Lincoln County leader., April 13, 1906, Image 3

for The Term ofjjis Natural Life
x By MARCUS CLARKE
CHAPTER V.
In the prison of the 'tween-decks
reigned a darkness pregnant with mur
murs. The sentry at the entrance to
the hatchway was supposed to "prevent
the prisoners from making a noise," but
he put a very liberal Interpretation upon
the clause, and so long the the prison
ers refrained from shouting, yelling and
fighting he did not disturb them.
To one coming in from the upper air,
the place would have seemed In pitchy
darkness; but the convict eye,, accus
tomed to the sinister twilight, was en
abled to discern surrounding objects
with tolerable distinctness. The prison
was about fifty feet long and fifty1 fe'et
wide, and ran the full height of the
'tween-decks. The barricade was loop
holed here and there, and the planks
were in some places wide enough to ad
mit a musket barrel. On the aft side,
next the soldiers' berths, wag a trap
door, like the stoke-hole of a furnace.
At first sight this appeared to be con
trived for the humane purpose of ven
tilation, but a second glance dispelled
this weak conclusion. The opening was
just large enough to admit the muzzle
of a small howitzer, secured on the deck
below. In case of a mutiny, the sol
diers could sweep the prison from end
to end with grapeshot. Such fresh air
as there wi, filtered throneh the loop
holes, and came, in somewhat larger
quantity, through a wind-sail passed in
to the prison from the hatchway. But
s the wind-sail being necessarily at one
end only of the place, the air It brought
was pretty well absorbed by the twenty
or thirty lucky fellows near It, and the
other hundred and fifty did not come so
well off .The scuttles were open, but
as the row of bunks had been built
against them, the air they brought was
the peculiar property of such men as
occupied the berths into which they pen
etrated. These berths were twenty
eight in number, each containing six
men. They ran In a double tier round
three sides of the prison, twenty at each
side, and eight affixed to that portion
of the forward barricade opposite the
door. Each berth was presumed to be
five feet six inches square, but the ne
cessities of stowage had deprived them
of six Inches, and even under that pros
sure twelve men were compelled to sleep
on deck.
When Frere had come down, an hour
before, the prisoners were all snugly
between' their blankets. They were not
so now; though, at the first clink of the
- bolts, they would be back again in their
old positions, to all appearances 'sound
asleep. Groups of men. In all Imagin
able attitudes, were lying, standing, sit
ting or pacing up and down.
Old men, young men and boys, stal
wart burglars and highway robbers, slept
side by side with wizened pickpockets
or tcunning-featured area sneaks. The
forger occupied the same berth with the
body snatcher. The man of education
learned strange secrets of house break
ers' craft, and the vulgar ruffian took
lessons of self-control from the keener
Intellect of the professional swindler.
The fraudulent clerk and the flash
"cracksman" Interchanged experiences.
The smuggler's stories of lucky adven
tures and successful runs were capped
by the footpad's reminiscences of foggy
nights and stolen watches. Tbo poacher,
grimly thinking of his sick wife and or
phaned children, would start as the
night-house ruffian clapped him on the
shoulder and bid him to take good heart
and "be a man." The shop boy, whose
love of fine company aud high living
had brought him to this pass, had shak
en off the first shame that was on him,
and listened eagerly to the narratives
of successful vice that fell so glibly from
the lips of his older companions. To
be transported seemed no such uncom
mon fate. The old fellows laughed, and
wagged their gray heads with all the
glee of past experience, and listening
youth longed for the time when It might
do likewise. Society was the common
foe, and magistrates, jailers and parsons
were the natural prey of ail noteworthy
mankind. Only fools were 'honest, only
cowards kissed the rod, and failed to
meditate revenge on that world of re
spectability which had wronged them.
Each newcomer was one more recruit
to the ranks of ruffianism, and not a
man penned In that reeking den of In
famy but became a sworn hater of law,
order and "freemen." What he might
have been before mattered not. He was
now a prisoner, and he lost his 'self-respect,
and became what his jailers took
him to be a wild beast to be locked
under bolts and bars, lest he should
break out and tear them. The conversa
tion ran upon the sudden departure of
the four. What could they want with
them at that hour?
"I tell you there's something up on
deck," says one -to the grou pnearest
him. "Don't you hear all that rumbling
and rolling?"
"What did they lower boats for? I
heard the dip o' the oars."
"Ain't a cove to get no sleep?" cried
a gruff voice. "My blood, If I have to
turn out, I'll knock some of your empty
heads together."
It seemed that the speaker was a man
of mark, for the noise ceased Instantly.
"Wot's the matter?" roared the si
lencer of the riot, jumping rom his
berth aud scattering the Crow and his
companions right and, left.
Just then there came a groan from
the man in the opposite bunk.
"Well, I'm blessed!" said the giant.
"Here's a pretty gol All the blessed
chickens ha got the croup! Sentry,
here's a man sK'k."
But tb prudent sentry answered; nev
er a word, until the ship's toll warned
him of the approach of the relief guard;
and then honest old Pine, coming with
anxious face to Inquire after his charge,
received the Intelligence that there was
another prisoner sick. He had the door
unlocked and the man outside In an in
stant. One look at the flushed, anx
ious face was enough.
"Who's that moaning in there?" he
asked.
It was the man who had trid 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. I shall be on
deck."
The guards stared In each other's
faces with someNalarm, but said noth
ing, thinking more of the burning ship,
which now flamed 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 a fire-ball, and tongue like a strip
of leather. Don't I know It?" and Pine
grinned, mournfully. "I've got '. him
moved Into the hospital. Hospital! As
dark as a wolf's mouth. I've seen dog
kennels I liked better."
Blunt nodded toward the volume of
lurid smoke that rolled up out of the
glow. "Suppose there Is a shipload
there? I can't refuse to take 'em in."
"No," says Pine, gloomily. "I sup
pose you can't. If they come, I must
stow 'em somewhere. We'll have to run
for the Cape, with the first breeze, If
they do come; that Is all I 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 immensity 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 suc
cession of subtle harmonies. As the
blades struck the dark wnter, It flashed
fire, and the tracks of the boats resem
bled two sea snakes writhing with silent
undulations through a lake of quicksil
ver. At last the foremost boat came to
a sudden pause. Best gave a cheery
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 irowl
from Frere. It was. In fact, nothing of
consequence only a prisoner ''giving
in."
"What's the matter with you?" says
Frere., "Oh, you, is It? Dawes! Of
course, Dawes. I never expected any
thing better from such a skulking hound.
Come, this sort of nonsense won't do
with me. It isn't as nice as lolloping
about the hatchways, I dare say, but
you'll have to go on, my fine fellow."
"He seems sick, sir," said a compas
sionate bow.
"Sick! Not he. Shamming. Come,
give way, now! Put your backs into it!"
And the convict having picked up his
oar, tne noat snot torward again. But,
for all Mr. Frere's urging, be could not
recover the way he had lost, and Best
wns 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 I 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 flame. The fire roared
like a cataract, and huge volumes of
flame-flecked 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 straining
eyes could see no living soul aboard. As
they came nearer, they could distinguish
the gilded letters oi her name.
"What Is it, men?" cried Frere, his
voice almost drowned amidst the roar of
the flames. "Can you see?"
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 Hydnspes! The
ship In which his cousin Rlchnrl Devlne
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, men! Round with her!
Pull for your lives.- The Hydaspes! I
know her. She Is bound for Calcutta,
and she has five tons of powder aboard!"
There was no need for more vnnfr
The single sentence explained the whole
mystery of her desertion. The crew had
taken to the boau on the Bret alarm.
and had left their death-fraught vessel
to her fate. They were miles off by
this time.
The boats tore through the water.
Eager as the men had been to come,
they were more eager to depart- For ten
minutes or more not a word was spoken.
With straining .arms and laboring chests,
the rowkes tugged at the oars, their
eyes fixed on the lurid mass they were
leaving. Frere and Best, with their
faces turned back to the terror they fled
from, urged the men to greater efforts.
Already the flames had lapped the flag;
already the outlines of the stern-carvings
were blurred by the fire. Another
moment ami all would be over. Ah!
It had come at last!
A dull rumbling sound; the burning
ship parted asunder; a pillar of fire,
flecked with black masses that were
beams and planks, rose up out of the
ocean; there was a terrific crash, as
though sea and sky were coming togeth
er; and then a mighty mountain of water
rose, advanced, caught, and passed them,
and they were alone deafened, stun
ned and breathless, in a sudden horror
of thickest darkness, and a silence like
that of the tomb. The splashing of the
falling fragments awoke them from their
stupor, and then the blue light of the
Malabar struck out a bright pathway
across the sea, and they knew that they
were safe.
On board the Malabar two men paced
the deck, waiting for the dawn. It enme
at last. The sky lightened, the mist
melted away, and then a long, low, far
off streak of pale yellow light floated
on. the eastern horizon. By and by the
water sparkled, and the sen changed
color, turning from black to yellow, and
from yellow to lucid green. The man
at the mainmast hailed the deck. The
boats were in sight, and as they came
toward the shin, the hriirht wnter flush
ing from the lnhnrl
spectators hanging over the bulwarks
cueerea ana waved their hats.
"Xot a SOlll!" fried Ttlnnt "Yn na
but themselves. Well, I'm glad they're
sare anyway.
The boats drew alongside, and In a
few seconds Frere Vfla nnnn Henlr
"No use," cried Frere, shivering. "We
only just had time to get away. The
nearest thing in the world, bir. They
must, nave taken to the boats."
"Then thev can't he fur nff " r;A
Blunt, sweeping the horizon with bis
giass. iney must have pulled all the
way, tor tnere hasn't been enough wind
to nn a nollow tooth with."
"Perhans thev nulled In thn n-mnr. At
rection," said Frere. "They had a good
four hours' start of us, you know."
. Then Best came up and told the story
to a crowd of empr listeners Tha noil.
ors having hoisted and secured the boats
were nurried off to the forecastle, and
the four convicts were taken in charge
and locked below .again.
"You had better iro a ml t n m In
Frere," said Pine, gruffly. "It's no use
wnistnng lor a wind here all day."
Pine took a couple of turns up and
down the deck, and then tni,inn
Blunt's eye, Btopped in front of Vickers.
"You may think It a hard thing to
say, Captain Vickers, but it's just as
well if we don't find these poor fellows.
We have quite enough on our hands as
it Is. The fever has broken nut "
Vickers raised his brows. He had no
experience of such things; and though
the Intelligence was Ktartlinir tha rr.A-
ed condition of the prison rendered It
easy to be understood, and be appre
hended no danger to' himself.
"It is only In the prison, as yet," says'
t ine, witn a grim emphasis on the word;
"but there is no saying how long It
may stop there. I have got three men
down as it is."
"Well. sir. all authority in tho mntto.
is in your hands. Any suggestions you
mane i win, or course, do my best to
carry out."
"Thank ye. I must have more room
in the hospital, to begin with. The sol
diery must lie a little closer. And you
had better keep your wife and the little
girl as much on deck as possible."
Vickers turned pale at the mention
of his child. "Do you think there is
any danger?"
"There is, of course, danger to all of
us; but with care we may escape it.
There's that maid, too. Tell her to keep
to herself a little more. She has a trick
of roaming about the ship I don't like.
Infection is easily spread, and children
always sicken sooner than growu-up
people."
Blunt, hitherto silently listening, put
in a word for the defense of the absent
woninn. "She is right enough. Pine,"
said he. "What's the matter with her?"
"Yes, she's all right, I've no doubt.
She's less likely to take it than any of
us. You can see her vitality in her face
as many lives as a cat.' But she'd
bring Infection quicker than anybody."
"I'll I'll go at once," cried poor Vicr
ers, turning round.
(To bd continued.)
Profit and Losrf.
"I'm afraid," said the doctor, "you
did not profit by my advice."
"Of course I didn't," growled the
sick man. "That's where you come In,
with your charge of $2 for giving it"
His Proposition.
She I will become engaged to you
for two weeks.
He Make it a week. I don't think
my money will last longer than that.
Judge.
Curdling Affulre.
Mandy Yeou don't use those color
ed supplements around your milk bot
tles any more, do you, Cynthia?
Cynthia Goodness, no! The newi
was so sensational it curdled the milk.
Startling Rumor,
"I hear," said the sarcastic friend,
"that you are engaged."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Miss Elder
Ielgh, excitedly. "Is It to any one I
know'r
17?-
A I'rarilcnl li'i-honne.
The plan here suggested for a small
but complete icehouse will be found
not only useful but decidedly a reliable
guide to builders. The nmnner of con
struction is as follow: Figure 4 in
the illustration shows that .part of the
wall extending two feet under the
ground and Is composed of loose stones
PLAN FOR SMALL ICEHOUSE.
rammed Into a trench. The top of the
wall, figure 3, Is built one foot high
with stone and cement in the usual
way. Stones are filled in to the depth
of u foot to form the floor of the house,
figure 2, and above these Is a 12-Inch
layer of sawdust, tramped down to
give a level surface. Figure 5 shows
the drain pipe. The smaller diagram
shows how the lumber Is put together.
The boards of common lumber both in
side and outside are indicated by A,
while X allows the air chamber be
tween. P indicates a layer of paper,
and lastly, on the outside, the clap'
boards are shown at C. The lllustra
tlon Is plain, and will serve as a guide
for building in any dimensions desired.
On the farm where poultry, milk and
fruit is raised an Icehouse is a neces
sity, and If one is near a body of wa
ter that freezes, the lee obtained is
worth all it costs to haul it and to
build a house for it.
Sheep liar Rack Feeder.
This Bheep hay rack and grain feed
er can be made any size ; four pieces
of scantling, FA, MB, DC, EX. Join by
four pieces more, AB, BC, etc., and
there Is the frnme. Build floor of com
mon, strong boards. Along center of
floor run a piece, BO. From FM and
DE rim slats a, h, etc., two Inches
npart ; there Is hay rack. Get two
hoards, AS, B, for bottom, nine Inches,
and one for top, I'M, and run pieces
six Inches apart, Gil, IJ. Attach with
hinges to AB. Do same at other side
and board up ends. The sheep put in
their heads through spaces and pick
hay out of rack, floor holding waste.
For grain open FB and clean out the
trough, put In grain and close up. The
advantages are no crowding and no
waste. Sheep waste at every other
rack. Exchange.
Root Cotter.
A convenient Implement for cutting
roots for cattle Is made by riveting a
piece of an old hand saw or cross saw
to a fork shaped piece of steel and
fitted with an old shovel handle. The
cost Is only a few cents and the de
vice Is of considerable) service In work
ing up small quantities of cabbages,
beets and turnips where there is no
regular root cutter.
The lliicun lloff
It Is predicted that the agitation for
the bacon hog will ultimately change
the character of the United States hog.
The all fat hog of the past will In the
future be partly replaced by the bacon
hog, and the fat or lard hog as a whole
will In the future more nearly ap
proach the bacon hog In form. Of
course there will always be a demand
for land; consequently there will al
ways be a place for the fat or lard
bog, but the bacon hog will occupy a
more prominent position la the future
than In the past.
eTS
v tat
BACK AND FEEDER.
O'rrateti Fonla Not Popular.
, The crested breeds of fowls, such as
l'olish and the French varieties, are
excellent layers, but during the winter
I season, or "during damp weather, the
1 wests become wet, which is u draw
back. Sometimes one or two Polish,
i 'hen closely confined, will easily be In
duced to pick the feathers from the
crests of the others, which vice soon
becomes general In the flock. The crests
of the males Buffer more particularly,
on account of their topknots being mora
oh-h. One should separate them until
the feathers are sufficiently grown to
hide the skin. When the topknots aro
very large, and in wet weather It Is a
good plan to confine the feathers with
an elastic band, but the surer method
is to keep the birds under shelter dur
ing such periods.
Polnta on Muklnw liny.
This is what a Canada farmer says :
If a first-class article Is wanted do
not leave it exposed to sun and air too
long. Wild hay should be raked at
once after cutting and put Into cocks.
Being green and heavy It will settle
quickly and will not bo blown around
by the wind. Do not be nfrald that
it will spoil. I have raked it right up
after the mower In the rain, nnd It
made bright, sweet hay. I believe that
fanners generally let their hay cure
too much nnd thus lose a large amount
of the substance. This plan may inenn
a little extra work, but I believe It
pays. Try It and see.
Don't Sell Inferior lloga.
Cull and cull closely. If there is any
doubt remember that if sold for pork
the hog Is worth In most cases what
it cost to raise it. If you have pigs
to sell for breeders keep In mind that
a worthy specimen, a better hog than
was described to the buyer, will become
n walking advertisement for your herd
and you as a breeder. Hut much as
such a pig and such a policy can do
for you is little compared to what a
poor pig cannot do ror you and your
business. To ship an unworthy speci
men under false representations Is to
buy trouble In abundance for the
future.
To Handle a Dl Hob.
An easy way for one man to handle
a lnrge, vicious hog is by means of a
9d-lnch rope 10 feet long. Cut off three
feet and tie a loop In each end, as
NOOSE FOR IIOOS.
shown In cut. Now tie the remaining
seven feet to the center of 'the short
rope midway between the loops. Pass)
the loops over hind feet of hog, then
draw long rope between front feet and
over nose, then back again over short
rope, pull forward over nose and back
again as before and tie. With this ar
rangement the hog Is In complete con
trol. Charles C. Bower, In Practical
Fanner.
Pouliry for Market.
Probably no article marketed from
the farm sells on so wide a range of
prices on account of condition and ap
pearance as poultry. The market calls
for uudrnwn stock. The reason of this
Is that drawn poultry sours in from
twenty-four to thirty-six hours, while
undrawn will hold from a week to two
weeks without tainting. Another fact
should be remembered, thut the crop
of the bird If filled at time of killing
will sour very soon. For this reason
the bird should he kept from all food
(if possible) at least twelve hours be
fore killing. But if filled, do not re
move It
Wire llnopa.
A useful substitute for hoops on tubs,
vinegar barrels, etc., Is a piece of gal
vanized wire, No. 12 to 15. Overlap
the ends about eight Inches, twist tight
ly with splicer, and drive Into place.
When hoops are inclined to slip, white
washing the barrel will hold the hoops.
Hump Overfed.
A good ration for the horse of any
kind of feed Is about, a pound of grain
nnd one and a half pounds of hay to
each hundred pounds of horse. And
this would apply to alfalfa. In fact,
the horse should do better on the al
falfa than with the other hays and
with less grain. This might be the op
portune time to say that the majority
of farmers feed too much hay of all
kinds to their horses. In fact, tht
horse barn Is where one of the great
est wastes of the farm can be found.
Husbandman,
T
. a