The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-10
CHAPTER xy.-fContinued.l

Sylvia uttered little cry She had
become fond of her dumb companion.
Kill Nanny. Oh. Mr.. Dawes. What
for?"
Il am going TO make boat for you,"
he said. land I want hides and thread
and ta.low."
A few weeks back Maurice Frere
would have laughed at such a sentence;
but he had begun now to comprehend
that this escaped convict was not a man
to be laughed at, and though he detesred
him for his superiority. he could not but
admit that he was superior.
You can't get more than one hide of
q goat, man." he said. with an inquiring
tone in his voice-as Enough it were
just possible that such a marvellous being
as Dawes could get a second hide by
virtue of some secret process known only
to himself
Il am going to catch other goats at
the pilot station"
But how are you going to get there
Float across. Come, there is no time
for questioning. Go and cut down some
saplings. and let us begin"
The lieutenant master looked at the
convict prisoner with establishment, and
then gave way to the power of knov'l-
edge. and did as he was ordered. Be
fore shutdown that evening, the carcass
of poor Nanny, broken into various most
unbutchery fragments. was hanging on
tbs nearest tree; and Frere, returning
with as many young saplings as he could
drag together, found Rufus Dawes en-
gagged in a curious occupation lie had
killed the goat, and. having cut of its
head close under the jaws, and its legs
at the knee joint. had extracted the
carcass through slit, which slit he had
now sewed together with strings. This
proceeding gave him q rough bag, and
he was busily engaged in filing this bag
with such coarse grass as he could col
lect. Frere observed. also, that the fat
Of the animal was carefully preserved.
and the intestines had been placed in
pool of water to soak
The convict, however, declined to give
information as to what he intended to
do Its my own notion" he said. Let
me alone. l may make failure. Of it.
Frere, on being pressed by Sylvia, at
fected to know all about the scheme. He
was CALLED to think that convict brain
should contain a mystery which he could
not share.
On the next day, by Rufus Dawes
directions, Frere cut down some rushes
that grew about a mile from the camp
ing ground, and brought them in on his
back This took him nearly half day
to accomplish Short rations were be-
ginning to tell upon bis physical pow
ers. The convict, on the other hand,
trained By woful experience in the
boats to endurance of hardship, was
slowly recovering his original strength.
What are they forr asked Frere,
as he flung the bundles down.
ITO make float You are very dull,
Mr.. Frere | am going to swim over to
the pilot station and catch some of those
goats. can get across on the stuffed
skin, but l must float them back on the
reeds"
Frere saw that his companion was
cleaning the intestines of the goat The
outer membrane having been peeled off,
Rufus Dawes was turning them inside
out This he did by turning up short
piece of it, as though it were coat
sleeve, and dipping the turned-up cuff
into pool of water. The weight of the
water, pressing between the cuff and
the rest of it, bore down a further por
ton: and so, by repeated clippings, the
whole length was turned inside out. The
inner membl me having been scraped
away. there Ismained fine transparent
tube, which was tightly twisted and set
TO dry in the sun.
There is the catgut for the moose"
said Dawes. Il learned that trick at
the settlement. Now, come here"
Frere, following, saw that a fire had
been made between two stones, and that
the kettle was partly sunk in the ground
near IT, On approaching the kettle, he
found it full of smooth pebbles.
Take out those stones" said Dawes.
Frere obeyed, and saw at the bottom Of
the kettle a quantity of sparkling white
powder, and the sides of the vessel
crusted with the same material.
What's thatY he asked.
salt"
.How did you get itY'
Il filled the kettle with sea water, and
then heating those pebbles red hot in the
FIRE. dropped them into it. We could
have caught the steam in cloth and
wrung out fresh water, had we wished
to do so"
Frere burst out in sudden, fretful
admiration: What . fellow you are.
Dawes. What are you'll mean, what
have you beenY
"A lkiullYuNut uSuL came INTO the 9TH
er's face. and for the instant he seemed
about to reply by some startling revela-
ton. But the light faded, and he check
ed himself with a gesture Of pain.
81 am a convict Never mind what
have BEEN A sailor. shipbuilder, prod
igaI, vagabond--what does it matter?
1t won't alter my fate, will itY'
IF we get safely back" says Frere.
all ask for free pardon for you. You
deserve it."
81 don't want favor at your hands.
Let Us get to work. Bring up the rushes
here, and tie them with fishing lire"
At this instant Sylvia came up. &c GOD
afternoon. Mr.. Dawes. Hard az wo.ka
Oh, what's this in the kettleY'
The voice of the child acted like a
charm upon Rufus Dawes. He smiled
quite cheerfully.
Salt. miss / am going to catch the
goats with that"
Catch the goats, How? Put il on
.lheir tailsy she cried merrily.
sGoats are fond of salt, and when I
get over TO the pilot station. shall set
traps for them laited with this salt.
When they come to lick Ii. shall have
a moose of catgui ready 20 catch them;
do you understand
But how will you get acrossY ~
You will see Tomorrow
CHAPTER XVI.
Frere. coming to the pier next morn
ing. saw Dawes strip himself. and piling
his clothes upou the stuffed poatSk;r