Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-08-11

t'h my ldull, MT. North, ne SAID.
didn't know that the lad was chicken
hearted But North turned away il
disgust, and Macklewain and Burgess
pursued their homeward route together
Mr.. North, in agony of mind at wha
he considered the consequences of hi
neglect, slowly, and with head bowed
down, as one bent on a painful errand
went to see the prisoner who had sur
VVed. lie found him kneeling on the
ground, Frustrated.
Rufus Dawes!"
At the tone Rufus Dawes looked up
and seeing who 1t was, waved him off
Don't speak to me-" he said. with an
| hhpreceation that made North's flesh
creep I've told you what | think of
you-a hypocrite, who stands by while
a man is cut to pieces, and then comes
and whines religion to him."
North stood in the center of the cell.
with his arms hanging down. and his
head bent. "You are right" he said, in
a low tone. 81 must seem to You n
hypocrite. | a servant of Christ? A
besotted beast rather! am not come to
WHINE religion to you. l am come to
ask your pardon. l might have saved
you from punishment-saved that poor
boy from death. l wanted to save him.
God knows! But l have n vice. 7 nm
drunkard | yielded to temptation, and
= was too late. | come to you, as one
sinful man to another, to ask you to for
give me- And North suddenly flung
himself down before the convict, and
catching his blood-bespotted hands in
his own, cried, Forgive me, brother"
Rufus Dawes, too much astonlshed to
speak, bent his black eyes on the man,
who crouched at his feet, and q ray of
divine pity penetrated his gloomy soul.
lie seemed to catch n glimpse of misery
more profound than his own, and his
stubborn heart felt human sympathy
with this erring brother. "Then In this
hell there is yet man." said he; and
hand-grasp passed between these
two unhappy beings. North arose, and
with averted face, passed quickly from
the cell. Rufus Dawes looked at the
hand which his strange visitor had TAX
en-. and something glittered there. 1t was
a tear. He broke down at the sight of
it, and when the guard came to fetch
the tameless convict, they found him on
his knees in a corner, sobbing like a
child.
The morning after this, the Rev. Mr..
North departed in the schooner for
Hobart Town. Between the officious
chaplain and the commandant the events
of the previous day had fixed a great
gulf. Burgess knew that North meant to
report the death of Kirkland and guess
ed that he would not be backward In
relating the story to such persons in
Hobart Town as would most readily re-
peat it.
Burgess, however touched with sell
hsh regrets, determined to balk the
parson at the outset. He would send
down an official return" Of the unfor-
tunate occurrence by the same vessel
that carried his enemy, and thus get
the ear of the office. Meekin, walking
on the evening of the hogging past the
wooden shed where the body Law, saw
Troke bearing buckets filled with dark
colored water, and heard a great splash
ing and sluicing going on inside the hut
What is the matter?" he asked.
Doctors bin post morticing the pris
oner what was logged this morning
sir" said Troke, ''and we're cleanin'
up"
North, on his arrival, went straight
to the house of Major Vickers. az have
a complaint to make, sir" he said. al
wish to lodge 1t formally with you. A
prisoner has been logged to death at
Port Arthur. saw it done"
Vickers bent his brow. "A serious
accusation, Mr.. North | must of
course, receive it with respect, coming
from you. but I trust that you have
fully considered the circumstances of the
case. | always understood Captain Bur
CESS was a most humane man"
North shook his head He would not
accuse Burgess. He would let events
speak for themselves. II only ask for
an inquiry" said he,
YES. my dear sir. I know. Very
proper, indeed, on your part, if you
think any injustice has been done: but
have you considered the expense. the
delay, the immense trouble and dissat-
isfaction all this will giveY"
No trouble, no expense, no dissatis.
faction, should stand in the way of hu.
mainly and justice" cried North.
"Of course not. But will Justice be
done2 Are you sure you can prove your
case? Mind, l admit nothing against
Captain Burgess, whom | have AWAY,
considered most worthy and zeaIou,
officer; but, supposing your charge &c
be true, can you prove itf"
Yes. If the witnesses speak tn,
truth"
who are they?"
Myself, DIR. Macklewain. the consta
BILE and two prisoners, one of whom wa.
logged himself. He will speak tn,
truth, | believe. The other man hav,
not much faith in"
Very well; then there is only a pris
oner and DIR. Macklewain; for If Their,
has been foul play the convict-constabl
will not accuse the authorities. More
over, the doctor does not agree witt
you"
mo-" cried North, amazed.
mo. You see, then, my dear sir. how
necessary it is not to be hasty in mat
tiers of this kind. | really think tina
your goodness of heart has misled YOU
Captain Burgess sends a report of tn
case. He says the man was sentence
to hundred lashes for gross insolenc
and disobedience of orders; that the doc