The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-06-28


1t Is your good fortune, however, to
have been assigned to humane and
merciful master, who has spoken for
you as / am bound to say should not
have done in his place. He has mag
unanimously made the most Of the one
slender point that might be urged in
your favor. He has begged me to deal
with you here and now. He is gener-
ously anxious to give You another
chance, of which, for your own good, /
would ,exhort you to take grateful ad-
vantage. Meanwhile you have not me
to thank, but DR.. Sullivan entirely, for
the ridiculously inadequate punish
ment which | am about to order you.
You will be taken into the yard, and
you will receive fifty lashes with the
cat O. nine tails"
At these words Tom turned very
white and opened his lips as IL to
speak, but shut them tight without
syllable. His logged eyes cleaned,
his handouts ratified and his leg irons
clanked together as the constables took
him by either arm and led him with
out murmur from the room.
did say too much?" asked Mr..
Strachan. biting at cheroot. when the
magistrates were left alone.
Not one word" replied the doctor
cordially. Il am infinitely obliged to
you for saying what you did-for the
constables' benefit particularly. They
seemed to see nothing wrong"
Mr.. Strachan shook his head.
sit was distinctly irregular. doctor.
A clearer case for quarter sessions
have never heard ~...
perhaps not; but then I should
have lost most competent groom.
and now, thanks to you. I shall keep
him."
"Are you sure he will be worth keep
ing after this?' asked the Anglo-In-
dian. sucking at his cheroot. which
was but shade darker than his with
cred face.
Worth keeping? He will be better
worth 1t than before: 1t does them
good"
THAT Is not my invariable expert
ence." said Mr.. Strachan. shaking his
head agiin.
But IL Is mine." cried the doctor.
''They are neyer any good until they
feel your power. They never feel your
power until they have first felt the
lash" And he emphasized the senti-
ment by giving tho table a cut with his
cane.
Il have not always found IL So"
maintained the other. 'In your place
I should have let that man go to quar-.
ter sessions. There are the makings Of
a desperate criminal In him or I'm
much mistaken"
DIR. Sullivan flushed and Frightened
beneath his white hairs, like man on
his mettle. Desperate criminal?' be
repeated eagerly. Hes one already.
my dear sir. and all the better! Wen
see what we can do to tame him.
Wen see what we can do TO break his
spirit You know what my son says.
Strachan? He never was bested by
q convict yet. IL would never do for
him TO remain bested by this one. and
that's another reason why he mustn't
slip through our fingers just yet. No;
we shall show him who are his mas.
tiers. We shall bend or break his sr,r,,
M bend
He sprang up. with his bamboo cane.
and rushed to the door. as q sudden
outcry arose In the yard. At the door.
however. even DR.. Sullivan paused
aghast.
"Strachanl strachanF' he cried.
Good heavens! You were right.
Look here.''
What had happened will be the bet.
ter understood when II Is explained
that the courthouse was not a house al
all. but a mere ring Of weather board
buts. Of which the justice room was
one. the lookup another. the constables'
quarters third and n store aud q sta.
bic a fourth and fifth. The yard thus
formed was Furthermore Inclosed b. a
brusbwOod fence. broken only between
the stables and the justice room. where
there was a gate instead. aud In the
very center Of this open space. blot.
ting The edge Of the deep sky and scor.
Ing the dazzling earth With shadows
like scars. stood that worse than gal.
lows. at which men were beaten into
brutes and brutes into devils week
after week throughout the year.
). A sergeant and two constabIes form.
cd the garrison Of this lodge u Iaw
and order 10 the wilderness The ser.
geant was On emancipist. and Of the
trio only one had come n the country
on his own account. The third was
actually n convict ut this very tim
/. and a glaring fuiiian into the bargain
; Originally a butcher boy, who ha
robbed his master In the City road. b
still smacked of the slaughter hous,
With his raw red face and cruel ey,
and on this young fci0n devolyed Oh
cOngenial task Of administering ID
lash.
II In such hands Tom was led 10 N
triangles. with a white face. but quicL
sned eyes. The ticket of leave oyer
seer was also ~ the party. filIng III
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