The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-07-09
CHAPTER XXI

"NHE stockade srnOldered In the
midst Of hard baked plain
III that was as brown as shoe
leather and as devoid OF any
sort or kind Of vegetation. rs th"ugh It
were shaved every morning witt some
mOnstrous razor. Trees there were In
the distance. marking more than half
the skyline. as though the place had
been shaved especially for the stock.
ade. but not solitary bush was with
in reach. And the sight OF the trees.
whose leaves they never heard and
whose shade they never felt. was one
more torment TO those ~ the eighty
prisoners who still lifted their heads to
look 50 far. The majority. however.
let their dull eyes redden by the dag
together on those few bard and blind
ing yards which might chance to oc.
cIpy their picks and shoyels from in
IL" morning til the going down Of the
sun.
Al day they iabored In chains be-
meath the barrels and bayonets OF the
military. In the evening when they
returned to the stockade loaded mus
kets and fixed bayonets showed them
the way. Even In the stockade itself
fixed bayonets and loaded musksts
gave them their supper. Thereafter
they were locked up for the night In
so many small boxes lined with lodges
something more spacious than book
shelves. On these lodges they lay
down. as close as mummies in cata-
combs. until II should be ) O'Clock once
more. and perhaps after q time the
only sound would be the clank OF his
letters as this man or that turned over
IN the magnificent space Of eighteen
inches that was allotted 10 each.
IL was the same stockade OF which
BTicbsen bad seen the outside on his
way 10 Castle Sullivan In the early
part Of Dec~s1ber. He saw the inside
by the end OF F>aruary when Strachan
gave him six months Of II f0s alb.
scondlng aud by 10 doing made open
enemies Of the Sullivans. They want.
ed to have the breaking Of Toms spirit
all u themselves aud tried 10 dictate
another tifty lashes ard the conyict'a
return 70 service. but this Tins
strachan was fFrn. passing. indeed. the
most mercifuI sentence possible IN the
circumstances.
The six months began on Wednesday.
the last Of February. In the year 1878.
First they took his name aud made
an inventory Of bis marks. scars AID
the color o. bis eyes and hair Then
they cropped the latter aud shaved on
the yellow stubbie which had lately
hidden the hollow cheeks and softenei
the haggartl Jaw. and Il was an old
mans face that saw itself with sunscn
eyes IN the BARRIERS glass.
Next they took away bis farm Ialor.
er's clothes. which were not branded.
and put him In a Paramatia frock aud
trousers. which were. And now they
cIasppd around his body o green hide
belt. from which depended In front 4
heavy chain tint became two heavy
chains ut about The level Of the knees.
and the two chains ended IN stlIi hcav.
Ter rings around either ankle. nnd The
whole made a capital Y upside down.
In this harness IL was Impossible %
walk. though with practice Jon might
wsddIe. and II vas never struck on for
a single instant on any pfeiext wbatso.
ever.
They now presented him with q
spoon 81 70 himself. Ills knife and
fork. bis pannikln and Bis mess It'd he
was 10 share with ave other feIons.
Lastly they showed bin bis eighteen
Inches whore be passed The !ntnlerabls
blight In wondering why be bad not
given himself % ~ The Italians Oh.
detsiudy and ID wondering oven more
why he still would not DO 50 II ID were
OIL 70 come over agaln. Tor be knew h.
would not Indeed. one u the most
fro N Continued