The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1906-06-14
for The Term of His Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE


Z huge raft. This raft. made fast I
the side Of the Ladybird. proved TO b
composed Of planks. beams and joists
4 all Of which were duly hoistsd up an.
7 slowed In the hold Of the brig.
This set Rufus Dawes thinking. Coul,
II possibly be that the timber cuttins
was TO be abandoned. and that the gov
eminent had hit upon some other method
OF utilizing IT'S convict laborl He had
rewn timber and built boats. and tanned
hides and made shoes. Was II possible
thar some new trade was 10 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 70 Philip
island, where the garden" was estab-
hshed. and had taken of the gardeners
and garden produce. Rufus Dawes de-
eided that the Lady-bird had brought
new eommandment-his sight. trained
by his half-savage life. had already dis
unsuished Mr.. Maurice Frere-and that
these mysteries were Improvements"
under the new rule. When be arrived
az this point Of reasoning. another CON
lecture. assuming his first to have been
correct. followed as a natural eonse-
quenee- Lieutenant Frere would be
more severe commandment than Major
sickers- Now. severity had already
reached ITS height. so far as he was
concerned; so the unhappy man took a
maj resolutioa-he would kill himself.
Ignorant that the sights and sounds
about him were symptoms Of the final
abandonment of the settlement. aud that |
me Lady-bird was sent down to bring |
away the prisoners. Rufus Dawes de- /
cioed upon getting rid Of that burden 4
OF HE which pressed upon him so heav-
NY For six years he had hewed wood Il
ana drawn water; for six years he had
noped against hope; for six years he
mad 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 bv
torture He cared 10 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 vfIlainy
OF Netch and Rex had deprived him Of
the fruie 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
MS dissertations of innocence. The
knowledge Of his '.treachery.'' while II
gained for him no credit with the an
ihorities. procured for him the detesta-
ion and ill-will Of the monsters among
whom he found himself On his arrival
II Hell's Gates he was a marked man.
'ariah among those beings who were
'ariahs TO all the world besides.
In the meantime. the settlement was
u fever Of excitement. In less than
hree weeks from the announcement
iade by yickers. all had been got ready.
he eommandanf had finally arranged .
nth Frere as to his course Of action. .
lie himself would accompany the LADY, &
ird with the main body. His wife and Q
aughfer were TO remain until the sail :
x Of the Osprey. which Mr.. Frere was y
} bring up as soon as possible II will ;.
ave you corporaPs guard. and ten a
-isoners as a crew." yickers said. ssYou e
IN work her easily with that NUMBER II
D which Frere had replied that he eould IN
f%-~t- &c ~ A7tfAArA1 ~ AltCt-5drI. Tor ne
lew how to get double work out Of the 10
" dogs
Near Philips Island. on the north side
the harbor. Is situated Coal Head.
iere party had been lately at work.
lis party, hastily withdrawn By Wick ~
! TO assist in the business of devasta- eii
n, had left behind it some tools and ral
iber. and at the eleventh hour a boats
w was sent to bring away the debris.
e tools were duly collected, and the
70 logs-worth twenty-five shfIlings tor
zee in Hobart Town-duly RATED and 80
lined The timber was secured. and
convicts- towing 1t after them. pulled ien
the ship just as the sun sunk. In
general relaxation Of discipline and :.
tie the raft had not been made with
much care as usual, and the strong egg
rent against which the boat was Ia any
ing assisted the negligence of the con- 81
s. The logs began to loosen. and ! 9Th
ugh the onward motion Of the boat mo,
the chain taut. when the rowers a.
kened their exertfons the mass part =.
and Mr.. Troke. hooking himself on
be side Of the Lady-bird, saw a buge
slip out from its fellows. and dis -
EAR into the darkness. Gazing after ~
18th an indignant and Disguised stare OF I
hough 1t had been a refractory pris- u
who merited two-days' Solitary hear
bought he heard a cry from the d. new
on In which it had been borne. He ~.
d have paused to listen, but all his
ition was needed to save the timber. ""'
to prevent the boat from being
nped BY the struggling mass at her II
! was
'e cry had proceeded from Rufus tb,a
e. From his solitary rock be had 80
he'd the boat pass him and make
be Lady-bird in-channel. and be had tnat
ed that the moment when the gath IL 1t
gloom swallowed her up should be pipes
moment when he would plunge into
urge below him. The heavily la
g boat grew DINNER and DINNER.
oh tug Of the oars took her further snoul
him. Presently. only the figure Of watcl
rroke 10 the stern sheets was Wis Mo
than that also disappeared, and AZ He n
ose Of the timber raft rose on the nm an
OF the next wave, Rufus Dawes
himself into the sea-
was heavily ironed, and he sunk Ties
stone. He had resolved not to psyin
Df IN asvirn and fo~ fhs e. - .~xf~