Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-23

| tnelr supper.
do you know who that was?" said
Toms master when they were once
more on their way. "That was Hunt
the accomplice of Thurtell, who muir
dered man called Weare. You re
member it, do you? Well. that's the
man, and he just bears out what say
we don't care kick what convict
has done In the old country so long rs
he don't go doing 1t again out here
But there. keep forgetting you're one
| yourself. Somehow or other you're moi
like the rest, and you take my advice
and go on like you've begun" AS he
paused the voice Of Hunt was waited
to their ears in new song that died
very sweetly on the soft night air.
The latter stages of the Journey were
marked by looks of recognition wher.
ever young Sullivan baited his horses
but by never single look of welcome
and an ominous climax was reached
when the little cavalcade passed a
stockade and chain gang within
twenty miles of their destination.
Here was long line OF heavily ironed
men, some eighty in all, strung togeth-
er like beads on rosary and at work
with pick and shovel beneath the burn
ing sun and the eyes and muskets of
the military. AS the riders approach
ed word seemed to go along the line,
and face after face was raised with a
curse and a howl as the horses passed.
Such faces as they were! Tom had
| not seen the like in Newgate, nor
| aboard the Seahorse, nor. yet, in such
number, in Sydney itself. Those, on
the whole, were only on the lower
slopes Of degradation, but these had
reached its lowest depths, and Tom
rode by them with an aching heart
and averted eyes.
His attention, indeed, became concen-
trated upon his companion, who had
checked his horse instead of urging it
| forward and was walking instead of
galloping this horrible gauntlet. Tom
| could see but one sunburnt cheek and
one cold blue eye, but the first kept its
| color, the second never f1inched, and
the gross lip that jutted out between
beard and mustache never quivered
| once all the way. Nor until he was
well past the gang did Mr.. Nat put
spurs to his horse, but when he did it
was not to draw rein until they reach
ed the next roadside inn, and there he
vanished, to reappear next day with
running eyes aud shaking hands.
II wouldn't be assigned to him for
something's" said the barman. with
whom Tom made friends. You might
as well so to Norfolk island straight as
to Castle Sullivan. Tell you what,
mate, I'd give him the go-by tonight
for you'll never have better chance
And see here, I'll come with you, for
I'm dead sick of my job!"
Tom shook his head.
no. no. my friend; he may be all
you say, but he's treated me well
enough so far, and I mean to stick to
him."
ooh. the young cove's not the worst.
It's the old cove was thinking off,
what old cove?"
"Dr. Sullivan. this ones father"
He had father, then? Mr.. Nat had
never mentioned him. And the old
| man was worse to do with than the
son?
Tom put these questions to himself
and then another to his friend the bar
man. after shortly telling the latter
about the behavior Of the iron gang.
why was all that?' said Tom.
"Why? Because half them crawlers
have worked for the SuIlivans in their
time. They get you logged and fog
sed and floggcd till all the works fog.
ged out OF you; then they get you six
months in the crawlers, and like as
| not that's the end of you.''
"W'hy doesn't somebody put a bullet
through them both:''
because the coves have got the
| pluck. That's their secret They don't
| know what fear is. So there's seventy
strong men up there and over a hun
dred in harvest time and the whole
boiling afraid OF them twov'
Tom said no more; neither did he
| have much to say to Mr.. Nat next day
in their saddles. Neither did Mr.. Nat
| have anything at all to say to him
before nlghtfall, Sc severe had been
his latest touch of the sum- but to-
ward evening they left the road, and
as the moon was rising In velvet sky
lights also broke upon them through
some trees. Dogs innumerable began
to bark, and as young Sullivan stopped
to open gate he pointed across it to
the lights and said that there was
Castle Sullivan at last.
And bark you here" he added saw
agely, selling Toms bride on the
other side, as though every redeeming
trait was now left behind upon the
neutral ground that they had traversed
together, ''hark you to this and recol.
| lect it we'll! You've been right enough
on the way, and you've the makings
of decent groom, but you won't find
me as easy up hero as could afford
to be down the road, and one word
about that sunstroke"-
He glared at Erichsen, then let the
bride go without finishing his threat,
and without another syllable they rode
through the trees toward the lights.
ITO be continued)
Long Live The Kingl
Is the popular cry throughout European
countries: while in America. the cry OF