The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

558 THE MUTINY ON THE FLYING CLOUD. their muskets, were now drooping wearily upon them with their hands crossed over the top of the barrels ; while the Malay who had been detailed to watch the prisoners, having some half a dozen times during the earlier hours of the night tested their bonds and satisfied himself of their perfect security, was now seated on the ground beside his charges, with his fingers interlocked across his knees and his head bowed forward, manifestly napping. The weariness of the long night had told upon both the prisoners; their conversation had first languished and then ceased altogether ; but now the cool, fresh, sweet smelling breeze had aroused them both Grant first, and the poor, tired out, suffering child soon afterward ; and while the first, was looking abroad over the tree tops at the brightening sky to the eastward and thinking that now, surely, their fate must be drawing very nigh, the little fellow by his side stirred uneasily, roused ltimself, and put the question: “Father, do you think that Dr. Henderson and Mr. Manners will come and set us free ?’’ Grant, with their probable fate now apparently so near at hand, was de- bating witlfin himself what answer to return, when his attention was arrested by a curious vibrating movement of his bonds, as though they were being tampered with from behind the tree to which he was bound. Before he could collect his faculties sufficiently to even ask himself what it meant, a low whis- per from behind him caught hisear: ‘‘ Hush! it is I—Henderson !’ And at the same instant the ropes which bound him suddenly slackened about his limbs and disappeared behind him. /Then an arm appeared round the bole of the tree, and Grant felt the cold barrel of a rifle being thrust into his hand, while the voice again whispered, ‘‘ Your own repeater fully loaded. Now to loose poor little Percy.’’ Then Grant turned to his child—how white and haggard the dear little fellow looked in the pallid light of the dawn—and, with a heart brimful of gratitude for the priceless gift of restored freedom, said in reply to his question : ‘“ ‘They are coming soon, darling—now, at once,in fact. But, Percy, dear boy, take care that you do not move or cry out when you feel the rope loosening ; stand perfectly still and quiet, my son, until I tell you what. to do.”’ The little fellow looked eagerly up into his father’s face, and whispered, “Yes, father.’’ And then Grant saw his look of surprise as he felt Hender- son’s hand releasing him. The bonds fell away; the child was free ; and presently Grant saw a shad- owy figure bend forward and whisper in the little fellow’s ear. ‘There was a start, a faint cry of rapture, the little arms were flung lovingly round the neck of the bending figure, and Grant caught the murmured the words: ‘Thank you, dear doctor, oh, thank you | But that childish, involuntary cry of delight, faint as it was, had caught the quick ear of the dozing guard. ‘The fellow raised his head, and, seeing that something was wrong—though he was still too drowsy to distinguish what it was—scrambled to his feet and advanced toward Grant. (COMME NCOKS eI