The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-02-11
NJ. S. RAVAGER had met
with an accident. Steaming


how the mishap occurred, il was per-
fectly clear that the bark had gone
down, and that the ram of the warship
was in damaged condition. III. NJ. S.
Ravager was accordingly put into dry
dock for repairs.
As very often happens at this place
where the vessel was locked, conyicts
were at work upon the quays. They
were a mixed lot; but, being good-con-
duct men, they all enjoyed a greater
freedom of action in the discharge or /
their duties than is ordinarily extend
ed to the enforced working guests of
the nation. Yet, Notwithstanding this
unspoken testimony to their compare
tive worth, the commander of the Raw
ager was less disposed than usual to
place trust in them. He was in fero
cious humor, for that little affair with
the bark was not unlikely to interfere
with his promotion. There would be
an inquiry, of course, and what Chris
tian ever could tell what COMPOUNDED
foollshness and injustice the finding
might yield? He cursed the bark, and
the ill-luck and the navigating lieuten-
ant whom at one time he had left on
the bridge, each with impartial fury;
and put a double guard of marines
ashore, with fixed bayonets and ball
cartridge, and an emphatic instruction
to play the very devil with those jail
birds if they tried on any of their ours
ed nonsense"
The extra precaution was scarcely
necessary. To do justice to these I'M
willing residents within the shadow of
the broad arrow, they had no evil de-
signs upon her Majestys warship.
Their hostility to an unappreciatiye
country did not rise to quite so great
height as that. All the same, the conf
mander might very easily have justi-
fed his course of action chad such been
necessary by the fact that many of
the conyicts were working only few
yards from the dock side and some
what removed from the wardcr's imme-
date watchfulness; though it would
have been possible to show on the other
hand that, being men whose term of
servitude was almost completed, these
/ prisoners were perfectly reliable, mas
much as they could not afford to COM
nit any indiscretions calculated to
jeopardize their expected early release
on ticket-of-leave.
These considerations did not in any
way concern the commander of II. NJ.
s. Ravager, however. He was merely
resolved to blow the convicts to the
mischief individually or collectively, If
they tried on any tricks with his ship;
and in the choicest of quarterback En-
gliSh gave orders accordingly.
One of the prisoners was working
quite near to the dockside and almost
in the track of one Of the sentries from
the Ravager. Though rather a refined
person in appearance, the degradation
of his position by no means overwhelm
ed him with melancholy or distress. II
may have been the consciousness OF
innocence that enabled him to whistle
softly an air which had served the
street organs some seven years be
fore and enabled him to view with un
concern the close proximity of his fel
low-man Perhaps he reflected tina
those aboard the Ravager were harder
worked prisoners than himself anC
that he could afford them a trife O.
pity.
He did not disdain, moreover, to TAX
7 advantage of the situation in which h.
found himself; nor was his sensitive
: ness hurt by the silence of Tommy At
kins when he endeavored to engag
: that worthy in conversation. He wa
not discouraged by Tommy's dignity
, and did not hesitate to try again whel
!, guard was changed late In the after
i. noon and Private Robert Smith CON
|. menced his monotonous sentry-go.
d AS it happened Private Smith was IL
!, tensely interested and excited by til
presence of the convicts. He had goo
reason to be, for he remembered wit
r n vividness and horror that set hiI
: shuddering how near he had been som
eight years before to just such a de.
n radiation as these men were endurin.
q He was a different parsonage altogetl
/ err now-different even in name-to til
: = slip of boy who had thought it di
l. tinction to be the boon companion {
so clever and so dashing a man 9
Louis Vaudois The service had mac
man of him, had effected a complet
y change in his personal appearance,
& while the narrow escape from the col
: viction for forgery during the perio
y, of Naudois' influence had so frightene
n ha
l. now no steadier memberof her Maize
- tvs red marines than Private Smit
sometime Roger Vanbrugh. But in OIL
" respect he did not alter. He RENAME
= stapch to savage hatred against Il
e. man who had certainly brought ru
= into his life. and by scoundrelly insi
uatine manners and methods had q
most sent him into surroundings lii
unto those upon which he had gazt
= with such fascination ever since Il
Ravager had been floated into dock.
Is true the charge against him at Il
+ OLD Bailey had not been sustain,
= through n defending counsers clev
M manipulation of evidence imperfect
at presented by the prosecution; but
- hated Louis Vaudois no less passio
ay ately on that account, for he had but
%, recall those terrible hours spent befo
= his judges-the miserable twisting
d. feelings. and haltings of the evident
IN and, above all, the business of t
,aI charge, to fill his heart with such fer
q enmity as even now set his pulses lea
~ ing and boiling with the widest desi
- for revenge.
III A thrill of excitement went shiveri
o. down his spine for an instant ira
FL Ii ,.nit,c lAn fntl