Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-04-27

hhotheF prisoner SICK he nad the door
unlocked and the man outside in an in
slant. One look at the flushed, anx-
ious face was enough
Who's that moaning in there?" he
asked.
1t was the man who had tried to call
for the sentry an hour back, and Pine
had him out also, cOnvictism beginning
to wonder a little.
Take 'em both aft to the hospital"
he said and Jenkins, if there are any
more men taken sick, let them pass the
word for me at once. l shall be on
deck"
The guards stared in each others
faces with some alarm, but said moth
ing, thinking more of the burning ship,
which now famed furiously across the
placid water, than of peril nearer home;
but as Pine went up the hatchway he
met Blunt
We've got the fever aboard! Head
like fre-ball, and tongue like a strip
OF leather. Don't l know it?" and Pine
grinned. mournfully. "I've got him
moved into the hospital. Hospital! As
dark as a VOLTS mouth I've seen dog
kennels liked better"
Blunt nodded toward the volume of
lurid smoke that rolled up out of the
glow. Suppose there ls a shipload
there? l can't refuse to take 'em in"
No" says Pine gloomily. 81 sup
pose you can't. If they come, l must
stow 'em somewhere. Wen have to run
for the Cape with the first breeze, If
they do come; that is all 1 can see for
it." And he turned away to 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
adventurers seemed to have come into
a 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
cession of subtle harmonies. AS the
blades struck the dark water, 1t flashed
fire, and the tracks of the boats resem-
bled two sea snakes writhing with silent
undulations through a lake of uuicksil-
yer. At last the foremost boat came to
a sudden pause. Best gave a CHEEKY
shout and passed her, steering straight
into the broad track of crimson that al
ready reeked on the sea ahead.
what is it?" he cried.
But he heard only a smothered grOwl
from Frere. 1t was, in fact, nothing of
consequence-Only a prisoner "giving
in"
whats the matter with your" says
Frere. "Oh, you. is it?-Dawes! Of |
course, Dawes. l never expected any
thing better from such a skulking hound. |
Come, this sort of nonsense won't do |
with me. 1t isn't as nice as lolloplng |
about the hatchways, 1 dare say, but |
you'll have to go on, my fine fellow"
He seems sick, SIR" said a compass
sionate bow.
Sick! Not he. Shamming. Come.
give way, now! Put your backs into it!' |
And the convict having picked up his |
oar, the boat shot forward again. But,
for all Mr.. Freres urging, he could not
recover the way he had lost, and Best |
was the first 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. as 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 a lofty /
deck. Strangely enough, though they |
had so lately seen the fire, she was al |
ready a wreck, and appeared to be COM
pletely deserted. The chief hold Of the |
fire was amidships, and the lower deck |
was one mass of fame. The fire roared |
like a cataract, and huge volumes Of |
fiame-hecked 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 flood of light that dyed the |
water blood-red struck out every rope |
and spar distinct and clear, his straininR |
eyes could see no living soul aboard. AS |
they came nearer, they could distinguish |
the gilded letters of her name
what is it, men?u cried Frere, his |
voice almost drowned amidst the roar of |
the flames. "Can you seeT'
Rufus Dawes, impelled. it would seem,
by some strong impulse of curiosity, |
stood erect, and shaded his eyes with |
his hand.
''The Hydaspes!"
Frere gasped. The Hydaspesl The |
ship in which his cousin Richard Devine |
had sailed The ship for which those |
in England might now look in vain! The |
Hydaspes, which Something he had |
heard during the speculations as to this /
missing cousin flashed across him.
Back water, menI Round with herl |
Phil for vnnr lives The Hrdnsnnai L |