Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-08-27
NUMBER 492.
Chambers Joarnal.

sketching tour IN the West country
| and found myself one September after
noon on Dartmoor, a few miles from
Princes Town. / had been strollinl
lazily about for some time, when ! sud
denly came upon bit OF moor'and
which | decided it was imperatively
my duty to transfer to canvas, SO
sat down on messy bowlder, AND
was soon diligently at work, and alb
sorbed in the task OF trying to repre-
sent the lovely autumnal tints Oh
stream, rock and heather. Intent on
my picture, took no note OF time
| till suddenly perceived the shadow
getting ominously long; and consult
ing my watch, j found IT was past iivt
o'clock, and that unless ] mada 9
speedy start ] should hardly reach
| Princes Town before nightfall; so hast.
! ily packed up my traps, deciding that
| would come and finish the sketch on
the following day.
was Just lighting my pipe, prepara-
| tory to starting, when | fancled that
saw something move behind large
rock few yards away and l heard
what sounded very like smothered
cough. was bit startled, as, save
the birds, no living thing CHAD been near
me for hours; but thought ] would
see what it was, so | walked up to the
spot, and pushing aside the high
bracken, was going to examine the
place, when suddenly figure rose up
! and confronted me. | AIN not ner-
vous man, but | must confess got a
start as Isaw before me n man clothed
in convict garb, bare-headed, wild and
dishevelled. Even in my first alarm |
| remember noticed the number 492 on
his clothes, and | don't fancy shall
ever forget that number.
/ grasped my stick firmly and
thought to myself that was, so to
speak, i'm very nice little fix. Con-
| victs are not pleasant neighbors at any
| time but tete-a-tete with an escaped
convict on lonely moor, miles from
any house, is decidedly an interview
not to be desired.
However my fears speedily subsidized
for my convict did not seem at all dis
posed to make himself disagreeable,
but merely stood looking at me, trem-
bling in every limb, and from time to
time coughing in way that shook his
wasted frame all over, Poor chap!
he was piteOus spectacle=-his prison
! dress just hanging about him, he look
ed like aliving skeleton.
] The situation was awkward to me.
As n law-abiding citizen felt that it
was my duty to take some means of
restoring him TO the establishment at
| Princes Town, which he had evidently
quilted without leave; while, az an
ordinary human being, felt the sim
Cerest pity for the haggard fellow who
stood there gazing at me with hollow.
ieverish eyes. However, the contest
between duty and compassion was
speedily put an end to by No. 492 him
self, for after a more than usually
racking cough, his legs gave way under
him and he rolled down among the
bracken. Duty fed; compassion won
the day. / went and picked
him up and propped him with
his back against q rock, where he
gasped and choked till Irealty thought
he would die then and there. In a
minute or two, however he revived,
and in u very faint and feeble voice
said: ''1m nigh starved, guv'nor; /
guess it's about up with me"
went back TO get some sandwiches
out OF my case end offered them to him;
he seized them eagerly, and began to
eat them rayenously; but again a ter
rible fit OF coughing came on, and he
sank back saying: ut amt no use; /
can't eat now; s'spose Pm gone too
| far"
Here was pleasant position, The
man was evidently in the last stage OF
exhaustion, and even my UNI
practiced eye could see that No. 492
had his days, oreven hours, numbered.
/ moistened his lips with some
brandy out of my hask, and saw, TO
my satisfaction that this produced a
decided Improvement. But what in
the world should donext perplexed
me soreiy, so repeated the dose OF
brandy and took council with myself
az to the next move.
Under the influence OF the brandy
my patient propped himself up again,
and with great difficulty told me how
be had escaped from theconvict prison
three days before, and had wandered
over the moor till want Of food and
exposure had-to use his own words
"spoilt his own game, and he was 60
ing back to prison to give himself no
Seeing me sketching, and feeling his
strength almost gone, he had decided
to surrender himself to me; but when
he got near the poor fellows courage
Jailed him, and be had crawled away
behind the rock where had discover
ed him.
/ did not think he would die in aueal;;
but | kept my thoughts TO myself, for
felt sure that before theprison could
be reached No. 492 would be far
enough away, and it would only be a
suit OF convict clothes on poorskele-
ton that would enter the gloomy gate
Look here, my poor chap said l,
''you cant stop here; you must let me
carry you ms well as / can, and must
try and get you back to the prison
/ felt rather mean as ] said this, for
] did pity him heartily. Iknew moth.
ing about his crimes. He might have
been the greatest villain; yet ] felt for
him having just tasted liberty and
having to 60 back to captivity; and a
single glance at him showed pretty
plainly that the prison could not hold
him long, even il we ever got there. |
expected some attempt at resistance;
but, to my surprise, he quietly acqm-
esced, saying.
"All right, gug'norsit can't be 'elped
I've had my try, but surnmat told as
| wouldn't succeed.
II was now getting late, and the sun
was just down, so there was no time
TO be lost, as we had along way to
go, and ! was rather doubtful about
my powers of carrying him, for he was
or had been Of toItrable size and
weight; but now he looked such mere
bundle OF bone, that thought might
manage it. At any rate, there was
nothing to do but to try; so Ihoisted
him up on my back and started of in
the direction OF Princess Town.
! shall not easily forget that Journey;
1t soon grew quite dark, as toiled on
Ia L.. L. . "a