Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-06-22

~ ttaiChsCh PaoStu dW n.y. tue pduk5 VI
hunger returned, and greedily seizing
upon the piece OF damper, he began to
eat In silence.
DO you hear, MANI" repeated Frere,
at length. what are your
IAN escaped prisoner You can give
me up In the morning. I've done my
best. and I'm beat"
This sentence struck Frere with dis
may. The man did not know that the
settlement had been Abandoned
Il cannot give you up. There In no
one but myself and a woman and child
on the settlement" Rufus Dawes, paus-
ing in his eating, stared at him in amaze
ment The prisoners have gone away
In the schooner. If you choose to re-
main free, you can do so as far as
am concerned. am as helpless as you
are"
But how do you come hereT
Frere laughed bitterly. To give ex-
plantations to convicts was foreign to his
experience, and he did not relish the
task. In this case, however, there was
no help for 1t. THE prisoners mu-
tinted and seized the brig"
terrible light broke upon Rufus
Dawes, and he began to understand how
he had again missed his chance. "who
took herf"
That double-dyed villain, John Rex"
says Frere, giving vent to his passion.
Rufus Dawes burst into a laugh 30
discordant that 1t made the other shud-
der. "Well starve together, Maurice
Frere,' said he; 'for while you've
crust, I'll share it, II l don't get lib
erty, at least I'll have revengep
The sinister aspect of this famished
savage sitting with his chin on his rag
ged knees, rocking himself to and fro
In the light of the fire, gave Mr. Maui
rice Frere new sensation. He felt
as might have felt that African hunter
who, returning to his campfire, found a
lion there. Wretch" said he, shrink
Ing from him, "why should you wish to
be revenged on me?"
The convict turned upon him with a
snarl. Take care what you say I'll
nave no hard words. Wretch If l am
a wretch who made me one7 If l hate
you and myself and the world, who made
me hate it'll l was born free-as free as
you are. Why should be sent to herd
with beasts, and condemned to this slav-
cry, worse than death? Tell me that,
Maurice Frere-tell me thatw
Il didn't make the laws" says Frere.
"Why do you attack me?"
Because you are what l was. You
are free. You can do as you please.
You can love, you can work, you can
think. l can only hatep He paused as
II astonished at himself. and then con-
tinued, with a low laugh: "Fine words
for convict, ehl But never mind, it's
all right, Mr.. IFrere; we're equal now,
and | sha'n't die an hour sooner than
you, though you are a free man"
Frere began to think that he was deal
ing with another mailman. "Diei There's
no need to talk of dying" he said, as
soothiDgly as it was possible for him to
say 1t. Time enough for that by and
by"
There spoke the free man. We con-
victs have an advantage over you gentle
men. You are afraid Of death; we pray
for 1t. 1t is the best thing that can
happen to us Die! They were go
ing to hang me once. wish they had"
There was such a depth Of agony In
this terrible utterance that Maurice
Frere was appalled, at It, There, 20
and sleep, my man." he said. "You are
knocked up. Wen talk In the morning. 4"
Hold on a bitl" cries Rufus Dawes.
with a coarseness Of manner altogether
foreign to that he had Just assumed.
''Who's with YEP
''The wife and daughter Of the COM
fandant," replied Frere. half afraid to
refuse an answer to a question so fierce
ly put.
"Poor souls" said the convict, 1T pity
them" And then he stretched himself.
like dog, before the blaze and went to
sleep instantly. When morning dawned
Frere awoke him.
Rufus Dawes glanced around him stu
pidly, and then remembering what had
happened, with great effort he stag
gered to his feet 81 thought they'd got
me-" he said; "but it's the other way.
l see. Come, let's have breakfast. Mr..
Frere I'm hungry"
You must wait" said Frere. ado
you think there Is no one here but your
self?"
The convict, stretching out his vast
ed arms, looked down upon them with
the uncertain gaze OF drunken man. at
an weak hOWt ne salu. lou nave the
best Of me-" and then he sunk suddenly
down upon the ground, exhausted. give
me drinkw he moaned, feebly motioning
with his hand.
Frere got him water In the pannikin.
and having drunk II, he smiled, and lay
down to sleep again. Mrs. vickers and
Sylvia coming out while he still silent.
recognized him as the desperate of the
settlement.
He was the most desperate man we
had" said Mrs. Vickers, identifying
herself with her husband. "Oh, what
shall we dof'
He won't do much HARM" returned
Frere, looking down at the notorious
ruf,ian with curiosity. Hes as near
dead as can be-"
Sylvia looked up at him with her clear
-hn1fu ola