The sun., 1893-02-09
CHAPTER II.


of outdoor laborers, he had made a
dash for liberty, and, as we supposed,
leaped from the cliffs into the sea.
Within half an hour the scouts were
out, but as no traces, dead or alive,
of Peter Wimble were discovered, it
was assumed, although he was known
to be an expert swimmer, that he
had been carried away by thetide and
drowned.
Nevertheless, the search was, of
course, continued. The missing con-
vict was man OF notoriously bad
character, his last sentence being one
of fifteen years for q forgery OF bank
notes. An exact inventory of his
height, complexion, the color of his
hair and eyes, was circulated for miles
around, with strict injunctions to the
local constabulary to keep sharp
look out. If by q miracle the man
had escaped it would, of course be
easy enough to re-capture him if he
still wore the conspicuous convict
l dress; but it was scarcely likely that
craft villain such as was Peter VIM
BILE would stick at anything to pos
sess himself of q suit of ordinary
| wearing 6pp11cI'
But, as already stated, no arrest was
made as no information reached the
authorities of q robbery ofnale cloth
ing, the impression grew stronger that
Peter Wimble's leap for liberty had
miscarried, and that he had become
food for fishes.
This, however, was a mistake. Mr..
Wimble was still in the land of the
living, and fishes, of sort, were food
for him.
The poor wretch had terrible time
of it. He had contrived to get ashore
III safety, unseen in the thick fog, and
after brief rest, being exceptionally
clever in natatory exercise, he took to
the water again, and SO made his
way by degrees several miles from
the starting point, and discovering
at length most convenient little
nook in the rocks, there he concealed
himself, venturing out only when he
was quite sure the coast was clear to
search for mussels to keep him from
actual starvation.
But it seemed a hopeless look out
for him. It was autumn time and
the nights were cold, and water trickl-
ed through the roof of the tiny cave
in which he had taken refuge, so that
his broad arrow branded blanket
suit was always wet through; and
through an occasional few mussels
may be palatable enough to person
who is we'll fed and at liberty to par
take of them or leave them alone,
they are by no means satisfying as a
sole and single article of diet. Three
days and nights had now elapsed
since Pete Wimble had broken
bounds, and well-nigh famished and
INCREASINGLY shivering, he was resolv-
ing in his mind whether he had not
best give it up as a bad job and sur
render, when the pitying Fates ap-
| portioned him such q marvellous
slice of luck that he could scarcely be-
lieve his eyesight when he saw it.
It was early in the morning-bare-
ly six o'clock-and he had ventured
farther along the beach; keeping of
course, in the shadow of the cliffs, in
search of mussles, when 10! there at
his very feet, lay g. mans complete
suit, even to an excellent pair of
boots and q black felt hat. Better
still, on diving the hand in an inner
pocket of the coat (Mr. Wimble was
not the man to hesitate on such mat
ters) there was pocket book, and
in a trouser pocket a leather purse
that yielded to his thievish fingers
three sovereigns and some silver,
Cautiously dropping down on
his knee and gazing seaward
(the tide was low Mr.. Wimble
could make out the head and should
ers of a swimmer, which put beyond
doubt to whom the property belong
ed.
That discovery, however, so far
from checking the escaped convict's
impulse to avail himself of the splen-
did opportunity, gave q spur to it,
and with great rapidity he stripped,
and commencing with the swimmers 8
socks and shirt, dressed himself COM
| pletely duck favored him every way,
for the clothes were an exact fit, and
leaving his own heavy "ankle jacks"
and his branded unmentionables and
guernseys III their place, made q
stealthy exit to the cliff path that led
to the secluded little village beyond
which was the high road.
| Alas! for the swimmer, who was no
other than Mr.. Widgery.
| With the desperate design of evad-
ing pursuit he had penetrated Devon
shire to this isolated spot, and this
particular morning, after sleepless
night in consequence of the terrible
crime which weighed so heavily on his
conscience, he resolved on an early
dip, hoping that it might refresh him
and brace his unstrung nerves. But
what pen could describe his unspeaka-
ble CONSERVATION when hurrying
with chattering teeth across the
stretch OF shingle to pop on his COM
] forting tiannels, on arriving at the
| spot where he had desposited them
with his other hsbilimenst, nothing
was visible but the shameful costume
OF a convict.
Crime-haunted as he was, it SEEM
ed to poor Mr.. Widgery in the first
| few moments of his bewilderment
that Nemesis was pursuing him with
peculiar vindictiveness. A felon's
gsrb was now his proper wear, and an
awfully mysterious hand seemingly
had thus provided it without the te-
ious preliminary of human trial by
iudgeand jury.
| But though he succeeded in dismiss
ing from his mind this fantastical
supposition; there remained the
dreadful fact that unless he ventured
to the village sartorially unencumber-
ed as was Adam before the fall, he
must don the hateful garments. It
was no time to hesitate for the wind
had favour OF East in it. And
shuddering with disgust, he drew on
the horrid things.
! But not unseen!
| Just as it unfortunately happened,
the village constable had turned out
for duty but a.few minutes previous
ly, and his first stroll was towards
the cliffs. And the spectacle that met
his yigilant eyes was that OF the
escaped convict, Peter Wimble, dress.
ing himself on the beach below
1t has already been mentioned that
the latter was notoriously a reckless
ruffian, and probably it would go
hard with any one who attempted to