edge
Of the little reef that fringed the shore.
Just as he was about to fling himself
for the second time into the dark water.
his eyes, sweeping in a last long look
around the bay, caught sight Of a strange
appearance on the left horn of the sen
beach. A thin blue streak, uprising
from behind the western arm of the little
inlet, hung in the still air. It was the
smoke of fire.
The dying wretch felt inspired with
new hope. God had sent him direct
sign from heaven. The tiny column of
blush vapor seemed to him as glorious
as the pillar of fire that led the Israel
ties. There were yet human beings near
himi And turning his face from the
hungry sea, he tottered, with the last
effort of his failing strength, toward the
blessed token Of their presence.
CHAPTER XIII.
Frere had Como on 4 brief fishing ex-
petition. At last q peremptory signal
warned him. 1t was the sound of mus
ket fred ON board the brig. Mr.. Bates
was getting impatient, and with a scowl
Frere drew up his lines, and ordered the
two soldiers to pull for the vessel.
The Osprey yet sat motionless On the
water, and her bare masts gave no sign