Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-06-08
for The Term of His Natural Life
BY MARCUS CLARKE



What do you mean? Do you know
me-" asked Frere, drawing back. But
the convict did not reply. His moment
ary emotion passed away, the pangs of
hunger returned, and greedily seizing
upon the piece of damper, he began to
eat In silence.
DO you hear, manT repeated Frere,
at length. What are your
IAN escaped prisoner. You can give
me up In the morning. I've done my
best, and I'm beat"
This sentence struck Frere with dis
may. The man did not know that the
settlement had been abandoned!
Il cannot give you up. There Is no
one but myself and a woman and child
on the settlement" Rufus Dawes, paus-
ing In his eating, stared at him in amaze
ment. THE prisoners have gone away
In the schooner. If you choose to re-
main free, you can do so as far as l
am concerned. l am as helpless as you,
are"
"But how do you come here?"
Frere laughed bitterly. To give ex-
plantations to convicts was foreign to his
experience, and he did not relish the
task. In this case, however, there was
no help for 1t. ''The prisoners mu-
tinted and seized the brig"
A terrible light broke upon Rufus
Dawes, and he began 10 understand how
he had again missed his chance. "Who
took herr"
THAT double-dyed villain, John Rex"
says Frere, giving vent to his passion.
Rufus Dawes burst into a laugh 80
discordant that It made the other shud-
der. We'll starve together, Maurice
Frere," said he; "for while you've
crust, III share it. II don't get lib
erty, at least I'll have revenger
The 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.. Maui
rice Frere a new sensation. He felt
as might have felt that African hunter
who, returning to his campfire, found a
lion there. Wretch, 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 l am
a wretch who made me one? If l hate
you and myself and the world, who made
me hate itf l was born free-as free as
you are. Why should be sent to herd
with beasts, and condemned to this slav-
cry, worse than death7 Tell me that
Maurice Frere-tell me thatw
Il didn't make the laws" says Frere.
why do you attack mel"
Because you are what I was. You
are free. You can do as you please
You can love, you can work, you can
think. can only hate" He paused as
If astonished at himself, and then con-
tinued, with a low laugh: "Fine words
for a convict, eh! 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 a free man"
Frere began to think that he was deal
ing with another madman. ''Die! There's
no need to talk Of dying" he said, as
soothingly as it was possible for him to
say 1t. Thine 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 1t. 1t is the best thing that can
happen to us Die! They were 60
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, 20
and sleep, my man." he said. "You are
knocked up. Well talk In the morning"
Hold on Bit" cries Rufus Dawes,
with coarseness of manner altogether
foreign to that he had just assumed.
who's with ye?"
"The wife and daughter of the COM
fandant," replied Frere half afraid TO
refuse an answer to a question SO fierce
ly put.
Poor soulsw said the convict, al pitv>
them" And then he stretched himself,
like dog, before the blaze and went to
sleep Instantly. When morning dawned
Frere awoke him.
Rufus Dawes glanced around him stu
p1dly, 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,
l see. Come, let's have breakfast, Mr..
Frere. I'm hungry"
"You must wait" said Frere. "Do
you think there is no one here but your
selfP'
The convict, stretching out his vast
ed arms, looked down upon them with
the uncertain gaze of drunken man. "I
am weak now," he said. "You have the
best of me-" and then he sunk suddenly
down upon the ground, exhausted. "Giye
me drink" he moaned, feebly motionine
with his hand.
Frere got him water in the pannikin,
and having drunk 1t, he smiled, and Law
down to sleep again. Mrs. Vickers and
Sylvia coming out while he still silent
recognized him as the desperate of the
settlement.
HE was the most desperate man we
had" said Mrs. Vickers, identifying
herself with her husband. ooh what