The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-06-01

CHAPTER XII.
BY MARCUS Clarke

took him out of the chain gang, and
put him on the Osprey. You saw he1
III the dock as you came in. He worked
Tor some time very well, and then tried
to bslt again."
The old trick. Ha: ha! don't I know
It" says Mr.. Frere.
well, we caught him and gave him
fifty. Then he was sent to the chain
gang, cutting timber Then we put him
Into the boats, but he quarreied with
the coxswain, and then we took him
back to the timber RATS. About six
weeks ago he made another attempt
together with Gabbett, the man who
nearly killed you-but his leg was
chafed with the irons, and we took him.
Gabbett and three more, however, got
away"
Just then some one came up the gar
den path and saluted.
What is it, Troke?"
Prisoner given himself up. sir. Cab
bett. He came back tonight. He's
down at the sheds. You can see him at
once, gentlemen. if you like"
1t was not far to the sheds, and after
q few minutes walk through the wood
en- palisades they reached a long stone
building. two stories high, from which
Used a horrible growing pierced with
shrilly screamed songs. At the sound
Of the musket butts clashing on the pine
wood tagging, the noises ceased, and a
silence more sinister than sound fell on
the place.
Passing between two rows of warders,
ho fUn nhol nf pfo
room to the jail. containing a pine-log
stretcher, on which a mass of some
thing was lying. On a roughly made
stool, by the side Of this stretcher sat
a man in the gray dress Of good con-
duct" prisoners. This man held be-
tween his knees basin containing Cruel
and was apparently endeavoring to feed
the mass on the pine logs.
'Gabbett!'
The intelligent Troke. considerably
alive to the wishes of his superior Off
GERS, dragged the mass into a sitting
posture. and awoke it.
Gabbett-for it was he-passed one
great hand over his face. and. leaning
exactly in the position in which Troke
had placed him, scowled, bewildered, at
his visitors.
"Well. Gabbett," says Vickers, you've
come back again, you see. When will
you learn sense, Ell? Where are your
mates?"
Dead" says Gabbett.
why don't you eat your gruelT
II have eaten it. Amt yer got nuf-
fin better nor that to fog a man on?
Ugh! yer a mean lot. Wot's it to be
this time. major? Fifty?'
"A nice specimen said Vickers. with
q hopeless smile. what can one do
with such a fellow"
I'D fog his soul out of his body"
said Frere, IF he spoke to me like
that"
The giant raised his great head and
looked at the speaker, but did not rec
ognize him. He saw only strange
face-a visitor. perhaps. "You may
fog. and welcome, MASTER" said he.
III you'll give nae a fig o tibbacky."
Frere laughed. The brutal Indifference
Of the rejoinder suited his humor, and,
with glance at Vickers, he took
small piece of cavendish from the pock-
ct Of his pea jacket, and gave to the
1t as a cur snatches at a bone, and
thrust it whole into his mouth.
"How many mates had he" asked
Maurice, watching the champing jaws
as one looks at a strange animal, and
asking the question as though a mate"
was something a convict was born with
like a mole, for instance.
"Three, sir"
''Three, Ell? Well, give him thirty
lashes, Vickers."
And If l ha' had three more" growl-
ed Gabbett, mumbling at his tobacco,
you wouldn't ha' had tho chance"
As he sat there gloomily chewing, he
was a spectacle to shudder at Not so
much on account of his natural hideous-
ness, increased a thousandfold by the
tattered and filthy rags which barely
covered him. Not 90 much on account
Of his unshaven jaws, his hare-lip, his
torn and bleeding feet, his haggard
cheeks, and his huge, wasted frame.
Not only because, looking at the animal.
as he crouched, with one foot curled
round the other, and one hairy arm
pendent between his knees, he was 40
horribly unhuman, that one shuddered TO
think that tender women and fair chill
dren must, of necessity, confess to fell
lowship of kind with such a monster
But also because in his slavering mouth
his slowly grinding jaws, his restless
fingers, and his bloodshot, wandering
eyes. there lurked hint of some terror
more awful than the terror of starvation
"a memory Of a tragedy played out in
the gloomy depths of that forest which
had vomited him forth again-and the
shadow of this unknown horror, cling
ing to him, repealed, as though he bore
about with him the reek of the sham
bles.
Come" said Vickers. "let us 20 back
I shall have to fog him again, l sun
pose Oh, this place! No wonder they
call it 'Hell's Gates"
"Halloo! what's that red light there Y'
Dawes FIRE on Grummet Rock "
says vickers, going in; 1.-THE man 1 told
you about"
Two or three mornings after the ar
rival of the Ladybird, the solitary pris-
oner of the Grummet Rock noticed mys-
FERROUS movements along the shore of
the island settlement. The building of a
pier, or breakwater, running from the
western point Of the settlement, was
discontinued: and all hands appeared
to be occupied with the newly built