Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-02
SHOT DOWN.
BY GEO. MANVILLE FEM.

He never took to me. No wonder
we We're as different as could be ;
but l took to hlm from the very
first, for he was SO different to the
fellows all about us
Good looking. we'll built fellow of
about thirty. and very strong; but he
used to get thinner and older looking
every day, and its that, more than
anything he ever said, makes me be
lieve that he was as innocent aS a
baby of what he was in for.
Now I'll tell You why Think that.
Say man has to serve his seven. or
ten or fourteen years. he knows that
if he behaves pretty decently, and
don't get reported. he'll get his ticket
of leave and something taken off his
sentence: and even If he don't, that
sooner or later his time will come to
an end. Well, that cheers him up.
for time runs away, perhaps, after all
as fast in prison as it does anywhere
else. But No. SU9 never did seem to
cheer up, but to grow lower. and
thinner, and more quiet every day,
and l knew it was SO hopeless, and
used to think that when he did get
out he would go with what he called
the mark of the beast upon him.
l used to try and cheer him up a
bit, but it never seemed to do a bit of
good, and he'd go on with his work
with the pick, or loading barrows
and wheeling stones, without a word,
and the other fellows called him sulky
and they'd heave stones at him and
play all sorts of tricks at first for
the fellows down there at Dartmoor,
when they get chance. can behave
just like a set Of ruffiaDly boys; but
after time they found that he bore
it all without a word, never once com
planning to the warders, SO they let
him alone.
I'm not going to make any bones
about it got what l deserved. l
was a fool and an idiot, and got bet
ting and losing, putting money on
this horse and that, and getting reck
less in my struggle to win back what
l had lost, and with tho usual result
just the old game that SO many
young fools have played. Reckon
ing up day came. 1 was all wrong
in my accounts, and was made an
example of, SO the Judge said-a
long sentence-penal servitude; and
after shifting about from place
to place, l found myself at Dart
moor, working with a gang. and
a couple of warders with us. both
armed with loaded rifles. And they
wanted them, for all the ruffianly,
foul-mouthed demons-I can't call
them men-that were ever collected
together, we had some Of the worst
there; and when You put pickaxes,
and crowbars, and big granite stones
into the hands of such fellows as
these, your guard need have loaded
rifles, and keep n sharp eye on their
charge, or their lives wouldn't be
worth much.
As l tell you. I had my time to
serve, and after the first few months
l settled down to it, feeling that I'd
got what deserved. and all l wanted
now was to get the sentence short
ened as much as / could, get my
ticket of leave. and then, no report
ing for me, l didn't mean to go let
ting the police know where | was.
and keep myself down i'll the world
as a tickst-of-leave man; but |
thought 1 could get five or ten
pounds together from my friends for
a fresh start, and my idea was to wipe
my slate quite clean, taking off my
name and all. and then start afresll
in a new country-America, Aus
tralia, Natal didn't care where
and that't what l used to try and per
suade 500 to do as we'll.
Its very good of you" he said one
day. when we were quite alone, filling
and wheeling barrows; but l don't
feel as if l shall ever get away from
here"
"You think I'm trying to lead yor
ON to talk" l said huffily, "and then
mean to tell one of the warders.''
mo, 1 don't" he said quietly. 81
think you mean what you say, and ]
thank you, but you can't understand
my feelings. You own that you wer.
Justly sentenced"
Yes" l said; II suppose I may
as well,'
"But you will not believe my story
when l tell you I am perfectly inno
cent"
well, mate" 1 said, with grunt
as l heaved up lump of stone, "yol
SEQ it's like this: take all the fellow,
round. and question them, and you'll
find that they're set of the most i'll
used. innocent beings that ever lived
There isn't one of them as would
hurt fly, or who has done anything
to deserve being put in here"
Yes" l know" he said, quietly
"but l swear, if it were my last word
that am innocent. Inever took til,
money, and l can't understand i
now. It's all one horrible tangle
and l have laid the long nigh
through time after time, wonderin,
whether it will ever be found out
and l shall get my freedom, but nov
l think I never SHALL
"Go on working" l said; "old Ram
tons watching u.s."
We went steadily on, and l began
talking again.
What do you say to escaping?"
said.
''Escaping?" he cried, with hi
eyes flashing; and he dropped tin
stone he was lifting.
Don't you be fool,' 1 says. &c,
on with your work. You'll have SOM
one notice you"