Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-05-18
for The Term of His Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE
CHAPTER TX.


was coming from the after deck. The
crowd of prisoners round the door held
their breath to listen.
IT'S all planned" says Gabbett, in
a low growl. Gwen the door hopens we
rush. and we're in among the guard
afore they know where they are. Drag
'em back into the prison, grab the harm
rack, and it's all over"
Stand from the door. Miles," says
Pines voice outside, in it's usual calm
accents.
The Grow was relieved. The tone was
an ordinary one. and Miles was the sol
der whom Sarah Purfoy had bribed
not to fire. All had gone well.
The keys FLASHED and turned and the
bravest of the prudent party, who had
been turning in his mind the notion of
risking his life for pardon to be won
by rushing forward at the right moment
and alarming the guard, checked the
cry that was in his throat as he saw the
men round the door draw back little
for their rush, and caught a glimpse of
the giants bristling scalp and barred
gums.
"NowW cries Jenny Vetch. as the
iron-plated oak swung back. and. with
|
Roar, Gabbett hurled himself out of the
prison.
The red line of light which glowed for
an instant through the doorway was
blotted out by n mass of figures. All
the prison surged forward, and before
the eye could wink. five, ten, twenty of
the most desperate were outside. 1t
was as though sea. break king against
| ,.I,
through through which II pour its
waters. The contagion of bAttlC Ipread
Caution was forgotten. and those at the
back, seeing Jenny Vetch raised up on
the crest of that human bilow which
reared its black outline against an in
distinct prospective of struggling figures.
responded to his grin of encouragement
by rushing furiously forward
Suddenly horrible roar like that of
n trapped wild beast was heard. The
rushing torrent choked in the doorway
and from out the lantern glowed into
which the giant had rushed a fash broke,
followed by a groan, as the perfdious
sentry fell back. shot through the breast
The mass in the doorway hung irreso-
lutte, and then, by sheer weight of pres
sure from behind burst forward. and
into its jambs. and the bolts were shot
into their places.
All this took place by one of those
simultaneous movements which are so
rapid in execution. so tedious to describe
in detail At one instant the prison door
had opened, at the next it had closed.
The picture which had presented itself
to the eyes of the convicts was momen-
tary. The period of time that had elaps-
ed between the opening and the shutting
of the door could have been marked by
the musket shot.
The report of another shot. and then
noise of confused cries, mingled with
the clashing of arms. informed the i'm
prisoned men that the ship had been
alarmed. How would it go with their
friends on deck? Would they succeed
In overcoming the guards. or would they
be beaten back? They would soon know;
and in the hot dust, stralning their ewes
to see each other. they waited for the
issue. Suddenly the noises ceased. and
a strange rumbling sound fell upon the
ears of the listeners.
What had taken place? This. the men
pouring out of the darkness into the
sudden glare of the lanterns. rushed. be-
wildered, across the deck Miles. true
to his promise, did not fire, but the next
instant Nickers had snatched the fire.
lock from him, and. leaping into the
stream, turned about and fred down to-
ward the prison. The attack was more
sudden than he had expected. but he
did not lose his presence of mind. The
shot would serve a double purpose 1t
would warn the men in the barrack. and
perhaps check the rush by stopping I'D
the doorway with corpse. Beaten back.
struggling and indignant. amidst the
storm of hideous faces. his humanity
vanished, and he aimed deliberately at
the head of Mr.. James Netch: the shot.
however, missed its mark, and killed
the unhappy Miles.
Gabbett and his companions had nv
this time reached the foot of the com
panion ladder. there to encounter the
cutlasses of the doubled guard cleaning
redly in the glow of the lanterns. A
glance up the hatchway showed the
giant that the arms he had planned to
seize were defended by ten firelocks.
and that, behind the open doors of the
partition which ran abaft the mizzen-
mast. the remainder of the detachment
stood to their arms Even his duT i'm
tellect comprehended that the desperate
project had failed, and that he had
been betrayed. With the roar of de-
spair which had penetrated into the
prison, he turned to fight his way back.
just in time to see the crowd in the
gangway recoil from the flash of the
musket fired by Vickers. The next in
slant Pine and two soldiers, taking ad-
vantage of the momentary cessation of
the press, shot the bolts and secured the
prison.
The mutineers were caught in a tran.
The narrow space between the barracks
and the barricade was chnl.ad iii