The Western news., 1906-05-30
CHAPTER XII.

lor some time very well, ana then trleu
to bolt again"
''The old trick. Ha; ha! don't l know
it?" says Mr.. Frere
well we caught him and gave him
fifty. Then lie was sent to the chain
gang, cutting timber. Then we put him
into the boats but he quarreled 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
hett. 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
a few minutes walk through the wood
en- palisades they reached a long stone
building, two stories high, from which
issed a horrible growing pierced with
shrilly screamed songs At the sound
of the musket butts clashng on the pine
wood tagging, the noises ceased. and
silence more sinister than sound fell on
the place.
Passing between two rows of warders,
the two officers reached sort of ante
room to the Jail. containing a pinelog
stretcher, on which a mass of some
thing was lying. On a roughly made
stool, by the side of this stretcher sat
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
81 have eaten it. Amt yer got nuf
fin better nor that to fog n man on?
Ugh. yer mean lot. Wot's it to be
this time, major? Fifty?'
"A nice specimen" said Nickers, with
hopeless smile. what can one do
with such 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 n strange
face--a visitor. perhaps. "You may
fog, and welcome, MASTER" said he
"if you'll give me fig O. tibbacky."
Frere laughed. The brutal Indifference
of the rejoinder suited hs humor, and.
with a glance at Vickers, he took
small piece of cavendish from the pock-
ct of his pea jacket, and gave to the
recaptured convict. Gabbett snatched
1t as cur snatches at 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 mate"
was something convict was born with
like mole, for instance
"Three, sir"
"Three, eh? Well, give him thirty
lashes, Vickers"
And II l ha' had three more" growl-
cd Gabbett. mumbling at his tobacco,
'you wouldn't ha' had the chance"
AS he sat there gloomily chewing, he
was 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 so much on account
of his unshaven jaws, his hnre-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 fel.
lowship of kind with such monster
But also because, in his slavering mouth
his slowly grinding jaws, his restless
fingers, and his bloodshot, wanderins
eyes. there lurked a hint of some terro,
more awful than the terror of starvation
"A memory of a tragedy played out ir
the gloomy depths of that forest which
had vomited him forth again-and tb,
shadow of this unknown horror. cling
Ing to him, repelled, as though he bore
about with him the reek of the sham.
bles.
Come" said Vickers, ''let us 90 back
shall have to fog him again, | sun.
pose. oh, this place! No wonder thew
call IL 'Helrs Gates
"Halloo! what's that red light there p
Dawes fire on Grummet Rock ;
says Vickers, going in; "the man l told
you about"
Two or three mornings after the ar.
rival of the Ladybird, the solitary pris
oner of the Grummet Rock noticed mys
terious 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
OSDrQy which was lying IN ~, ,,;,.