Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-01-26

bring. You Will observe that have left
the seven guards entirely ont in my
figuring.
When the Hindu was ready to receive
The oonvicta o government inspectoe
same aboard to see that everything re.
lating to the prisoners was shipshapa
There was nothing to find fault with,
and he named the date when the gang
would he sent aboard. Our passengers
came first-exactly 20 Of them. Whom
do you suppose the first three werel
When first clapped eyos ON them, I
was 80 taken aback that ! stood open
mouthed and could not utter . word.
They were Mr.. and Mrs Williams and
the daughter, Mary. It had been six
weeks since ! left Dudley, and had re-
ceived no news Of them whatever,
though I was every day trying to pluck
up the courage TO write direct to Mary
herself.
"Well, Ralph. it's this way" said
the father as I expressed my astonish.
ment. Everybody knows the gal is in.
nocent a. babe, but she cant abide
notoriety. Well go out to Australia
and have look around, and IL things
don't suit we can return after couple
Of years. I'd forgotten the name of your
craft, and it's pleased am 20 find that
we are to sail with you"
can't say that Mary seemed over
pleased 10 find me there. Indeed. she
acted a. If considerably put out about
it. While may not have been distaste-
full to her personally, yet the sight Of
me kept all the past in mind. and she
had taken her troubles very much to
heart. She shook hands and made an
effort to bc friendly. however, and that
was all / could expect. OF the other II
passengers there were four married cou.
ples, two yonng women servants, one
single man and six children. They were
all middle class people. tidy and re-
spectacle. and we could not have asked
for u better lot.
The passengers came aboard in the
morning. At 2 o'clock In the after.
noon our prisoners came alongside un-
der q heavy guard, and received an.
other shock, and far more disagreeable
one The first convict to step aboard
was Ben johnson, the villain who was
to blame for what had gone through.
We were face to face before we recog.
nized each other. He was handcuffed
and also had on leg chains, for he had
become SO desperate that everybody
feared him. His face was full Of curl
osity as he stepped ON deck, but the in
stant his eyes lighted ON me he raised
his manacled hands TO strike and shout
ed at the top Of his voice:
"You here, Ralph Tompkinsi All.
you cowa7dly cur, but could ask for
no better luck! When we take the ship,
il will be my pleasure to fay You alive. F"
I knew. Of course, that he had been
sentenced 10 transportation for life. but
it had never occurred to me that he
might be among the gang Of so. Tho
guards seized him and were hustling
him along when he caught sight OF
Mary and her parents. He realized in
an instant that they were passengers,
and there was look Of devilish fcrocity
ON his face ~ he cried out:
"Whatl And Mary too! Why. satan
himself seems bound 20 play into my
hands ON this trip. Three cheers for Ben
Johnson's luck"'
The girl and her people were as badly
knocked out NJ was, and bad We not
been all ready to weigh anchor they
would have quit the brig and forfeited
their passage money. Mary had to be
led below, while the father declared to
me that nothing on earth could have
induced him to 20 with the Hindu had
he known that Ben Johnson was to be
one Of the gang. The situation was q
bad one for all four Of Us, but the only
way left US was to put on o bold face
and make the best Of it, Ben Johnson
was perhaps the most desperate man in
the lot, but the gang as q whole was
one Of the worst ever embarked. When
they had been divided and Gagged, the
officer Of the guard felt it his duty to
say:
II have handled at least so gangs OF
convicts in my time, and tell you that
no ship ever had worse one under
matches. There are plenty Of men afloat
and shore who are willing TO bet two to
one that you never get rs far as the