Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-12-20


rest, he found poor rom ms stimulates
for some weeks as Nat Sullivan had
proved on the occasion described. MAJ
by the way, had returned to Castie
Sullivan, ignobly crestfallen, but NOT 80
intoxicated as to ride by the stockaue
again In daylight. The majors SUI
nerjors had confirmed that officer 5
opInlon. and Peggy O'Brien, examined
on her oath in Parramatta factory nuu
perjured herself for Tom In the MOST
Elusive and convincing manner. Inc
principal superintendent had maze
note Of the affair, but there was ~
case. as Nat was pretty plainly toid,
and Major Honeybone heard no more
of him for some time.
AS matter of fact, the bones OF tne
italian had also been discovered, Out
as there were no clothes upon them
md the native dogs had left little else
thev were never Identified. So TQn
was safer for the moment than he
supposed. Meanwhile he had become
a sort Of hero among his 'degradeo col
lows. Not the most popular sort. how
eyer. for enthusiasm is difficult In
heavy letters. Besides, he never tried
to be popular.
ua might have been after knocking
down the scourger. The man was
convict himself, who received ] shilling
pence a day for his unnatural serv-
ices. 1t was the butcher over again,
only this caitiff had eighty others al
ways there to loathe him, and every
hand could have shaken Toms for that
well aimed blow. but the very next day
they discovered he would as soon turn
ON them as Oh their common enemy.
The incident brought to light an In
teresting fact. and it happened on
Toms third Sunday IN the stockade.
About half the gang were incarcerated
In the common mess shed, idling, yarn
Inc. cursing and proceeding as fast as
possible with that mutual corruption
which was the chief fruit of this par
ticular branch Of secondary punish
ment. Tom was Of the number, con-
spicuous unit. 1t was the dawn of his
prominence. He was In one OF those
good tempers alluded to already.
Everybody was listening. Those who
could laugh still laughed now, and II
he had guardian angel, surely. surely
she must have been weeping then more
bitterly than when he fought for the
bushrangers at Castle Sullivan and
nut a bullet through troopers arm.
Suddenly something, an association,
Renaissance. forgotten picture,
made him want to weep himself. He
was past that, however, and went
bncl into the sulks instead. A new d.
version being required, one was pro-
vided by the discovery of young con-
Wet mere lad, writing letter in
darl; corner on the floor. On being
detected the lad first blushed and then
offered to read them what he had writ
ten. whereupon he opened bis lips and
ribald stream poured forth. but me-
andered. slackened, faltered and was
soon cut short.
Hes making 1t up az he goes along"
cried several. "He never wrote that at
ALL"
We'll see what he did write" said
one who was at hand. cutting the lad
and snatching the unfinished letter.
With a cry and an uncouth chime
from his irons, the young convict at
tempted to retain his property 1t tore
| In his hand, and dozen more held
him down while the possessor dragged
his chains Oh to one of the long, rude
tables and stood up to read the letter
in a silence broken only by the pro-
tests of the wretched writer.
"'My ever dear mother and father y
the brute brawled out, 81 received
your kind and welcome letter on the
31st of January, and happy was | to
read the delightful letter which ! re-
ceiyed from you that day. Ahem.
Can't he pitch it in? oh, how Apply
am to ear that you are so comfort
able and well. Oh, my dear mother
and father, ,'ope my brothers and
sisters will mind what you say to them
better than ever done, for you see
what 1t Is to be 'eadstrong.' Fad
strong. CHI? Stop bit; now were
coming to 1t! oh, my dears. / 'ope
you wifi make yourselves as comfort
able as you can, for perhaps I never
l------------.0 s.o--sss- +lia- u,nrld -hut
[ 'ope l shall In the mex, where l opt
to be a comfort to you all, so God bles:
you all, my dears, forever -
He got no further, nor had many at
tended to the last sentences. The lads
unavailing protests had ended in yer
table wailing and crashing of teeth
1t was this that had aroused Ton
from his lethargy, and he also was
now upon the table, clanking dowr
the length Of it to where the reader
stood.
One or two mistook his intentions
"Thats it-you read it," said they, bu
the most of them read Toms face.
"Give me that letter." he said stern
", hating before the man.
"Give who it?' roared the other
ooh, it's you, eh?" he added and seem
ed in doubt
lads" cried Tom, selling his oppor
tunity, "this is going step too far
! - A !
! + e. f|