Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-07-27

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you are hardened ruflan, sir! Do
you not hear me speak to your came
to console you, man. l wanted to give
you some good advicev'
Il beg your pardon, sir. Pray 60
ON
Il was going to say, my good fellow,
that you have done yourself great deal
of injury by your ill-advised accusation
of Captain Frere, and the use you made
of Miss Vickers' name"
A frown, as of pain, contracted the
prisoners brows, and he seemed with
difficulty to put a restraint upon his
speech. us there to be no inquiry, Mr..
Meekinr' he asked, at length. What
stated was the truth. Are they not
going to ask her for her story? They
told me that she was to be asked Sure
ly they will ask her."
II am not. perhaps, at liberty" said
Meekin, placidly, unconscious Of the ag-
ony of despair and rage that made the
voice Of the strong man before him
culver, ito state the intentions of the
authorities. but can tell you that Miss
Nickers will not be asked anything about
you. You are to go back to Port Ar
thur on the Oath, and to remain there"
A groan burts from Rufus Dawes; a
groan so full of torture, that even the
comfortable Meekin was thrilled by it.
Come" says Meekin, you can't com
plain. You have broken the law, and
you must suffer. Civilized society says
| you sha'n't do certain things, and If
you do them you must suffer the penalty
| civilized society imposes. You are not
/ wanting In intelligence, Dawes, more's
the pity-and you can't deny the justice
of that"
Rufus Dawes, as If disdaining to an
swer in words, cast his eyes round the
yard with a glance that seemed to ask.
| grimly, If civilized society was progress
| ing quite in accordance with justice,
when its civilization created such places
as that walled, carbine-guarded
prison shed, and filled 1t with such crea-
lures as those forty human beasts, doom
ed to spend the best years Of their man
hood cracking pebbles in it.
Meditating that night in the solitude
of his cell, he almost wept to think of
the cruel deception that had doubtless
been practiced on her. "They have told
her that l was dead, in order that she
might learn to forget me; but she could
not do that. have thought of her so
often during these weary years that she
must sometimes have thought of me-
Five years! She must be a woman now
My little child a woman! Yet, she is
sure to be child-like, sweet and gentle
How she will grieve when she hears of
my sutferings! Oh! my darling, my darl-
ing, you are not deadw And then, look
ing hastily about him in the darkness,
as though fearful even there of being
seem he pulled from out his breast a lit
tie packet, and felt it lovingly with his
coarse, toil-worn fingers, reverently rails
ing it to his lips, and dreaming over it,
with a smile on his face, as though it
were a sacred talisman that should open
to him the doors Of freedom.
The usual clanking and hammering
were prevalent upon the stone jetty at
Port Arthur when the schooner bearing
the returned convict, Rufus Dawes, ran
alongside. He sat with his head bowed
down and his hands clasped about his
knees, disdaining to look until they
reused him.
"Hallo, Dawesr' says Warder Troke.
halting his train Of ironed yellow ia ckets.
$50 you've come back again! Glad to
see yer, Dawes! 1t seems an age since
we had the pleasure of your company.
Dawesw At this pleasantly the train
laughed, so that their irons clanked more
than ever. They found it often incoA-
venient not to laugh at Mr.. Trokes hui
NOR. "Step down here, Dawes, and let
me introduce yer to your hold friends.
They'll be glad to see yer, won't yer,
boys? Why, bless me, Dawes, we thort
we'd lost yer! We thort yer'd given us
the slip altogether. Dawes They didn't
take care of yer in Hobart Town, ex-
pect, Ell, boys? Wen look after yer
here, Dawes, though. You won't bolt
any more"
''Take care Mr.. Troke." said warn.
ing voice, 'you're at it again! Let the
man aloner'
BY virtue of an order transmitted
from Hobart Town, they had begun tC
attach the dangerous prisoner to tht
last man of the gang. riveting the les
irons of the pair by means, of an extrs
link, which could he removed when nee
essary; but Dawes had given no sign o.
consciousness. At the sound of tn,
friendly tones however. he looked up
aud saw tall, gaunt man, dressed in s
shabby pepper and salt raiment. anC
: wearing black handkerchief knotteC
round his throat. He was a stranger t,
him.
II beg your pardon, Mr., North" saiC
Troke, sinking at once the bully in tn,
i sneak. ''I didn't see yer reverence"
? "A parsonl" thought Dawes, with dis
appointment, and dropped his eyes.
. at know that" returned Mr.. North
e coolly. 'If you had, you would hav
t been all butter and honey. Don't yol
t trouble youself to tell a lie; it's quit
t unnecessary. What's your name, m,
MANI"
e Rufus Dawes had intended to scowl