Rodman The Boatsteerer And Other Stories / 1898

ken wretches that lay gasping and dying on the decks of the transport Breckenbridge knew

reen and purple with the dying sunshafts, and then quickly dulled agai

the master stood gazing seaward with a worn and troubled face,

ead already, and as many more likely to d

rning he met the pale face of the survi

Belton-five prisone

ridge buried his face in h

r. Look! over there, only twenty miles away, is Twofold Bay, where there is a settlement, but I dare not send a boat ashor

ver to stay its deadly progress. The cause he knew well: the foul, overcrowded 'tween decks, where four hundred human beings were confined in a space not fit to hold a hundred, the vile drinking-water and viler provisio

the surg

an be done

ir?" asked the master, as the

ther hour or so

wife an

other day in such weather as this. God help her, poor litt

nton, doctor?" asked

ch of the young fellow, and his conduct ever since the outbreak occurred deserves recognition

to keep the others quiet. Do you know, doctor, that at any time during the la

or wretches seem never to

r sent out for

n Botany Bay for participating in an attack on a party of yeomanry at Bally-somewhere or other in Ireland. There was a band of ab

ptly before them. His dark, coarse race was flushed with anger, and his manner insolent and aggressive.

coundrel refuses to let me have access to Lieutenant Clinton. Both on my own account and on

rotest?" answered Belton surlily. "Mr. Clinto

not matter

pped in front o

r, jailer, overseer, or commissary's runner, or whatever your positi

of this when we arrive at the settlement. A pretty thing

ut," and the surgeon's Welsh blood leapt to his f

ant Ma

officer of the diminished convict

ced, taciturn man,

he military guard and convicts on this ship, and as a first step to maintain proper discipline at suc

your pardon, doctor, for my hasti

y heavens! if you attempt to go into Mr. Clinton's cabin I'll put you in irons, Government official

for a time. He's a thorough scoundrel, I believe. Mrs. Clinton has a positive horror of the man; yet the

ed wavy brown hair hiding from view her own face and the dying hand which she held pressed to her quivering lips. At her feet, on a soft cushion on the floor, lay her infant, with one thin waxe

oured tones. "Marion, my girl, bear up. I know I am going, old fellow. Do what you can for her, Williams

e answere

by no

r tear-stained face to Surgeon Williams, who sh

dear! Only for that it would not be so hard

and Williams and No. 267 turned their faces away

. There is something like a hundred guineas among my effects-that will help. Thank Go

hand. "She shall never want a fri

then as wife and friend, each holding a hand, waited for him to speak, there came th

and straining of the ship as she rose and fell to the sea, and now

uld like to speak to Adair before I d

tockinged feet, Adair a

, Adair. God bless

l here," answered the young Iri

with a meaning in them that needed no words. Quickly she passed her arm around Cli

of Convict Adair on the arm, and toget

ms; "you can help me best. We must bury him by

itched convulsively. Then a wild beseeching look overspread his face. "For God's sake don't ask m

; and then as he went on deck he said to himself, "Some cursed,

in cabin within near call of Mrs. Clinton, and, with head upon his knees, seemed to slumber. Suddenly the loud clamour of five bells as the hour was struck made him start to his feet and look quickly a

the door. It opened, and the pale face of Marion

-the words died away in

odbye, and God keep and prosper you, madam. My time here is sho

his for a moment, and his face flushed a dusky re

ip? Are we then in port

ent, and then, pushing the door to beh

told me that he would aid me to rega

bling; "I will. I shall t

. "Not in that wa

you now?" she as

ck to prevent us even if we are discovered. There is a boat towing astern, lowered with the intention of sending it ashore to

pistols in his hands, and then gave h

as of some one moving came from the next cabin-the one occupied by Jacob

larm in a moment if

ates you, and I am terrifi

ite enough, and at that moment was lying back in his bunk w

l crouching on the flo

d once more, Mrs. Clin

to him unh

pray God all will

and whispered "Goodbye,"

s abandoned, and even the for'ard sentry, that for the past week had

forms approached him, and then

at last. Then the

peered cautiously about, and then, stepping quickly to Mrs. Cl

ook in her dark eyes. "Do you not know that my husband is dead and my child

or services in your great affliction, and secondly-but as a friend still-to warn you of th

! My dear husband is dead, my child has but a few ho

t is my duty," and his cunning eyes watched her shrinking figure keenl

d so-"you are not a rich man. Will you-can I-will a hundred guineas buy your silence? It is a

ature came out, and

ld like to see them ge

at him with dulled eyes, "Ada

t buy my silence, but you can

ingly. "How should I? What

face close to hers-"promise to

k upon her seat. He followed and sto

you. You are a free woman now, and I shal

ou make me that promise I'll give the alarm now, and Adair and his confederates shall

d sunken features of her dying child; then she raised

as you wi

olger turned and

ure of Sergeant Matthews standing a few feet aft from Mrs. Clinton's ca

Clin

sed the sergeant's voice; but she bra

ily for a second or so, and then, being a man of few

him he was at liberty to leave his cabin; found he was gone; heard his

ring in his voice w

u hear what Mr. B

olidly before him. "I

e repeated

out Adair and

s an old, tried servant of her husband's in for

-desk, unlocked it, and in a moment or two more turned

s, is for you. I may not live to reach the settlement at Port Jack

e cabin. He was not a hard man, and had meant to do his duty when he heard Bolge

close to her bosom, saw the grey shadow deepen on the pallid race, as with

-line; the dense fog hid everything from view. Holding the line in his left hand he swam silently along, drawing the boat after him, till

r, and then vanish altogether, till, although they were but forty yards away, the position of the Brekenbridge was discernible only by a dull blurr of si

Mrs. Clinton and her bab

, and then a voice called o

rd-quarter boat, then!"

, a boat dashed up, and a man, leaning over the side, grasped the drownin

called out Williams

instead of approaching the ship, she seemed to be swallowed up in t

ing away!" shouted Belton. "After th

ade pursuit useless, and the quarter-boat r

misery into Sydney Cove, and her master reported the escape of Edward Adair, Michael Terry, William O'Day, Patrick O'Day, and