Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-08-10
Kirkland was dead.


that bound Rufus Dawes. Two con-
stables were alongside him in an instant,
for sometimes newly tortured men grow
desperate. This one however, was ST
lent with the last lash, only, in taking
his shirt from under the body of the
boy, he muttered "Deadw and in his
tone there seemed to be touch of
envy Then tlinging his shirt over his
bleeding shoulders, he walked out, de-
hant to the last
Game, amt he?" said one constable
to the other, as they pushed him, not
urgently, into an empty cell, there to
wait for the hospital guard The body
or kirkland was taken away in silence.
and Burgess turned rather pale when
he saw North's threatening face. ut
isn't my fault, Mr. North he said. 81
didn't 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
he 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
vlved. He found him kneeling on the
ground, Frustrated.
Rufus Dawes!"
AT the tone Rufus Dawes looked up,
and seeing who it was, waved him off.
Don't speak to me- he said with an
appreciation that made North's flesh
creep I've told you what | think of
you-a hypocrite, who stands by while
man is cut to pieces, and then comes
and whines 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. Il must seem to you
hypocrite. l servant of Christ? A
besotted beast ratherl l am not come to
whine religion to you. I am come to
ask your pardon. 1 might have saved
you from punishment-saved that poor
boy from death. I wanted to save him,
God knowsl But l have a vice; I am
drunkard, ] yielded to tempta ton. and
Il was too late. l 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.
He 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 man." said he; and
shand-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
n 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 q
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 tc
report the death of Kirkland and guess
ed that he would not be backward In
relating the story to such persons Ii
Hobart Town as would most readily re
peat it.
Burgess. however. touched with sci
! fish regrets, determined to balk thu
parson at the outset. He would sent
down an official return" Of the unfor
tunate occurrence by the same vesse
that carried his enemy. and thus ge
? the ear of the office. Meekin, walkin,
! on the evening of the fogging past tn,
wooden shed where the body lay, saw
| Troke bearing buckets filled with dark
colored water. and heard a great splash
ing and slticing going on inside the hut
; "What is the matter?" he asked.
4 Doctors bin post-morticng the pris
[ oner what was logged this morning
f sir" said Troke, "and we're ceanin
$ up"
0 North. on his arrival. went straigh
e to the house of Major Vickers. 81 hav
, a complaint to make, SIR" he said. I"
+ wish to lodge 1t formally with you. !
= prisoner has been logged to death a
e Port Arthur l saw it done"
n Vickers bent his brow. "a seriou
j accusation. Mr.. North l must, o
s course. receive it with respect. comm
4 from you. but l trust that you hav
e fully considered the circumstances of tn
d case. l always understood Captain Bur
!, CESS was a most humane man."
g North shook his head. He would no
I accuse Burgess. He would let event
= speak for themselves. II only ask 70
: an inquiry" said he.
5 Eyes, my dear sir, 1 know. Yer
e proper, indeed, on your part. If 20
d think any injustice has been done; bu
n have you considered the expense, tn
delay, the immense trouble and dissal
t isfaction all this will give?'
/ ''No trouble, no expense, no dissati.
e faction, should stand in the way of hi
J, manity and Justice" cried North.
"Of course not. But will justice b
a done7 Are you sure you can prove you