Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-19
THE CONVICT.
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.

BY CHARLES B, LEWIS.
When I reached Hampton Hall one even
ing III invitation from Colonel Hampton
to spend the week with him, l found that
he had been suddenly called away on bust
NESS and would be gone for a couple Of
days. He left q note for me explaining
matters and begging that l would make
myself comfortable, and l was given a
room next to his OF the second floor. 1t
was in the month of November, and the
evening was bleak and drear. For a cou-
pie of hours after dinner l sat chatting
with II of Hampton's neigkbors who
happened In and then went to my room,
taking a book from the library on my
way up. 1t was a large roonl, with n bed
on. the west side against the wall, and the
table at which I sat down to read was in
the center. Five minutes after entering
the room I was busy with the book, and 1t
was perhaps 20 minutes before l raised my
eyes from the pages. ! faced the bed, and
1T may have been some slight noise that
attracted my attention. l just glanced in
that direction, but an instant later the
glance became a fixed stare. 1t was a
massive old fashioned bedstead, with a
valance, Or curtain, falling to tho floor
around ono side and the foot. Just peep
ing out from under this curtain was the
toe of a shoe-a coarse, heavy shoe, with
sole nailed on. 1t was not the shoe worn
by mechanics or day laborers, but / recog-
nized it in an instant as a prison shoe. All
~conyicts wore that make of shoe in prison
and left it behind when set at liberty.
A discharged prisoner who should go out
wearing such shoes would LIE arrested as b
suspect by the first constable who en-
countered him.
The toe of a prison shoe peeping from
under the bed meant that there was a foot
In it, a leg belonging to the foot, a body
belonging to the leg. That there was an
escaped convict under tho bed I hadn't the
slightest doubt. AS I looked at that toe /
remembered that Colonel Hampton had
been governor at Dartmoor prison for
many years, though out of 1T for five years
back. 1t was 16 miles to Dartmoor, and
I had heard nothing Of an escape, but the
man under the bed was n doubt in prison
uniform and from the institution named.
How had be managed to enter the house?
What was his obSectf What move should
! make under the circumstances?
With my eyes fastened on the page of the
book and my heart beating like a trip
hammer, I tried to figure out the situa-
tion and decide on what was to be done.
/ was not armed, and l was all alone on
that floor. By this timo all the servants
had gone to their rooms, and even if I
could arouse them they were not to be de-
pended Oh in a struggle with an escaped
convict. Ihad a pretty good nerve In those
days, and yet as l sat there trying to solve
the problem I found my mouth as dry as
cotton and my whole body trembling.
You will perhaps say that I should have
got up and walked out of the room and
down stairs. To be honest with you, my
knees were so weak that / feared they
would not serve me, and / also feared that
the convict would suspect my design and
roll out and attack me If l got safely out
and down stairs, he would be left behind,
and what would he do? 1t was a mile to
the nearest house and four miles to a po-
lice station. I knew little Of the castle and
was ignorant of the servants quarters.
While I admit that I was unnerved, / had
no thought of running away. BY and by
as / continued to grope for a remedy, and
at the same time scold myself, grew cool.
er, and presently did the best thing un
der the circumstances. Doing my best to
steady my voice and speaking as If to one
beside me, I said:
"You might as we'll come out from un-
der the bed, my a / have known Of
your presence there this half hour, and
you must be tired by this time"
The toe suddenly disappeared from sight,
and there was u waving motion of the
curtain.
II think you had better come out. You
| are here on nm GRAND, and the sooner you
have acc mplished it the ooner you can
20. The men from Dartmoor will be on
your heels before daylight"
Then the man suddenly rolled into view
and sprang to his feet with a muttered
curse. He was In convict uniform. He
was short and thickset and a man Of
great strength. As for his face, every line
| Of 1t war evil. He had beetle brows, mas
sive jaws and baleful eyes, and his right
hand clutched and 1ourished a naked
knife nearly q foot long. Given my choice,
! would sooner have faced a Bengal tiger
bounded to fury by hunters.
well, what do you want here9" I asked
| a. I put aside the book.
~ want you, curse you'll he savagely
replied az he came a step nearer.
II am here. What is itY'
II / seemed to be cool, such was far
from being the case, but my apparent cool
ness rather disconnected the man. Had I
shouted for help, had / stood on my feet
or made a move, he would have flung him
self upon me and used the knife. I sim.
| ply leaned back In my chair and looked at
him and spoke In even tones. He reached
for a chair, placed 1t opposite and, sitting
down, with his elbows on the table, glared
1t me and said:
ayes, I escaped from Dartmoor this
morning, and no doubt they'll have me
back before noon tomorrer, but when they
come for me they'll find your dead body.
That's why I wanted to give 'em the slip
to kill you. As for getting clear OF
without money or friends, ! can't hope to
do II. You remember me-, goverror-Bil
Watson, No. 4,s20-in for 30 yearsa"
"No, / don't recall you."
"Oh, you DON'T You ordered the lash for
10 many Of the poor devils-you were 20
bont on hseAkiug the spirit Of 70 many Of
tie gang that - don's happen to rsmem.
M me-. rsmetnber you, though. ! had
70 many favors At your hands that ! swors
~. AA