Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-23
Rogue 5
/ March,.
! . :, :: ~ :. -;

The very first night, when Tom was
driven from his hammock by the fetid
heat of the oyercrowded dormitory, he
witnessed an instructive Incident from
the window. 1t was the return of such
depredator ana the division Of his
spoil with the officer on ,klty. Tom
soon learned that burglarics and high
way robheries We're nightly occur
rences in Sydney, and as often the
work of convicts under nominal lock
and key as that of the assigned serv-
ants who infested the streets after
dark.
Meanwhile he was himself assigned
to Il resident in urgent quest of "spe-
cial," or gentleman convict" as such
as Tom were termed. The applicant
was a genial graybeard, with n phiio-
sophie eye, which looked Tom well up
and down at their interview.
what want" said he, "ls a tutor
for my son. ] hear you are a universi-
ty man. May ask what makes you
stare!'
81 tutor!'
''Well?"
''You can't know what was trans
ported for"
"Oh, yes. do. could wish it had
been for something else, certainly; but
that doesn't make you any the less a
university man. And the other spe-
Gals seem to be a poor lot, and mean
to give you trial. But We'll drop that
name Of yours, which I'm afraid may
be known in my house, and you shall
start fair. In half an hour, then, Jones,
shall call for you in my chaise,"
And Tom actually found himself
quite privileged member of decent
household before he had time to realize
his good fortune. The other servants
were ordered to treat him with respect.
His pupil was put entirely in his
charge. He had his meals with the
family and had reveled for one night
in deliciously clean bed and bedroom,
when the master of the house came to
him in the morning with very wry
face.
Its all up, JONES' said that phlloso-
pher, with the blunt intimacy which
had made Tom like him from the first.
My good wife has discovered who you
are, and she refuses to leave her bed
while you remain in the house. She
has read of you in the English papers,
confound them, and she simply won't
have you on the premises! 1t seems un-
reasonable when you consider that our
cook was bloodthirsty baby farmer,
our coachman q professional burglar
and SO on right through the staf-ha-
bitual criminals every one-which /
don't think you are. Still there's an
other side to It, There's the boy to he
considered, and though think you're
the very man for him, q mothers feel
ings must be studied In such matters.
You see like you well enough to be
perfectly frank about the matter. but
the fact Is the chaise is waiting for us
outside"
So ended that chapter, and Tom was
back at barracks in time to hear the
clank of chain gangs shuffling family
out to work and the swish and whistle
of the morning lash. Those two instru-
Fments supplied the street music of the
convict city. There were few days
and few hours when you might not
hear their melancholy duet. To Tom
the sound Of it was still physical tor
ture, the more unbearable after this
cruel taste Of better things. Nearly
all his shipmates had been assigned
and taken away in his absence. Only
one other special was left, London
clerk transported for fraud. Toms
late master, a friend of the superin-
tendent, was allowed to carry him of
in Toms stead, and long afterward
the latter heard the curious sequel Of
his own misfortune. So thoroughly
did his successor teach what he knew
that both tutor and pupil were pres
emily transported to Van Dieman's
Land for life.
The incident was sufficiently dis
heartening at the time, and yet 1t had
It's hopeful side. 1t revealed the posi-
bilities of the assignment system, or,
rather, its better possibilities, from the
conyict's point of view. AS a punish
ment it must needs prove farce In a
community which preferred to estimate
conyicts by their capacity rs colonists
rather than by their crimes as felons.
Such was Toms comforting reflection,
for not yet did he realize how entirely
the condition of the convict was de-
pendent upon the character of the
master; but, having had one good mas
ter. though for SO brief a period, he
looked cheerfully for another.
The other, however, was slow to
come. His false start seemed to tell
against Tom with the authorities
They We're in no hurry to assign him
again, and presently he found himself
the last man Of his draft in the bar
racks, with his hammock the only one
a-swing between the stanchions of the
great dormitory upstairs. Then one
morning he heard a row In the yard.
and there was very overdressed,
thiclset and thick spoken young man
abusing the officers because there were
no conyicts left.
II tell you we applied for three, and
I've come down expressly for Them"
he spluttered. out. sOyer a hundred
blessed miles I've come, from Castle
Sullivan near the Hunter river, for
two farm laborers and groom. all
properly applied for In lots of time.
And just because get touch Of the
sun and-can't come on the right day
I'm to go back empty handed, am II
Wen see about that. I'll complain to
the board"
"That WON'T dn No ,ood yyya,,a onIy