Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-05-18
for The Term of Ills Natural Life

BY MARCUS CLARKE

'he lsIanu settlement. Inc building or q
pier, or breakwater, running from the
western point of the settlement, was
discontinued; and all hands appeared
to be occupied with the newly built
Osprey, which was lying on the slips.
Parties of soldiers also daily left the
Ladybird, and assisted at the mysterious
work in progress.
A fortnight after this, about the 18th
of December, he observed another curl
GUS fact. All the boats on the island
put off one morning to the opposite side
of the harbor, and in the course of the
day great smoke arose along the side
of the hills. The next day the same
was repeated; and ON the fourth day
the boats returned, towing behind them
huge raft. This raft, made fast to
the. side of the Ladybird, proved to be
composed of planks, beams and joists,
all OF which were duly hoisted up and
slowed in the hold of the brig.
This set Rufus Dawes thinking. Gould
1t possibly be that the timber cutting
was to be abandoned, and that the gov
ernment had hit upon some other method
OF utilizing Its convict labor? He had
Lewn timber and built boats, and tanned
hides and made shoes. Was it possible
that some new trade was to be initiated ?
Before he had settled this point to his
satisfaction, he was startled by another
boat expedition. Three boats crews
went down the bay, and returned, after
days absence, with an addition to their
number in the shape of four strangers
and a quantity Of stores and farming
implements. Rufus Dawes, catching
sight of these last, came to the conclu-
sion that the boats had been to Philip
Island, where the garden" was estab-
lished, and had taken off the gardeners
and garden produce Rufus Dawes de-
cided that the Lady-bird had brought a
new commandment-hi sight, trained
by his half-savage life, had already dis
tinguished Mr.. Maurice Frere--and that
these mysteries were improvements"
under the new rule. When he arrived
at this point of reasoning, another con-
lecture, assuming his first to have been
correct, followed as natural conse-
quence. Lieutenant Frere would be a
more severe commandment than Major
Vickers. Now, severity had already
reached its height, so far as he was
concerned; 30 the unhappy man took a
final resolution-he would kill himself.
Ignorant that the sights and sounds
about him were symptoms Of the final
abandonment of the settlement, and that
the Lady-bird was sent down to bring
away the prisoners, Rufus Dawes de-
cided upon getting rid of that burden
of life which pressed upon him 80 heav-
lily. For six years he had hewed wood
and drawn water; for six years he had
hoped against hope; for six years he
had lived In the valley Of the shadow Of
death. He dared not recapitulate to
himself what he had suffered. Indeed,
his senses were deadened and dulled by
torture. He cared to remember only one
thing-that he was a prisoner for life.
In vain had been his first dream of free
dom. He had done his best, by good
conduct, to win release; but the villainy
of Vetch and Rex had deprived him of
the fruit of his labor Instead of gain
ing credit by his exposure of the plot on
board the Malabar, he was himself
deemed guilty and condemned, in spite of
his observations of innocence. The
knowledge of his ''treachery," while it
gained for him no credit with the au-
thorities, procured for him the detesta-
tion and ill-will of the monsters among
whom he found himself. On his arrival
at Helrs Gates he was marked man, a
pariah among those beings who were
pariahs to all the world besides.
In the meantime, the settlement was
in a fever Of excitement. In less than
three weeks from the announcement
made by Vickers, all had been got ready.
The commandant had finally arranged
with Frere as to his course of action.
He himself would accompany the Lady
bird with the main body. His wife and
daughter were to remain until the sail
ing of the Osprey, which Mr.. Frere was
to bring up as soon as possible. 81 will
leave you a corporars guard, and ten
prisoners as crew." Vickers said. "You
can work her easily with that number"
To which Frere had replied that he could
do with five prisoners if necessary, for he
knew how to get double work out of the
lazy dogs
Near Philips Island, on the north side
| of the harbor, Is situated Coal Head
where a party had been lately at work
This party, hastily withdrawn by Wick.
ers to assist in the business of devasta.
ton, had left behind it some tools and
timber, and at the eleventh hour boats
crew was sent to bring away the debris
The tools were duly collected, and the
pine logs-worth twenty-five shillings
apiece In Hobart Town-duly RATED and
chained. The timber was secured and
the convicts, towing it after them, pulled
for the ship just as the sun sunk. Ir
the general relaxation of discipline and
haste the raft had not been made with
as much care as usual, and the strons
current against which the boat was la
boring assisted the negligence of the con
victs. The logs began to loosen, ant
though the onward motion of the boa
kept the chain taut, when the rover.
slackened their exertions the mass part