Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-11-08
CHAPTER XVI.

TNHE new groom rubbed his eyes
n in the moonlight. He could
81 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 a wooden, one
storied rectiIinear eyesore-three sides
house, the fourth formidable palisade,
and in their midst an arid courtyard
overlooked by French windows and
glass doors. No creeper chung to the
whitened walls. No shrub softened the
rigid angles Of the yard, and the We
randa was too shallow for real shade.
Yet the site had been chosen on
ridge of red gums that had been left
unfelled beyond the palisade and rus
tied restfully above the slab huts oppo-
site rendering the latter the more in
viting quarter Of the two.
The riders dismounted at gate In
the palisade, and as young Sullivan
led the way into the courtyard tall,
bent figure in a frogged coat and a
plated straw hat stepped down from
the veranda and then stood still.
"What's this?" cried an arrogant
and aged voice. "Only one, Ell? What
have you done with the other twor
Couldn't get them, SIR" responded
Mr.. Nat in "a tone quite new to Tom.
1t was very model Of filial respect
and dutiful subservience.
Couldn't get them, sir! Why. what
dye mean?" the old man Numbered.
1--WE applied for two laborers and
groom. Why couldn't you get themY'.
"The fact is did," stammered Nat,
"only two out of the three were hope
less cases, in the last stages of-of"-
"Phthisis" cried Dr. Sullivan. who
was an old army surgeon and the bug
bear of sick convicts and malingerers
alike. mot phthisis, eh?"
"That was 1t. sir--the very word the
doctor used when made him overhaul
them. He said 1t was no use my TAX
ing them, as they'd certainly die on
our hands"
''Humph! He may have been right.
but I'd trust a convict to sham death
itself-with anybody but me-" said the
old gentleman, looking hard at Tom"
81 wish I'd seen them myself. How
ever, I'll take his word and yours and
complain to the assignment board
ave done all that, SIR" hurriedly In
terrupted the son. II stayed the week
out doing nothing but complain.
They'll remember me. ! promise you.
It'll never happen again Ito us. Then
at the end of the week couldn't resist
another Sunday. and you wouldn't
grudge it me, father. If you'd heard
the sermons heard In st. Philips
church morning and evening. / must
tell you about it later on"
"You must. you must. No; ] don't
grudge you that. my boy, heaven
knows" said the old man, Modified In
q moment. He took bamboo cane
from under his arm and raped Tom
smartly across the shoulders. "And
what of this rascal?" he added.
"What's he good forT
Groom"
"Can the ruffian ridew
:: s'Not so badly"
Understands horses. does he, ana
has behaved himself on the way"
Eyes, on the whole, very WELL"
"Then let him take them round to
the stables and come back here for his
supper He may have; It In the kitchen
tonight; yonlyy recollect. you convict,
that If syou mlsbehaYe either there or
anywhere else on Castle Sullivan you'll
smart for st pretty quick and pretty
heavy Recollect that. You're here as
a convicted fe1on, not a free man, and
I don't care what you've done'to get
here. Whatever it was, the punishment
for it is scandalously light. But the
punishment for anything you do amiss
on my estate shall be all the heavier