The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1906-07-05
for The Term of Ills Natural Life
By MARCUS CLARKE


cannot give you up. There Is N
one but myself and a woman and ehll.
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 10 re
main free, you can do so as far as
am concerned. am as helpless as you
are"
But how do you come hereY'
| 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 it. The prisoners mu-
tinted and seized the brig"
A terrible light broke upon Rufus
Dawes. and he began to understand how
ne had again missed his chance. 'Who
took herr"
That double-dyed villain, John Rex"
says t'rere. giving vent to his passion
Rufus Dawes burst into a laugh so
discordant thar 1t made the ether shud-
der. Wen starve together, Maurice
Frere." said he; for while you'ye a
crust, III share Il. If | don't get lib
erty. at least III have revengers
The sinister aspect of this fsmished
ged knees. rocking himself TO and fro
In the light Of the IRE. gave Mr.. Mau-
rice rrere new sensation He felt
as might have felt that African hunter
VINO. returning TO his campfire, found a
lion there Wretch said he, shrink
ing from him. why should you wish 10
be revenged on meY"
The convict turned upon him with a
snsrL Take care what you say, IN
have no hard words Wretch II | am
wretch who made me one? If / 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-
sry. worse than deathf Tell me that.
Maurice Frere-tell me thatr'
i didn't make the laws" says Frere.
Why do you attack meY'
Because you are what / was. You |
re Tree You can do as you please.
lou can love, you can work. you can
hink- l can only hater' He paused as
astonished at himself. and then con
lnued, with low laugh: Fine words
Or a convict, ehi But never mind. It's
II right. Mr.. Frere; we're equal now.
nd 1 sha'n't die an hour sooner than
gu. though you are free man"
trere began to think that he was deal
'g with another mailman '.Diei There's
0 need TO talk Of dying he said. as
'othingly as it was possible for him 10
" IL Time enough for that By and
=" a
There spoke the free man We con
cts have an advantage over you gentle
en- You are afraid Of death: we prav
r IT, 1t Is the best thing that can
open to US" DIE They were 20
g to hang me once wish they had y
There was such a depth of agony In :.
IS terrible utterance that Maurice | :
'ere was appalled, at it, There. 20 !,
d sleep. my man." he said -You are :,
ocked up Wen talk in the morning, =
Hold on bitr cries Rufus Dawes. =
tn coarseness Of manner altogether
-eign to that he had just assumed ~
Who's with yep
The wife and daughter of the eom- II
ldant." replied Frere, half afraid 10
use an answer TO question so fierce a.
put. na
Poor souls" said the convict. Il pitv
M And then he stretched himself =.
} dog. before the blaze and went 10 ~
II instantly- When morning dawned ~
IRE awoke him.
iufus Dawes glanced around him SIN -
". and then remembering wbaf bad ~.
pened, with a great effort he stag -
"a TO MS feet Il thought they'd got ius
ne said: but it's the other way. III
&C. Come, let's have breakfast. Mr.. an
re- I'm hungry" ~
You must wait" said Frere. 40 ID
think there is no one here but your he
p oe
far
he convict, stretching out his vast. be
arms, looked down upon them with q
uncertain gaze of drunken man. II ]
weak now" he said ~You have tho nov
Of me-" and then he sunk suddenly Bui
n upon the ground. exhausted. Give IL
irinkT he moaned. feebly motionine -
his hand. Ere
-ere got him water in the pannIkiu -
having drunk 1t, he smiled. and Law
a to sleep again. Mrs. vickers and
la coming out while he stiu sIent
snized him as the desperate Of the -
sment. Mai
lie was the most desperate man we ~
said Mrs. vickers. identifvino ..,rb
II with her husband. ~Oh. what 81
we dor
Ie won't do much harm" returned ~
;. looking down at the notorious jour
n with curiosity Hes as near
as can be-" NJ,
via looked up at him with her clear Corr,
5 glance. I'VE mustn't let him -
said she. THAT would be mur- mar
,. no." returned Frere, hastily: mo dict
wants him to die But what can to tt
~
nurse himT cried Sylvia. Fl.
re broke into one Of his coarse
!, the first one that be had induIg- are
since the mutiny. You nurse sec
That's a good onew The poor banq
,hild, weak and excitable. felt the "Se
apt in the tone. and burst into at Ia
q Of sobs. why do you insult
u wicked man7 The poor fellows
he'gl-he'l die. like Mr.. Bates. III
ANNA, mamma, let's 90 away by geniu
'es" wv
e walked away. He went into the Ca
rood under the cliff and sat down. still 8
> full Of strange thoughts. which att,n,
III NOT crureaa and urhfoh ho ~