Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-10-04
{: {: q 3: 9: 3; {! 81 q 3;

tut the most interesting roadside
character was encountered ut con
tractors store much farther Oh tho
way. where Mr.. Sullivan Judged Tom
ani made him take note OF portly
man In n magnificent waistcoat. who
sang a song In the most charming BARI
tone while the travellers We're having
their supper.
do you know Who that wasY said
Toms u:Stcr when they were once
more on their way. That was Hunt,
the accompllce Of Thurtell, who muir
derptl man called Weare. You re-
member 1t, do you? Well. that's the
man, and he Just bears out what l say
We don't caro- n kick what n convict
has done In the old country so long rs
be don't so doing 1t again out here.
But there. keep forgetting you're one
yourself Somehow or other you're not
like the rest. and you take my advice
and go on Ike 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 q single look Of welcome,
and an ominous climax was reached
when the little cavalcade passed q
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 ut work
with pick and shovel beneath the burn
ing sun and the eyes and muskets OF
the military. As. the riders approach
cd word seemed to go along the line,
and face after face was raised with q
curse and 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
o number, In Sydney itself. Those. on
the whole, We're 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 1t
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 flinched, and
the gross lip that jutted out between
beard and mustache never quivered
once all tho way. Nor until he was
we'll 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 and shaking hands.
Il wouldn't be assigned to him for
something" said the barman, with
whom Tom made friends. "You might
as well go to Norfolk island straight Us
to Castle Sullivan. Tell you what,
mate. Id give him the go-by tonight,
for you'll never have a better chance.
And see here. I'll come with you. for
I'm dead sick Of my job!"
Tom shook his head.
mo. no. my friend; he may he all
you say. but he's treated me we'll
enough SO far, and mean to stick to
him."
''Oh. the young cove's not the worst.
It's the old cove was thinking Of"
"What old cover
CDR. 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 thatT' said Tom.
why? Because half them crawlers
have worked for the Sullivans in their
time. They get you logged and fog
ged and logged till all the works fog
ged out Of you: then they get yeu six
months In the crawlers, and like as
not that's the end Of YOU"
"Why doesn't somebody put bullet
through them bothY'
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 q 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 ut all to say to him
before nightfall, so severe had been
bis latest touch Of the SUM-" but to-
ward evening they left the road, and
as the moon was rising In q velvet sky
lights also broke upon them through
some trees. Dogs innumerable began
to bark. and as young Sullivan stopped
to open q 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. seizing 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 O decent groom, but you won't find
mo as easy up here as I could afford
to be down the road. and one word
about that sunstroke"-
He glared at Erickson. then let the
bride go without finishing his threat,
and without another syllable they rode
through the trees toward the lights.
CHAPTER XVI.
"HB new groom rubbed his eyes
In the moonlight. he could
have laughed aloud. English
castles he had seen, Irish cas-
ties he had heard about, but what was
this? "A tumble Of slab huts on the
right. and facing these q wooden, one
storied rectilinear eyesore-three sides
house. the fourth formidable palisade,
and in their midst an arid COURTYARD