Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-08-10
kirkland was dead.


for sometimes newly tortured men grow
| desperate. This one, however, was ST.
lent with the last lash, only, in taking
ms shirt from under the body of the
boy, he muttered "Deadv' and in his
tone there seemed to be a touch of
envy. Then iinging his shirt over his
Dleedlng shoulders, he walked out, de-
tiant to the last.
Game, amt he?" said one constable
10 the other as they pushed him, not
urgently, into an empty cell, there to
wait for the hospital guard. The body
OF Kirkland was taken away in silence
ana Burgess turned rather pale when
ne saw North's threatening face. 1T
isn't my fault, Mr.. North he said. 81
dldnt know that the lad was chicken
hearted" But North turned away in
disgust, and Macklewain and Burgess
pursued their hOmeward route together
Mr.. North, in agony of mind at what
ne considered the consequences of his
neglect, slowly, and with head bowed
doWn, as one bent on a painful errand.
went to see the prisoner who had sur
Ylved. He found him kneeling on the
ground, Frustrated.
Rufus Dawesy'
At the tone Rufus Dawes looked nm
and seeing who it was, waved him off.
Don't speak to me-" he said, with an
lmpreceation that made North's flesh
creep. I've told you what I think of
you-a hypocrite, who stands by while
man is cut to pieces, and then comes
and wines 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. II must seem to Won a
hypocrite. l servant of Christ?
besotted beast ratherl am not come to
whine religion to you. l am come to
ask your pardon. I might have saved
you from punishment-saved that moor
boy from death. 1 wanted to save him.
God knows! But have a vice; I am
a drunkard, l yielded to temptation, and
Il 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 astonished to
speak, bent his black eyes on the man,
who crouched at his feet, and a ray of
divine pity penetrated his gloomy soul.
lie seemed to catch a 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 a man." said he; and
a 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
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 oficious
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
fish 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 fogging past the
wooden shed where the body lay, 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. 81 have
a complaint to make, sir" he said. az
| wish to lodge 1t formally with you. A
prisoner has been logged to death at
| Port Arthur. l saw it done"
Vickers bent his brow. "a serious
accusation, Mr.. North. l must, of
course, receive it with respect, coming
from you, but l trust that you have
fully considered the circumstances of the
case. l always understood Captain Bur-
CESS was most humane man"
North shook his head. He would not
accuse Burgess. He would let events
speak for themselves. 81 only ask for
an inquiry" said he.
Eyes, my dear sir, 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 viii give?
'No trouble, no expense, no dissatis-
faction, should stand in the way of hui
mainly and justice" cried North.
"Of course not. But will justice be
done2 Are you sure you can prove your