Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-02-10

she had collided with n bark out from
-; and though no one could quite tell
how the mishap occurred, 1t was per-
fectly clear that the bark had gone
down, and that the ram of the warship
was in damaged condition. II. NJ. S.
Ravager was accordingly put into dry
dock for repairs.
AS very often happens at this place
where the vessel was docked, conyicts
were at work upon the quays. They
were Il mixed lot; but, being good-con-
duct men, they all enjoyed greater
freedom of action In the discharge OF
their duties than is ordinarily extend
ed to the enforced working guests of
the nation. Yet, Notwithstanding this
unspoken testimony to their compara-
tive worth, the commander of the RAY
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 confOunded
foolishness 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 un-
willing residents within the shadow of
the broad arrow, they had no evil de-
signs upon her Majesty's 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-
fled his course of action chad such been
necessary by the fact that many Of
the cOnvicts were working only few
yards from the dock side and some
what removed from the warder's imme-
diate 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 H. M.
8. Ravager, however. He was merely
resolved to blow the convicts to the
mischief, individually or collectively, IL
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 refined
person in appearance, the degradation
of his position by no means overwhelm-
ed him with melancholy or distress. 1t
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-
concern the close proximity of his fell
low-man. Perhaps he reflected that
those aboard the Ravager We're harder
worked prisoners than himself and
that he could afford them trifle. of
pity.
He did not disdain, moreover, to take
advantage of the situation in which he
found himself; nor was his sensitive
ness hurt by the silence of Tommy At
kins when he endeavored to engage
that worthy in conversation. He was
not discouraged by Tommys dignity,
and did not hesitate to try again when
guard was changed late in the after
noon and Private Robert Smith COM
menced, his monotonous sentry-go.
AS 1t happened Private Smith was in
tensely Interested and excited by. the.
presence of the convicts. He had good
reason to be, for he remembered with
vividness and horror that set him
shuddering how near he had been some
radiation as these men were enduring.
He was different parsonage altogeth-
err now-different even in name-to the
slip of boy who had thought it a dis
tinction to be the boon companion of
so clever and so dashing man as
Louis Vaudois. The service had made
a man of him, had effected complete
change In his personal appearance;
while the narrow escape from the con
viction for forgery during the period
of yaudois' influence had so frightened
him from wild ways that there was
now no steadier member of her Majes-
ty's red marines than Private Smith,
sometime Roger Vanbrugh. But In one
respect he did not alter He remained
stanch to a savage hatred against the