Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-28

something more spacious than book
shelves. On these lodges they lay
down, as close as mummies in cata-
combs, until 1t should be 5 o'clock once
more, and perhaps after a 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 to each.
1t was h same stockade of which
EEichsen had the outside on his
way to Castle Sullivan in the early
part of December. He saw the inside
by the end of February when Strachan
gave him six months of 1T for alb
sconding and by SO doing made open
enemies of the Sullivans. They want
ed to have the breaking of Toms spirit
all to themselves and tried to dictate
another fifty lashes and the convict's
return to service. but this time
Strachan was firm, passing, indeed. the
most merciful sentence possible In the
circumstances.
The six months began on Wednesday.
the last of February, in the year 1888.
First they took his name and made
an inventory of his marks, scars and
the color Of his eyes and hair. Then
they cropped the latter and shaved Off
the yellow stubble which had lately
hidden the hollow cheeks and softened
the haggard jaw. and it was an old
mans face that saw itself with sunken
eyes in the barber's glass.
Next they took away his farm labor
er's clothes, which were not branded.
and put him in a Parramatta frock and
trousers, which were. And now they
clasped around his body a green hide
belt, from which depended in front q
heavy chain that became two heavy
chains at about the level of the knees,
and the two chains ended in still heav-
Ter rings around either ankle, and the
whole made a capital Y upside down.
In this harness 1t was impossible to
walk, though with practice you might
waddle, and it was never struck off for
a single instant on any pretext whatso-
ever.
They now presented him with a
spoon all to himself. His knife and
fork, his pannikin and his mess kid he
was to share with five other felons.
Lastly they showed him his eighteen
inches, where he passed the intolerable
night in wondering why he had not
given himself up as the Italians I'M
derstudy and in wondering even more
why he still would not do SO if it were
all to come over again, for he knew he
would not, Indeed, one of the most
dreadful features of this present phase
was the tenacity with which the DOOR
wretch found himself ~clinging to life
in each emergency despite all his cool
er longings for the end. He longed
for that more than ever, but he saw
now that death must come to him.
He might sink to murder; to self MUIR
der he could never stoop.
Or so he thought at the beginning of
this term of broiling days and fetid
nights, with foul company and heavy
irons common to both. Meanwhile
such feelings as were left him were
still tolerably keen, and it was a real
thrill that toward the end of the first
week he woke up at his work to hear
the others hooting and turned round to
see MAI Sullivan once more riding
down the line.
The thrill became a shiver. The blue
eyes were fixed on Tom, the great lip
was thrust out at him. and before Tom
the rider refined up.
"You villain" said Mr.. Nat, with in
expressible malignancy of voice and
look. "You villain-I've found YOU
out!'
A line of red eyes blinked and wa
tered In the sun, then fell with a glim-
mer of interest from the scowling
horseman to the prisoner accosted.
Tom had already piqued such atten-
ton as his new companions We're III
the habit of bestowing upon any fell
low creature, for few there were who
joined that morose and fierce crow
with the stamp of such m~oroseness
and ferocity already on them. Those
few were grabbed old hands, but here
was raw youth, and yet in three long
days they had not heard his voice.
Nor did they now. Tom moistened his
palms and took a new grip of his pick,
but that was not all. He was seen to
tremble, and he nearly pinned his own
foot to the ground. What was it he
had done and been found out in. this
cub whose teeth We're always showing.
but whose voice was never heard?
A p%erspiring sentry strolled up, his
once red swallowtail coat hanging
open upon his naked chest and his
white trousers sticking to his legs. lie
was the only n whose curiosity went
the length of a word.
"Whats he been doing OFF, said the
sentry, wetting his hand on his chest
to cool his musket stock. "We've only
'ad i'm ere these three days"
"You won't have him many MORE"
said Sullivan. "The hangman will
have him."
eyes,"
"Yes. Look at him trembling"
81 see."
"He'll tremble in the air before
long"
Tom bent we his pick. There was