Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-06-30
For The Term of Ills Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE


seemed the most ordinary occurrence in
the world. Suddenly, however, they no.
ticed change of expression in the sulen
| lace of their commander Frere. sitting
f, in the stern-sheets, with his face to the
Osprey, had observed peculiar appear
ance on her decks. The bulwarks were
every now and then topped by strange
figures, who disappeared as suddenly as
they came, and faint murmur of voices
noated across the intervening sea. Pres
entity the report of another musket-shot
echoed among the hills, and something
dark fell from the side of the vessel
INTO the water. Frere, with mingled
alarm and Indignation, sprung to his
ieet, and, shading his eyes with his hand,
looked toward the brig The soldiers.
resting on their oars, initiated his ges-
ture, and the whale-boat, thus thrown
OUT OF trim, rocked from side to side
dangerously. A moments anxious pause,
ana then another musket-shot. followed
by a woman's shril scream, explained
all. The prisoners had seized the brigl
Give way.' cried Frere, pale with rage
and apprehension. and the soldiers, real
lied at once the full terror of their DO
sotlon, forced the heavy whale-boat
through the water as fast as the one
miserable pair of oars could take her.
Mr.. Bates, affected by the insidious
influence of the hour, and lulled into n
sense OF false security, had gone below
to-teil ms little playmate that she would
soon De on her way to the Hobart Town
OF which she had heard so much, and,
taking advantage of his absence, the SOL
dier not ON guard went to the forecastle
TO hear the prisoners singing. He found
the ten together, in high good humor
Whlle he listened James Lesly, William
Cheshlre William Russen, John Fair
ana James Barker slipped to the hatch
way and got upon deck. Barker reached
the aft-hatchway as the soldier who was
on guard turned to complete his walk.
and passing his arm round his neck
pulled him down before he could inter
a cry In the confusion of the moment
the man loosed his grasp of the musket
TO grapple with his unseen antagonist.
and Fair, snatching up the weapon.
swore to blow out his brains if he raised
niger. Seeing the sentry thus Sc
cured, Cheshire leaped down the after
natcnway and passed up the muskets
from the arm-racks to Lesly and Russen.
inere were three muskets in addition
70 the one taken from the sentry. and
Barker, leaving his prisoner In charge
OIL FAR, seized one of them and ran TO
the companion-ladder Russen. left nm
armed by this maneuver, appeared to
know his own duty He came back IN
the forecastle, and passing behind the
listening soldier, touched the singer on
the shoulder. This was the Amounted
signal, and John Rex, suddenly term;n-
a.ihg MS song with laugh, presented
ms ms nst IN the face of the gaping Grimes.
no noise! he cried; "the briggs ours"
ana ere Grimes could reply he was seized
by Lyon and Riley and bound securely.
Come on, lads" says Rex, "and pass
the prisoner down here. We've got her
time time, I'll go BALL" In obedience TO
THIS order, the now gagged sentry was
hung down the fore-hatchway, and the
match secured. Stand on the hatch
way, Porter" cries Rex again; "and if
tnose fellows come up knock 'em down
with a handspike. Lesly and Russen.
forward to the companion-ladder! LYON
keep a lookout for the boat, and If she
comes too near, firev'
AS he spoke the report of the first
musket rang out Barker had apparent
~ hred up. the ompanion-hatchway.
When Mr. Bates had gone below he
found Sylvia curled up on the cushions
OF the stateroom, reading. "Well.
missy?" he said, 'we'n soon be on orr
way to papa"
sylvia answered by asking a question
altogether foreign to the subject. "Mr.
Bates said she, pushing the hair out
OF her blue eyes, whats coracle?"
"A which p asked Mr.. Baaes.
"A coracle. C-o-r-a-c-l-e." said .ba
spelling it slowly. II want to know"
The. bewildered Bates shook his head
Never heard of one, missy" said bs
bending over the book. what does r. |
sayr
The Ancient Britons,'" said Sylvia
reading gravely, were little better than
parbarians. They painted their bodies
with woad'-that's blue stuff, you know.
Mr.. Bates-'and seated in their light cor
acies OF skin stretched upon slender
wooden frames, must have presented
wild and savage appearance"
We'll" said Bates, II think it's a car
rage, missy. A sort of pheayton. as |
they call it."
Sylvia, hardly satisfied, returned TO
the book. 1t was little, mean-looking
volume-a "Child's History of England,
and after perusing it a while with |
knitted brows, she burst into a childish
laugh.
why, my dear Mr.. Batesi" she cried.
waving the history above her head In
triumph, what pair of geese we areI
A carriage! Oh you silly man! It's a
boatv'
is itT' said Mr.. Bates, in admiral ton
OF the intelligence of his companion.
Who'd ha' thought that now?" and he |
was about to laugh also, when, raising
his eyes, he saw in the open doorway |
the fQura of IL mas u arLo- xx-i4L