The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-02-22

to my heart to do it, though. / wa,
half mad when you came up with MS
However, there's no good grieving owe,
it. I've had ups in my life, and Pve
had downs, but I've learned not to orr
over split milk"
This is very serious matter, Small (,
said the detective. ''If you had helned
justice, instead of thwarting it in this
way, you would have had a better
chance at your trial"
Justice" snarled the ex-convict "a
pretty justice! Whose loot is this. If
IL is not ours? Where is the Justice
Chat should give it up to those who
nave never earned it? Look how I have
earned it! Twenty long years in that
1ever-ridden swamp, all day at work
under the mangrove tree. all nigh+
chained up in the filthy convict huts.
olCCeh by mosquitoes, racked with
ague, builied by every cursed black
raced policeman who loved to take it
out OF a white man. That was how 7
earned the Agra treasure; and you talk
TO me OF justice because cannot bear
10 feel that have paid this price only
Chat another may enjoy it! i would
rather swing score of times
or have one of Tongas darts in
my hide, than live in a convick,s cell
and feel that another man is at his ease
IN palace with the money that sbou1d
De mine" Small had dropped his mask
OF stolc1sm, and all this came out in n.
WIG Whlrl of words, while his ewes
olazed, and the handouts clanked to-
gether with imprisoned movement of
his hands. [ conld understand az
saw the fury and the passion of the
man, that it was no groundless or I'M
natural terror which had possessed
Maj. Sholto when he first learned that
the injured convict was upon his track
You forget thatwe know nothing of
all this" said Holmes, quietly 1--WE
have not heard your story, and we can
not tell how far justice may originally
nave been on your side"
We'll, sir, you have been very fair
spoken to me- though 1 can see that 1
have you to thank that l have these
bracelets upon my wrists. Still, bear
no grudge for that 1t is all fair and
above-board. If you want to hear nv
story have no wish to hold it back.
What say to you is Gods truth, every
word of it. Thank you; you can put
the glass beside me here, and I'll put
my lips to it if l am dry.
Il am Worcestershire man myself
born near Pershore. l dare say you
would find a heap of Smalls living
there now if you were to look. / have
often thought of taking a look round
there, but the truth is that was never
much of credit to the family, and /
doubt if they would be so very glad to
see me. They were all steady, chapel
going folk, small farmers, we'll known
and respected over the countryside,
while was always a bit of rover
At last, however, when I was about
eighteen, | gave them no more trouble
for | got into a mess over a girl, and
could only get out of it again by TAX
ing the queens shilling and joining
the Third Bluffs which was Just starting
for India.
II wasn't destined to do much sol
diering, however. l had just got past
rthe goose-step and learned to handle
my musket, when was fool enough to
/ go swimming in the Ganges. Luckily
for me, my company sergeant, John
1 Holder, was in the water at the same
time, and he was one of the finest
swimmers in the service. A crocodile
took me, just as | was half way across,
and nipped off my right leg just as
j clean as surgeon could have done it.
| just above the knee What with the
shock and the loss of blood I tainted,
and | should have been drowned if
Holder had not caught hold Of me and
padded for the bank. I was five
months in hospital over it, and when at
! last was able to limp out of it with
this timber toe strapped to my stump
l found myself invaded out of the
army and untitled for any active occu-
patton.
Il was, as you can imagine, pretty
down on my luck at this time, for /
was useless cripple, though not yet
in my twentieth year However, INV
misfortune soon proved to be bless.
ing in disguise. A man named Abel.
white, who had come out there as ar
Undergraduates wanted an overseer to
look after his coolies and keep them ur
to their work. He happened to be
friend of our colonels, who had taker
an interest in me since the accident.