Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-02

~,
on the settlement Rufus Dawes no,s-
ing III MS eating, stared at him in amaze
ihent. The prisoners have gone away
IN the schooner. If you choose TO re-
mann Tree, you can do SO as far ne
am concerned. l am as HELPLESS as Won
are" 40 'ou
But how do you come here?,
Frere laughed bitterly. To o;vo ox
plantations to convicts was forn;en ~ ~
experience, and he did not relish tba
TASK, IN TINS case, however, there was
no heip Tor 1t. THE prisoners mu-
TIMED and seized the brig
A terrible light broke unon P,,f,s
Da"es' and he began to understand how
he had again missed his chance. .Wbo
took her?' ~
That 'double-dyed villain, John Rex"
says frere, giving vent to his passion.
Rutus Dawes burst into a laugh so
dlscordant that it made the other shud-
der. Wen starve together. Maurice
frere," said he; ''for while you'ya q
crust, I'll share it. If 1 don't get lib
erty, at least I'll have revenger'
Ihe 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.. Man
rice Frere new sensation. He felt
as might have felt that African hunter
who, returning to his campfire, found q
lion there. ''Wretchr' 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
have no hard words. Wretch! If I am
a wretch who made me one? If | hate
you and myself and the world, who made
me hate it? | 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 that!''
Il didn't make the laws" says Frere.
why do you attack me?''
Because you are what I was. You
are free. You can do as you please.
You can love, you can work, you can
think. 1 can only hate!" He paused as
if astonished at himself. and then con-
tinued, with a low laugh: ''Fine words
for convict, Ell! But never mind, it's
all right, Mr.. Frere: we're equal now,
and | sha'n't die an hour sooner than
you, though you are free man"
t'rere began to think that he was deal
ing with another mailman. "Diei There's
no need to talk of dying" he said, as
soothingly as it was possible for him to
say it. 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 it. It is the best thing that can
happen to US Die! They were go
ing to hang me once. l wish they had"
There was such a depth of agony in
this terrible utterance that Maurice
Frere was appalled, at it. "There, go
and sleep, my man." he said. "You are
knocked up. Well talk in the morning."
Hold on a bit"' cries Rufus Dawes,
with a coarseness of manner altogether
foreign to that he had just assumed.
''Who's with ye?"
1.-THE wife and daughter of the COM
fandant," replied Frere, half afraid to
~ put.
''Poor souls" said the convict, 81 pity
them" And then he stretched himself,
like a 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 a great effort he stag
gered to his feet. II thought they'd got
me- he said; ''but it's the other way,
1 see Come, let's have breakfast, Mr..
Frere I'm hungry"
''You must watt" said Frere. DO
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. Il
am weak now" he said. "You have the
best of me-" and then he sunk suddenly
down upon the ground, exhausted. Give
me drink" he moaned, feebly motionlng
with his hand.
Frere got him water in the pannlkin,
and having drunk it, he smiled, and lay
down to sleep again. Mrs. Vickers and
Sylvia coming out while he still slept,
recognized him as the desperate of the
settlement.
'He was the most desperate man we
had" said Mrs. Vickers, Identifying
herself with her husband. ION, what
shall we do?'
'sHe won't do much Marin, fetuIheu
Frere. looking down at the notorious
rufian with curiosity. Hes as near
dead as can be- >, ~
sylvia looked up at him with her clear
childs glance ''We mustn't let MN
die" said she. ''That would be muir
der 4.,--. ..,o
mo. no. returned Frere, hastily; mo
one wants him to die. But what can
sI'll nurse him." cried Sylvia.
Frere broke into one OF his coarse
laughs, the first one that he had lnau nso
cd in since the mutiny. You nurse
him! That's a good one" The poor
little child, weak and excitable' felt the
contempt in the tone, and burst INTO ie,,it
passion of sobs. "Why do you lhsu,s
mo Won wicked man? The poor reno"