CHAPTER XVII.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1875, Page 7

CHAPTER XVII.

II THF. DESOLATK ISLAND. I The breeze, which had sprung up Hth the dawn and dispelled the fog, freshened as the morning advanced, hi it seemed as if the storm was to be enewed. There was nothing for it, herefbre, but to put the boats before be wind, and keep a close look-out on 11 sides for a sail. Their situation ms alarming in the extreme, for, never oubring that they would find refuge >n board the Jndi'amnn, they had in caving their sinking vessel made no particular error 1 : to bring with them a supply of provisions. A bag of bisaiits and a cask of water hurriedly tossed into each boat was all they had io sustain their lives, and as many days might elapse ere a ship picked them up, the appalling prospect of death by starvation rose before tbem. In gloomy silence, therefore, they scudded on before tbe breeze, regarding each other with looks of blank dismay, and no one caring to give utterance to the desponding thoughts which they cherished. At noon two biscuits and a moderate draught of water were handed out to each man by way of rations. This was the first food of which they had partaken since the mishap, and in their disappointed and languid condition they had no desire for a more abundant meal. Shortly after they had partaken of the meagre fare, the look-out in the how of the first boat halloed that he sighted a speck of haze in the distance ; and all eyes being eagerly turned to where he pointed, they beheld a little : dim spot on the horizon — so small that only the practised vision of a sailor could detect it, and so faint that it could scarcely be distinguished from the skyline which it invaded. " It's the edge of the fog," cried one. " It's a cloud," bawled another. " It's land," exclaimed Jack Blossom, with a loud and firm voice. " Land," echoed every one, and under the excitement which the statement produced they started up simultaneously, to the danger of being capsized. About the statement itself, however, opinions differed, some maintaining that it was really the retiring fog, and others that it was no m<»i'2 than a cloud ; bur Jack kept to his first opinion, and the assurance with which he did so was beginning' to bring one or two over to his side, when a damper was put upon their hope by the voice of the captain, as he sullenly said — '' There's iio land hereaway." Then Jack was bitterly and angrily denounced for the unpardonable offence of falsely raising their hopes. He bore their indignant reproches in silence, but quietly observed to Charley, who sat by his side, that he was right, nnd they would soon find it so. «" I knows the look o' land when I sees it, however far off,'' he said, " and if our mates had sailed the seas as long and as far as I've done they'd know it too." " Heaven grant you may be right, Jack." returned Charley, in a whisper. " Right I am, Charley, as s^re as we are in this here boat," was the cheering response. " Just wait a bit, and you'll hear how their tune will turn " j And sure enough, after th^y had scudded a mile or so further, all eyes continuing to survey with keen interest the speck in front, there came an exclamation from a sailor in the captain's boat. "I'm blowed, mates, if I don't, think Jack Blossom ain't so far wrong after all." "There — I told you so," muttered Jack, giving Charley- a nudge with his elbow At this the opinion of the majority began to waver. V\ hiie one or two still maintained that what they saw was " a fly id g brood of Mother Carey's chickens" — that is, a cloud raised by the wind — the statements to this effect were neither so loud nor so confident and by-and-by all sank into the silence of hesitation, for the nearer thf.y drew to the object of their gaze the more was their scepticism shaken. What had at first been but a speck had grown and j enlarged ; it had also become darker and denser ; but what was more con- ! vincing still, it remained stationary, like a fixture and a solid body. •'Land it is, captain," shouted the mate at lerglh, ard for the first time since the catastrophe Charles saw his blanched face flush and his terror stricken eye light up with animation. "So it is," responded the captain, looking puzz'edj though at the same time he also recovered somewhat from thp srnilty dismay which he had exhibited. The matter being now put beyond dispute all gave vent to exclamations of joy, and with sailors' frankness they hastened to make amends to Jack for the injustice they had done him. . " Tip us your fist, my hearty," cried one who had been loudest in his denunciation ; " you've been right and we've been all Avrong, every one of us, though we might have thought it queer tbat an hold hand like Jack Blossom should go so far out of his reckoning. Jack, who was the last man on sea or land to bear malice, accepted the hand as frankly as it was given. A mind less noble than his would have

«i^M— — — — MM II lI3M»W— manifested a vulgar triumph in the cir* cumstances, but Jack bore himself with characteristic modesty, and in the greatness thereof went so far as to diminish his superior discernment by saying that he had. often been, "in them latitudes," and knew what appearance land had when seen from afar. Now that there was no doubt- that it was land they were approaching, great was their anxiety to know what coast it might he. On this point Jack, though eagerly interrogated by the rest, con]d give no information beyond expressing his belief that it. was an island, and not a large one either. ' In this particular also, he was found to be correct, for as the}' drew near they made out the tops and sharp peaks of a few eminences of no great altitude, and made out the island to be some two miles long, and destitute of tree 3 and luxurious vegetation. Snch as it was, the wind was driving them towards it, and soon ir, lay before them in distinctness of outline and feature. To all appearance it wa<» uninhabited, fto house of civilised man or hut of savage was visible on its shores. IVo smoke ascended from it into the bright and golden air. No boat or canoe lay on the beach. All seemed silent, lonely and desolate. Its out-part was a broad low-lying reef of rock, on which the waves broke in surf and foam, the whiteness and heaving motion of which warned their. of danger According to the course they were following it lay upon their lea, and the wind was driving them upon the breakers with a force that wonld certainly cau'e their desfn rion. Every effort therefore was made to weather its utmost point and pass round j to the other side, where they would | obtain shelter, and perchance fiml a safe landing-place It required skilful steering to accompli.-h this. but. f hev succeeded, and no sooner did they round the point than the w : nd lulled and the | water became smoother. 'I his was the. i case, however, only close in shore, for, | owing to the lowness cf the land, the wind swept over it and smote the water at the distance of a mile cr so beyond ; and they knew that if they proceeded thus far they would be again driven into the open sea. So they skirted the shore as closely as in their ignorance they durst go, and carefully looked out for a suitable place for landing. Such a spot they could not find for a considerable time Hows of black, cruel, serrated rocks lay out into the I water, effectually barring their entrance; j and it was not till they had proceeded i several miles along the coast that they came to a narrow channel through i which they thought they might venture j to pass. As the mate's boat was ! smallest it went first, anil the other j followed close in irs wake, both boats i moving with great, caution, lest they j should strike and go to pieces. j Fortunately the channel proven to he | clear and' open, and carried them into a : little bay, at, the top of which wa-s. a i creek fringed by a shingly beach They , ran the boats into this safe natural j harbor until they grounded, and t}\<:'n i they leapt ashore, bursting out invo- i luntarily and simultaneously into hui 1 : huzzahs as their feet trod the pebbles i and they found that they had exchanged j tlie unstable cean for tlie solid earth. Yet even while their shouts buil-.e the, eternal stillness of that solitary shore the thought pressed on them that they had no great cause for rejoicing. Vv hat could a small, uninhabited, sterile i-land do in the way of affording them subsistence. Might they not have come here to die the mn>t. painful ami miserable of deaths, and thus in reaching the. island only have found a grave, and i they busied themselves in drawing the j boats up the bench — a task winch was easily accomplished, as it was now high water. j By this time also the afcernoon was well advanced, for the sun was- sinking towards the west Evening would therefore come on apace ; but ere daylight left them they were anxious to pxplore the island to some extent, and know their fate by learning the extent ot its capability of sustenance. So two men were left, to watch the boats, and the rest strolled away up the heights. The two thus left, together were Jack and Charles, and they were glad to be alone and have some private conversation. " Well, Jack," began Charles, when the others were out of hearing, " what is your opinion of the situation ?" Jack shook his head, and looked grave. " It ain't notbin' to boast o', Charley," he returned. " This here island ain't just the land of (2o>hen to my mind, and the chance of ships coming within hail is a small one. I wish I could be more hopeful, Charley ; but tlie lookout from mv topgaliantmast ain't cheering, and that's the truth." *' Have you any idea of wbat island this is we have got to ?" asked Charles, as he looked round on the bare desolate rocks which environed them. " Not a bit on it. They'll have it down on the chart, most likely ; but islands have sprung up where one wouldn't think of looking- for 'em. This 'uo looks as if it had been shot up by a volcano. That's why it's so black and bare." " Ay," remarked Charles. " Had Robinson Crusoe's island been of this description, he wouldn't have managed to live so comfortable. But I say, Jack, what feelings the captain and mate must have, knowing what they

know. Have you noticed how terrorstricken they are ?"_ "In course, I haye — 'specially the mnte, and I've seen the frightfull looks he gives Jeff, aud the horrible ones Jeff gives him." "No wonder Why, they .meant to destroy Jeff — they had dropped the hatches on him ; and if I hadn't rescued him he would have gone down with the Friends. " Thought as much," responded Jack, reflectively. "They wanted to get rid ! of him because he was in their secret, Now, I guess he'll perch on 'em out of revenue ; ' " That is evidently what the two scoundrels are afraid of, hence the frightened looks with which they regard him " "They'll kill him vol, if lie gives them the chance," said Jack, i: only he'll keep a sharp look-out on 'em now that he knows what they [ire up to " " (ill. thev'il bribe him — bribe him heavily, but if we do get back to Scotland we must secure him as a witness. His evidence and ours will be sufficient to convict the conspirators, bring them to justice, and save the underwriters from being further fleeced." " Well, for their .sakes and our own I hope as how we'll be picked up What would Molly and May say if they could see us now ?" " Ah, Jack, that though has oppressed me fill day," returned Charles with a sigh. " Then let us cast it overboard," cried Jack, with an effort to look cheerful." I've been in a worse position than this, and got out, of it Bless you, Charley, I could spin you a yarn about a ship wreck nor, a 'year old yet, when I and some one else seemed nearer the end of life's voyage then we do now." "Ah how was that] I should like to hear the story " "I know y.»u w< uld ; and you shall hear it some day, bur. not yet, Chuiley; the light time hasn't come yet. If we are to die here on tin's i>iaud, I'll tell it, afore we bid each other the last, goodbye ; if we escape, you'll have to wait a bit hi-f ore hearing it, ; only it was a case, of' deli vera rice, enough to give us hope, ond when I think of it I can't despau*. llulloa " As Jack suddenly govs vent to this exclamation, he. leapt from the shingle on which they were, reclining, and, (lil'tingto the of the water, pounced oa something which was moving there. It turned our to be a larg'-i shell-fi-di — something like a crab— -and Jack brought, it back enveloped in his hand-kt.-rch.Hf: " li we can catch enough of these we'll not die of hunger, at, uuvrate./' he. observed. We'll jn^t light a fire and cook him, Charley." Vv'hil" our two friends were thus engaged on thf! beach, tim pnrlv who had gone ir, bind bad also made one or two reassuring di-eoverie-< They came upon S:-vei-;'.l spring- of fresh water, and a great portion of the surface, was cow red w: h prickly hushes,, on which u-rew an abundance of berries. They found also that a supply of edible roots could be proeurid. I bus their worst fears were relinked, and tlie prospect of moderate subsistence held out to them. j In the course of their rambles Jeff I separated himself from the rest, and sauntered down into a hollow between two rocks. Here be sat, down, ami had not waited long when the mate made his appearance at, the entrance, to the gorge, and at sight of him a grim, sardonic smile settled on Jeff's ill-favored countenance When tlie mate drew near, that ■ smile was still there, avid it. was evidently intended that the latter should see it.. He did see it, and augured ill I from ir, hut as it was essential that he and Jeff should have an explanation, he came forward and stood beside him. "So, Mr B.iiinaryne." said Jeff, turning full iipm him his eyes which blazed with a lurid Imht, "yon was a pretty trick you played me." " I say it was an accident, Jeff" " Sappho von did, I wouldn't believe you. IHdn'r I see you turn on the hatch after you had sent me down to seethe depth of wafer 1 ? and didn't I see your face w hen you were doing ir. ? Didn't i run to you' and didn't you pay no heed, but made for t)w boat, and left me to die in -a. hole like a rat" « Mut— but— you got out ?" "}Io. I didn't. I could not have got out, and .'you know it. It was Charley Wing-ate who came and released me." " Yes. but are you sure I didn't seed him when I learned that you had been accidentally shut in-?', " I am sure yon did not; send him. I am sure both you and the captain did aU you could to keep him from coming, and to have the boats put off afore' he came back. Uh, it's no u«=e, Mr Ba-n---natyne, to try to sheer off on a false tack. I know what you meant, and why you meant it ; but there I am alive still, though no thanks to you that I am so." " '---' " Ah, and I suppose you mean- to take your revenge," said the mate, as he bestowed on Jeff a keen- though furtive glance. Jeff grinned and kept silent, but' the grin and the silence were significant " In a' word, you mean to peach when we get. back-to Glasgow— that is, if we are ever picked off this ; confounded island." ; - ' : • " Look ye here,, Mr -Bannatyne,"

returned Jeff, " you and the captain thought to have yourselves safe by getting rid of me, but you were under a mighty big- mistake ; there were other two more in the ship who knew of tlie business." " What !" exclaimed the mate, with a start and an amazed stare, " Fact." " Jeff, that is impossible." '• No it aint, and Jack Blossom and Charley Wingate are the men." " Good heavens," how can you imagine such a thing?" " T don't need to imagine it, I know it. When I ran down to rouse the crew I went into their berth first and saw a. light glimmer through the bulkhead. They pretended to be. in their berths and asleep, but I felt they had most of their toggs on. After the. men had all gone on deck 1 goes back to the berth and put my eye to the hole they had made, and there I saw right into the hold, then I knew they had been watching us all the time; so, even had your kind intentions towards me been successful there were still two living- witnesses against you." The mate stood petrified, and Jeff chuckled in his triumph. '■ This is not a picture you have made up, is it Jeff?" he faltered. •' Believe it is if you like. When we get to Glasgow you'll find it true enough. With a fierce oath the mate turned away, and passed behind a ledge of rocks, where tlie captain waited the result of the interview. To him the mate communicated the alarming fact which Jeff had disclosed, and itthrew him into equal consternation. They conferred together for fully a quarter of an hour, then they proceeded together ro Where Jeff still sat. He saw theai coming, and assumed an air' of sudden coldness. '•' This has been a cursed blunder on our part, Jeff," said the captain, in a conciliating tone, " and no one can be more sorry for it than I am." " And to tell you the truth," added the mate, " the captain is not to liberie. Me \v(\< always opposed to me doing what ] did " " " He did not, hinder you though," observed -'eff, drily.. # " Hecause he couldn't — he was off to the boat, at the time," " Come now," said the captain, cuaxinglv ; be a good fellrw Don't bear malice, and I'll make it worth your while to serve us." " I can't serve you now if I would," returned Jeff "Hasn't Mr Baunantyne told you that Jack and Charley know?" " Yes. but we shall take means to avert that danger if yon will help us." '■Oh, you can't bribe them ? They ain't men of that, sort." " Wo shan't try to bribe them," said the mate, slowly ami in a. tone which •gave a hortibie meaning to the words. Jeff turne-'l his eve on him and gave him a long steady look, but what his thoughts, and feelings might be they could not diviu 0 .. ( ' Well, wbat say you ? You'll not desert us ? You'll not, stand in your own light ? If you sail in the same boat with us, we'll weatlur the storm and make a good thing of it. Come, say it's a bargain." a Ay, and be thrown overboard when your purpose is served." This natural expression of scepticism was met by oaths and protestations of great faith on the part, of the other two, and Jeff at length affected to believe them " P>ut what are we to do ?" he psked. ; " Well, in plain words, Jack and barley must be got rid of." said the mate, as the, captain hesitate.:! to speak. "We can't help it, and they have brought the fate upon themselves. They mean to destroy us, and we only act. iii self-defence. As they or we have to knock under we must save ourselves." " You mean that we must kill them? " said Jeff, and the unveiled statement, of the purpose caused the captain to hhiver. " 1 mean that we must prevent them from getting off this island and returning io Scotland to kill us. for ih.it is the alternative. This business in which we three have been engaged, is a hanging matter, and as you are as deep in it as the captain and I, you are within the halter too, so von see it's just kill or be killed, nnd you are a greater fool' than I take you for if yon throw away your life for a bit of sqneamishness " " That's' the way of it, is it ?" said Jeff, who seemed staggered . by the view of the case thuspro-ented. " Why then,> of course, I ain't going to have my neck stretched." • l No, I was sure you wouldn't," cried the mate, with much animation, and he and the captain exchanged glances — a circumstance which Jeff did not fail to notice, though he said nothing. " Now, then," added the .mate t( This will have to be our plan. You must attach yourself to Jack and Charley, and watch a chance for disposing of them safely. You understand ?" "Oh, yes; I. understand. But- I may want help when . the moment comes." "You shall have it from me. And now that :fe we- have come to an understanding, :we had .better separate for , the present. When the plan. is. matured we shall have another conference." I, Jeff nodded, and they leftrhim^walk-

n—TTnn-— ■— — fimTiMiwiiii im mm ■mm iiinrmiriw im-Mw^rww ng slowly away together down the gorge. . The sailor sat g'aztrig after them till they disappeared among the rocks, and "as he did so the grim smile once more settled on his face. " The infernal scoundrels-/' he hissed from between his set teeth. " They'd have me kill, the man who saved my life at" the risk of his own.- I'm bad enough, I daresay, but not so bad as that yet. And they" think they've gulled me. do they? As if Jeff Dixon is the man as would be gulled a second time. No, no — they did it once, but I've got my weather eye open, and when that's the case it will take cleverer men then them to do it. " 'Ihey'd have me think my neck is in the same noose as theirs, as if I didn't know better. It's a hanging matter for them, I daresay, but I know the way to miss the halter, and leave them to dangle by themselves. - I'm to attach myself to Jack anJ Charley, am I '?" So I will ; but not for the purpose they expect. For once in my Jjfe J-'H sail iv the true course and see" what J ort ot " a voago I make. Only iv order to do it I must hoist false colours to deceive tbem d — d pirates, and make them think I am sailing in company " Having finished this soliloquy, the import of which did him some degree of credit, Jeff rose from his rocky seat and made Lis way from the gorge in another direction. If he could have known it, the course, he had resolved to take was fully justified by consideration more personal to himself then those of truth and justice, for while he was forming it, the captain and mate were meditating against him the foulest treachery. (To hp. cnntimwl .}