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About The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Or.) 1903-1931 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1906)
MM I J. I for The Term of His Natural Life j, i By MARCUS CLARICE j OHAITKR XXX. (Continued.) Hufus Dawes, overpowered by the rev elation no suddenly made to htm, had remained for a few momenta motlonleai In hit cell, expecting to hear the heavy clang of the outer iloor, which should announce to him tho departure of the chaplain. Hut h did not hear It, and It seemed to htm that the air In the cell had crown suddenly cooler. He went to the door and looked Into th narrow corridor, expecting to see the scowling countenance of Glmblett. To tils astonishment the door of the prison waa wide open, and not a soul In alght. He looked around. The night waa fall Ing sullenly: the wind was mounting; from beyond the bar came the hoarse murmur of an angry tea. If the schoon er was to sail that night, aha had beat get out Into deep waters. Where waa the chaplain? Tray heaven the delay had been sufficient, and they had sailed without him. Vet they would be sure Co meet. He advanced a few steps nearer, and looked about him. Was tt possible that. In his madness, the chap lain had been about to commit some violence which had drawn the trusty Olmblctt from his post? The trusty Qlmblett waa lying at his feet dead drunk! I "HJ! Hohol Hlllo, there!" roared somebody from the Jetty below, "lie that you, Muster Noarth? We ain't too much tiam, sur!" From the uncurtained windows of the chaplain's house on the bill beamed the newly lighted candle. They in the boat did not see it, but It brought to the prisoner a wild hope that made his heart - bound. He ran back to his cell, clapped on North's wide-awake, and, Singing the cloak hastily about him, camo quickly down the steps. If the moon should hlnet out now! "Jump In. sir," aald unsuspecting Mannlr, thinking only of the flogging he had been threatened with. "It'll be a dirty night, this night! Tut this over your knees, sir. Shove her off! Give way I" And they were afloat. But one glimpse of moonlight fetl upon the slouched hst and cloaked figure, and the boat's crew, engaged in the dangerous taak of navigating the reef in the teeth of the rising gale, paid no attention to the chaplain. "Lads, we're but Just in time!" cried Mannlx: and they laid alongside the schooner, black in blackness. "Up ye go, yer honcr, quick!" And the anchor -waa a-trlp as Hufus Dawes rsn up the aide. The commandant, already pulling off in his own boat, roared a farewell. "Good-by, North. It was touch and go with ye," adding, "Curse the fellow; he's too proud to answer!" The chaplain. Indeed, spoke to no one, and, plunging down the hatchway, made for the stem cabins. "Close ahave, your reverence! aald a respectful some body, opening a door. It was, but the clergyman did not aay so. He double locked the door, and, hardly realising tbt danger he had escaped, flnng himself on the bunk, panting. Over his head be fieard the rapid tramp of feet. , He could smell the sea, and through the open window of the cabin could distinguish the light in the chaplain's house on the hill. The trampling ceased, the vessel began to move swiftly, the command ant'a boat appeared below him for an Instant, making her way back; the Lady Franklin had set sail. "That's a gun from the shore," said Partridge, the mate, "and they're burn ing red light. There's a prisoner es caped. Shall we He toV" "Lie to!" cried old Hlunt. "We'll have suthln else to do. Look there!" The aky to the northward was streak ed with a belt of livid green color, above which rose a mighty black cloud, whose hape was ever changing. CHAPTER XXXI. Hlunt, recognizing the meteoric her alds of danger, began to regret bis ob stinacy. He saw that a hurricane was approaching. Along the south coast of the Austra lian continent, though the usual west erly winds and gales of the highest lati tudes prevail during the greater portion of the year, hurricanes are not Infre quent. Gales commence at N. W. with n low barometer, Increasing at W. and B. W., and gradually veering to the south. True cyclones occur at New Zealand. It was one of these rotatory f. s titorms, an escaped tempest of the trop ics, which threatened the Lady Franklin. Ilufus Dawes, exhausted with the ex citement through which be bad passed, bad slept for two or three hours, when lie waa aweketed by the motion of the Yessel going on the other tack. He rose .- -to his feet and. found himself in com plete darkness. VOverbead was the noise of trampling fee. and he could distin guish the hoarse tones of Hlunt bellow ing orders. Astonished at the absence of the moonlight jvblch had ao lately ellvered the sea, he flung open the cabin window and looked tout. The cabin al lotted to North waa ne of the two stern cabins, and from Iff the convict had a full view of the approaching storm. The sight way one f wild grandeur. The huge black cloud, which bung In the borlxon bad changed ita shape. In stead of ft curtain, It was an arch. Be neath this vast and msgnlflcsnt portal shone a dull phosphoric light. Across this Uvld space pale dishes of sheet lightning passed noiselessly. Behind it was ft dull and threatening murmur, Mds up of (he grumbllnj thunder, the iallla of rsiu, and the roar of contend in via and -waH. Tat (lints of the prison-Island had disappeared, so rapid had been the progress of the schooner under the steady breose, and the ocean stretched around, black and desolate. (Using upon this gloomy expanse, Ilu fus Dawes observed a strange phenom enon lightning appearing to burst up ward from the sullen bosom of the sea. At Intervals, the darkly rolling wavea flashed tire, and streaks of flame shot upward. The tonti of a woman's voice recalled him to himself. Cauttously un locking the cabin door, he peered out. The cuddy wna lighted by a swinging lamp which revealed Sylvia questioning one of the women concerning the storm. Locking the door, he proceeded hastily to dress himself In North's clothe. He would wait until hts aid was absolutely required, and then rush out. In the dark ness Sylvia would mistake him for the priest. He could convey her to the boat If recourse to tho boats should be ren dered necessary and then take the hai ard of his fortune. While she waa lu danger his place waa near her. From the deck of the vessel the scene wss appalling. The clouds bsd closed In. The arch of light had disappeared and all was a dull, windy blackness. Gi gantic seas seemed to mount In the hori son and sweep towsrd snd upon them. It wss as though the ship lay In the vortex of a whirlpool, ao high on either side of her were piled the rough pyra mldlcal masses of sea. The vessel lay almost on her beam ends, with her helm up, stripped even of tho sstla which had been furled upon the yards. Mortal hands could do nothing for her. By 0 o'clock In the morning the gsle had reached Its height. The sea, pouring down through the burst hstchwsy, tore the door of the cuddy from its hinges. Sylvia found her self surrounded by a wildly aurglng tor rent which threatened to overwhelm her. She shrieked aloud for aid, but her voice was Inaudible even to herself. Clinging to the mast which peuetrated the little cuddy, she whispered a last prayer for succor. The door opened, and from out the cabin came a figure clad In black. She looked up, and the light of the ex piring lamp showed her a face that waa not that of the man she hsd expected to see. Then a pair of dark eyes beaming Ineffable lore and pity were bent upon ber, and a pair of dripping arms held her above the brine as she hsd once been held In the misty mysterious dsys that were gone. In the terror of that moment, the cloud which had so long oppressed her brain passed from It. The action of the atrsnge man before her completed and explained the action of the convict chain ed to the Fort Arthur coal wagons, of the convict kneeling In the Norfolk Isl and torture chsmber. She remembered the terrible experience of Macquarl Harbor. She recalled the evening of the boat building, when, swung Into air by stalwart arms, she bsd promised the res cuing prisoner to plead for him with her kindred. Regaining ber memory thus, all the agony and shame of the man's long life of misery became at once ap parent to her. She understood how her husband had deceived her, and with, what base injustice aixl falsehood he had bought her young love. No ques tion aa to bow this doubly condemned prisoner hsd escsped from the hideous, isle of punishment she bsd quit occur red to ber. She asked not oven In her thoughts how It bad been given to blm to supplant the chaplain In bis place on board the vessel. She only considered, In her sudden awakening, the story of his wrongs, remembered only his marvel ous fortitude and love, knew only, In this spparently last Instant of her pure, ill-fated life, that aa he bad aaved her once from stsrvation and death, so had he come again to save ber from despair. The eyes of the man and woman met In one long, wild gaxe. Sylvia stretched out ber white hand and smiled, and Richard Devlne understood, In his turn, the story of the young girl's Joyless life, and knew how she had been sacrificed. In the great crisis of our life, when, brought face to fact) with annihilation, we are suspended gasping over the great emptiness of death, we become conscious that the self which we think we knew so well has strange and unthought-of ca pacities. To describe a tempest of the elements is not easy, but to describe a tempest of the soul Is Impossible. Amidst the fury of such a tempest, a thousand memories, each bearing In Its breaat the corpse of some dead deed whose Influ ence haunts us yet, are driven like feath ers before the blast, as unsubstantial and" as unregarded. The mists which shroud our sslf-knowledge become trans parent, and we are amltten with audden, lightning-like comprehensions of our own misused power over our fste. This much we feel and know, but who can coldly describe the hurricane which thus overwhelms hlm7 As well ask the drowned mariner to tell of the marvels of mid-sea when the great deeps swal lowed blm and tbe darkness of death en compassed him round about These two human beings felt that they had done with life. Together thus, alone In tbe very midst and presence of death, the distinctions of the world dlssppeared. Their vision grew clesr. They felt as beings whose bodies had already per ished, and as they clasped hands, their freed souls, recognising each the loveli ness of tbe other, rushed tremblingly together. e In a stately home in "dear old Eng land" a bronxed, serious-faced man knows the peace and contentment that auu onlr with the calm after the storm the rnro Joy of love requited, the sol emn satisfaction of Innocence vindicated, the "glory of sunlit lawns" nud "green pastures nud still witters." They who had robbed Hufus Dawes, convict, of the best years of his life could not restore their gotdou promise or atone for tho shipwreck of youth nud early manhood. Hut they could tear tho false veil from the past. The storm that swept the Lady Franklin to the cruel rocks drifted to a friendly shore the man nud woman who, clnsped In each other's arms, saw lovo Ineffable In each other's eyes for the flrst time. Hufus Dawes escaped to England, Syl via Frere followed on the next steamer, for, at the first, port, she had learned of tho death of Maurice Frere, brained by the manacle of a convict he had goad ed to desperation the very night of the escape of the man he had so cruelly wronged. Then the world knew the story of the man who had twice saved her life- knew as well of his Innocence, and Mr. North, reformed, repentant, from a quiet parish In Australia, supplied the tlnal evidence that cleared his name of every black vestige of guilt. Aa Sir Richard Devlne, as a ship wrecked mariner safe with home, love and mother, the old Hufus Dawes I came a man among men, notable for charity, probity and Justice famous as the flrst to lift his hand to strike from the fair, falsa fare of Tasmania the hideous mask that had converted Into a living hell an earthly paradise, the foul pUgue-sot of the universe to which he had been condemned "For the term of his natural life." (The end.) 8TRIKINQ FACT8 ADOUT SLEEP. POPULATION MOVEMENT IN AMEMOA. Odd of tht Most Mysterious of the Vr of Xslurt. "Shakeare," snlil a scientist, "will ed sleep tho nH! of death. Tlmt Is n striking nnnio for it striking thing. Sleep Is a wonderland. I.ot us explore It "Self-hypnotism Is n uiystcrloiu force that we can exercise on ourselves In sleep alone Wo are nit self-hypno-tlsta. We nil, on certain nights, tell ourselves firmly tlmt wo must not orersleep; tlmt tho next morning nt 4, at 5 or tl precisely wo must wake up. Our sleeping selvcri respond to tho hypnotic suggestion mado the night bo fore by our wnklug selves. That Is mysterious and striking. Isn't It? Still more mysterious ami striking, though, Is the fact of our keeping track of tho tlmo somehow In our slumber. How on oar til do we do that? "It Is lmioxlblc to do without sleep. Men have slept standing, even running. They have .slept In battle, under Are, with guns roaring on all sides. They Lave alept lit unendurable and deadly pa I tk "There Is no torture equal to that which the deprivation of sleep entails. Tho Chinese are the crudest folks on earth, and the most Ingenious of tor turers. Well, tho Chinese place the deprivation of sleep at the bead of their torture list. "Sleep Is a state, of rest Tho heart rests In sleep. Tbe heart Is a rhythmic muscle, not one that never reposes, but one that works at short shifts, like a puddler, a moment on, a moment off. Well, when we sleep, the heart's shifts of rest are redoubled. It works then, ono on, two off, getting, Indeed, pretty nearly as much reie as we do. "The brain In sleep teoomea pale and sinks below the level of tho skull. When we are awnke the brain Is high and ull and ruddy. "Not only the brain and heart, but even the tear glands rest In sleep. That Is why when we awako we always nib our eyes. Tim nibbing Is an Instinctive action that stimulates tho stagnant tear glands and causes them to moisten projierly our eyes, all dried from their Inaction." Dual on I lie Orran. "To talk of a Musty' ocean highway Bounds absurd, but the expression U (perfectly accurate," states n writer. "Evoryono who In familiar with ship knows that, no nmtter how carefully tho decks may bo washed lu tho morn ing, a groat quantity of dust will col lect by nightfall. You say, 'Hut tho modern steamship, bunting hundred of tons of coal a day, easily account for such a deposit' "True, but tho records of salting vessels show that tho latter collected mora dust than a steamer. On a rd cent voyage of a sailing vessul a Jour noy which lasted ninety-seven days twenty-four barrels of dust wero swept from tho decks! The captain was a mm nf scientific tastes find made care ful observations, but could not solyo tho mystery. Some, no iloubt, comes from the wear and tear on tho sails and rigging, hut that accounts for only a small portion. To nii to mo mystery, hits nt cork, wood and vegetable fiber are frequently found In this sea dust Where does It como rronw corea Dally News. Where Ifa Wm, "Major Longbeau tells such exciting stories of the civil war, doesn't ho?" "Yes, he does tell norao good ones." "Which side was he on during tho warr "Tho other side." "Confederate?" "No tbe other side of tbe Atlantic." Cleveland Leader. The center of population In the Fulled Stall's has been moving steadily westward for more than a century with remarkable regularity, tsith as regards distance nnd di rection, saya the Chicago Record-Herald. Since the year 1700 tho exact location of this mythical Hut hns been catucalu hd? Iglvs e t ntehrltsod etnol shrdluetnfwyppp calculated olllclnlly at Washington for every ten years of the nation's history. When there Hnts are plotted uwn the map nud connected a remarknble line of prog ress Is obtained, lu which may lie. rend nt a glance much of this country's history. "Westward the course, of em pire takes Its way," as ull the world knows, but It Is probable that nowhere In history has any similar Hue of progress, ns It may le called, pmcedcil westwanl so directly according to compass nnd at so even a rnle of progress. In the year 171X1. when the center of imputation wns flrst calculated, It was found to tw nt a Milnt twenty three miles east of Baltimore. In milking this estimate the entire imputation or the ('lilted States of that crlod was, of course, considered. It was the xuilntlon center of a strip extending from Maine to Florida. And since the frontier population of that early day was Inconsid erable the renter of (population was practically the same as the geographical renter. Today the geographical cen ter of the country la, of oonrsc, considerably west of the Mississippi, lu more than a century these two theoreti cal Huts have liooome widely separated. The center of (population In the I'lilted Stntes Is nt present six miles southeast of Columbus, Ind. The regularity of this line Is the more remarkable when It Is considered that the Fulled States has grown, geographically, by lea(a and bounds. Tho doctopmcut of the country has not ln-en n steady growth westward as regards Its acquisition of territory. The lulslana Purchase, for example, by adding millions of acres to the Flitted Stales at one time would presumably hate had the effect of drawing this line of progress sharply to the southwest. The acquisition of Alaska again would have had a similar Influence In nnother direction. And yet the line shows tittle deflection nt the Important dates, when them territories were added. For a century again the distance covered by this Milnt during each decade has varied very slightly. It has moved westward at the rate of about forty miles every ten years, a llltlo more or less, whether nt the beginning or the end of the century. The shortest distance trnveleii .ntj. .. i..... ..nlif l.lrJfs'.ai was Mweeii years m arwi im. wne.i - miles were traversed, The loin.-"- J'1' " ,",w,,'?,, HCO and IrUH). wli-u clirhtyotie mile were coTcrcil. Mm regularity of the movement of the center of population while the population of the country has Increased at such an enormous rate Is obviously very renin rkahle. By reference to the accompanying mnp It will tm seen that the digressions of this line either to the north or south have been somewhat less Ihsu fifty miles III a full century. Thee figures apply. howctrr. only until the end of the last century. Since It) the tine has shown n tendency to mow southward, while nt th same lim its rate of progress tins been nhruptly checked. In other words while the moieiiicnt of the line was at the rate of about forty mill's eery ten jears. Its movement during the decade from INK) to ltl was but fourteen miles, a startling contrast with previous decade for a century. This abrupt rliek to Its muveiiieiit ami Its southward tendency Indicate, of course, a rapid Increase of the nip ulatlou lu the South. The flrst liiou-Mieiit recorded, that Mwceit 1700 and IrKsl. was from Hut twenty-three miles east of llsltl more to a Hut eighteen miles west of thst elly, a totai movement of forty-om miles. Ten years later It was to rated forty miles northwest by west of Washington, hav ing moved thirty-six miles lu Hie decade. By tile year IfCil It had reachel a dnt sixteen miles mirth of Vo.xl stock, Va., having traveled st an even fifty mile. In the following decade It left the Slate of West Virginia, nineteen tulle west southwest of Muorlteld, a dlstanc" of thirty-nine mil-. It next traveled to a (olnt sixteen tulles Ninth of Clarksburg. In tbe same Slat, fifty fir miles. The next decade carried It to a (stint twenty llirtv mile iutltat of I'arkrrsburg. repestlug the sm distance of the previous decsde, flfty-flre miles, lu 1SVI It moved Into Ohio, to a point twenty miles south of Chltllcotlie, having traveled eighty-oils miles, tho longest movement In Its history. Ten years later It had reached a (ilnt night miles northeast of Cincinnati, fifty-eight miles. The southern tendency then became obvious, for III tbe following ten years, betw-eu 1H70 and 1KS0, It traveleil In a (stint eight miles west by south of Cincinnati. It next movm tq a Hut twenty miles east of Columbus, lint., and In tlx last ten years, In llx. It bad reached It present resting place. The total distance traveled In 110 year hits been exactly 5ltt miles. j jj FRIENDS, i ? T7lM Is going Instead of Herman," (tjj announced Mrs. Day. "Hut I don't know Jim," objected Itls, "And that's the reason," answered Mrs. Day, "that I want to tell you about him. Tho fact Is, Jim was Jilted lust Hprliig. She was one of the most Ix'autlful girls I have ever soon" Mrs. Day talked itipldly "but none of us wnntM her. Shu was selllsh and thoughtless and exacting, hut Jim never saw It. He Just adored hor nud follow ed her nlsiut, mid gloried In being her slave, until we wero all lu despair." Jim was tho brother of Mr. Day's liiirttmnil, but It was her way to tako all the resK)iilblllty, even of her liUHliaiid'H fmilly. "Ho we were nil very much re llovcd when she Jilted Jim." Itls wns listening quietly, somewhat at a loss to get tho tretul of I bono con lldolH'Crl. "We were all rather glad, as I said, except" hero Mrs. Day paused, then filmigeil ahead "except for tho dread fill effect It has had upon Jim. Ho was heart-broken ; he's young, yoi know," This Is n(ology to Ils' smile. "And alnco then ho has Itecn jwrfcctly Tecklcss." Mrs. Day stopped for breath. It waa hard to aay what alio meant to say, "Lois, my dear," sho llnally contin ued, "don't lot Jim mako lovo to you nt camp. Ho lias vowed to bo revenged on tho wholo rnco of women, and that Is the wny ho has taken to do It" Tho llrst night at camp Lois had causo to remember Mrs. Day's warning. It was n party of lovers, nil young mar ried coupler, or engaged, nil except Lois and Jim, tlw youngest, Theso two started up tho tako In a canoe, Just ai tho otticrs did ; but when Jim suggested that they drift, Lola folt a misgiving. Jim must be made to undertsand, Sho topped hts half-tender compliments with a warning hand. "Listen, Jim," one aald. alowly and earnestly, "your sister Iim told me about your trouble. I'm not going to talk about that," she added hastily, ai Jim frowned, "but I want to tell you this j Somewhere there U a man that I love as dearly as you love this girl. Fur his sake ami for hers, let's you and I lielp each other. I wnnt to lie tme" diffidently, It was hard to say "and so, I know, do you. i-t us here and now promise to be Just good comrade. Nothing more." She looked nt the boy with a bright smile and held out her hand. He hesl tititl a minute, then gnuqicd her hnnd. "If a go, Iils," he sold. Ami so It Ixvamo tho custom for these- two youngest to eutertnln or hnrnss the others, as the iikxmI sclw-d them. Oil the water they snug and played on mnmlolliw and guitars; In camp they Indulged In endless gniucs of cards, or got off Jokes nt the cxicumo of the others, They crimed the nick mimo of the "two young fellars," and nl' mundane matters were left In their jurrr ooon comiAiira. charge, such as tho planning of trips, tho euro of tho lunch. "Lot tho lovers love," was their motto; "we'll havo a good time." And they certainly did. They explored all tho Inlets and outlets of tho hike, discov ered tho big cave, brought homo tho last Milter lllltti of tho season, nnd wandered far afield, npletl out tracks unmistaka bly thoso of n In-ar, Lois grow brown nnd hardy with tho long tramps which 1.I10 nlono of tho women found tlmo to tako, Tho hlggmt berries and tho fat test fish woro hers, nud sho it was who caught tho (irlxo trout, thanks- to tho pa tience and energy with which sho an gled. It was the last night, Mrs. Day look ed About tho tahlo and sighed. "This Is the first year wo haven't had mi en gagement to announce," sho said; "wo ore all getting old, I am afraid." And It waa proof of the success of Lois' plan that not ono of tbsoi thought to Joke about tho "young fellar." There wss no question itf sentimentality wl'li thrm. Nils and Jim went forbidden to glvs n concert to sj.ill tho Isst evening, they paddled swiftly along tint south sluire. At length Jim broke the unusual alleiuv. "This lias been the ttcst sum mer of iny life." ho said, "and It has nil Ihvii due to you, Nil." Tho girl looked up. startle I at thl sudden transition fnmi Uiiilstmto to something wry like sentiment. "I'm not going to break our promise." Jim said lu answer to tint look. "I 'taut you to be as tnio as ever to that man. Hut I'm going to tell you this. Hint other girl was a dream." They both Inuglic.l. "I mean she whsii'i roul, like you. I understand now that she never eould h.ivo Ihvii a wlfo ttt mo. Why, wo weren't friends." Uil was slliHit. "IpoIs (Jim's Voice faltered, so'ln tenso wero Ills feelings), would It be unfair to the other man or to you If I till you that you are truly tho only woman I lovo; tho only ono could possibly marry? A man ought to spend Ii'h llfo with a girl who I his friend," he added wistfully. "I never knew that In-fore." "Somewhere," remarked Lois, Incon sequent y. "Is a very Indelliilto tihice. and you romemlior that's where I said tne man was," Jim was quick-witted, and assocla tlou with I,ol had sharpened hi xt ivptlon, Ho asked eagerly, "Was he a dream, list?" "No," IpoIs Inughcd ; "he's no dream, Jim; bo's well, bo's lu love, nud," sho drawled to keep up tho suspense as long ns possible, "ho's In love, and so a iii I. Wo'ro both lu tho same lioat, you see." Milwaukee Wisconsin. ('oiisiiUtluii, A minister, who has slnco attained prominence lu Now York, says n writer In tho Sun, was Hi hi curlier yoarr. called from n village church. One of tho ststors expressed grief nt Ills going. "I'hey will get a better preacher to tako my place," ho consolod her. "No, that's Just the trouble," she aald. "Kvcry preacher, lately, In worse than the last." When a man says, "I iiuiu't oat any breakfast," ever remark hi mournful way of saylog It? V . - "NsMlJssMslimSaT" wm
