Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-07-06
CHAPTER xvI,-lContinued.l

udu COME nlBh sWamplng, Delng over
loaded, and it was found necessary to
leave behind a great portion of the dried
meat. They made tedious way with
their rude oars; light breeze from the
northwest sprung up with the dawn, and,
hoisting the goat-shin sail. they crept
along the coast 1t was resolved that
the two men should keep watch and
watch; and Frere, for the second time,
enforced his authority by giving the first
watch to Rufus Dawes. az am tired"
he said, land shall sleep for a little
while"
That night the wind fell, and they
mad to take their oars. Rowing all night,
they made but little progress, and Rufus
Dawes suggested that they should put
In to the shore, and wait until the breeze
sprung up. But, upon getting under the
leo Of a long line of basaltic rocks
which rose abruptly out of the sea. they
found the waves breaking furiously upon
a horseshoe reef, six or seven miles in
length. There was nothing for 1t but to
coast again.
They coasted for two days, without a
sign Of a sail, and on the third day a
great wind broke upon them from the
southeast and drove them back thirty
miles. The coracle began to leak, and
required constant bailing. What was
almost as bad, the best part Of their
water had leaked away also.
The position Of the four poor creatures
was now almost desperate. Mrs. Wick
era, indeed, seemed completely prostrat-
ed, and 1t was evident that, unless some
help came, she could not long survive
the continued exposure to the weather.
The child was in somewhat better case
Rufus Dawes had wrapped her in his
wooden shirt, and, unknown to Frere,
had divided with her daily his allowance
of meat. She lay in his arms at night,
and In the day crept by his side for shell
ter and protection. As long as she was
near him she felt safe. They spoke lit
tie to each other, but when Rufus Dawes
felt the pressure Of her tiny hand in
his, or sustained the weight Of her head
upon his shoulder, he almost forgot the
cold that froze him and the hunger that
gnawed him.
80 two more days passed. and yet no
sail! On the tenth day after their de-
parture from Macquarie Harbor they
came to the end Of their provisions. To
add to their distress, the child was seiz-
ed with fever She was hot and cold by
turns, and In the intervals Of moaning
talked deliriously. Rufus Dawes, hold
ing her In his arms, watched the suffer
ing he was unable to alleviate, with
a savage despair at his heart. Was she
to die, after all?
So another day and night passed, and
the eleventh morning saw the boat yet
alive, rolling in the trough of the same
deserted sea. The four exiles lay in
her almost without breath. All at once
Dawes uttered a cry, and selzing the
sheet, put the clumsy craft about "A
sail! a salt" he cried. do you not
see herp
'Srhere is no SAIL" said Frere. "Yuu
mock usr'
The boat, no longer following the linz
OF the coast was running nearly due
south, straight into the great southern
ocean, Frere tried to wrest the thong
from the hand Of the convict, and bring
the boat back to her course "Are you
mad" he asked, in fretful terror, ''to
run us out to sea p
'Sit down." returned the other, with
a menacing gesture, and staring across
the gray water. IT tell you l see a
saill'
The day had broken, and the dawn,
in one long pale streak Of sickly saffron,
lay low on the left hand. Between this
streak of saffron-colored light and the
bows Of the boat glsA' for an instant
q white speck.
Frere, utterly CO.. sSlded. looked
With his heart In his -, 9Th, and again
did the white speck &c, fner.
aAk1vfEio ~ rrfad Rue
vial My darling! You re savedr'
She opened her blue eyes and looked
at him, but gave no sign Of recognition
Delirium had hold Of her, and In the
hour of safety the child had forgotten
her preserver. Rufus Dawes, overcome
by this last cruel stroke Of fortune. sat
down In the stern of the boat, with the
child in his arms speechless, Frere
thought that the chance he had 40 long
ed for had come. With the mother at
the point Of death, and the child deliri-
Gus, who could testify to this hated
convict's skillfulness? No one but Mr..
Maurice Frere, and Mr.. Maurice Frere
as eommandant OF convicts, could not but
give up an "absconder" to Justice.
The ship-a brig, with American col
ors hying-came within hail of them.
Frere could almost distinguish figures
on her deck. He made his way aft to
where Dawes was sitting, unconscious,
with the child in his arms, and stirred
him roughly with his foot.
eco forward" he said, In tones Of
command, "and give the child to me-"
Rufus Dawes raised his head, and.
seeing the approaching vessel, awoke to
the consciousness of his duty. With a
low laugh, full of unutterable bitterness.
he placed the burden he had borne so
tenderly in the arms Of the lieutenant.
The brig was close upon them. Her
canvas doomed large and dusky, shadow
n,