Year: 1877

little stream which poured into the
bay where we landed. There were
multitudes of sea-birds running and
flying about the place, whose eggs we
took for our food. There was sort of
wood in one place, the trees of which
were SO blown down and beaten about
by the wind that none of them were
more than ten feet high, while the
branches were interlaced and mingled
together in inextricable cenfusion.-
The middle part of the islet was, in
fact, lower than the edges and cover
ed with grass; and at the western
point there stood, all by itself, rock
about forty or fifty feet high, round
which hovered and flew perpetually
myriads of birds.


found a way to the top of this rock
and planted there our signal of dis
tress-a long white streamer flying
from the mast of the boat, which we
managed to stick pretty firmly into n
cleft of the rock,


This rugged up, we settled down TO
our new life.


The manner of ii was rs follows:


We began with morning prayers,
said by our chaplain. Then break
fast. Then, in fine weather, Ben and
l went fishing in the bay-not far
from land you may be sure, because
Helen begged us, with tears in her
eyes, not to risk being carried out to
sea, and leaving her alone upon the
island. When we had luck we would
bring home enough fish for dinner and
breakfast too. On such days we We're
sparing with our stores. Then for
dinner, besides the fish, we had sea-
birds eggs, strong in taste but not un-
wholsom, boiled or fried; and some
times to vary the diet, we knocked
down the birds themselves, and roast
ed them. For firewood we had our
little coppice to cut and hack at. Our
and as the weather soon grew coldand
chilly, we used after supper to sit all
three together round the fire of logs,
and talk till Ben gave the word to turn
in. Then evening prayer and sleep till
dawn.


Sitting before the fire in these long
evenings Of winter, when we did not
care to waste our little stock of candles,
it was natural that we should get to
know each other, and it stood to rea-
son that should be asked to tell my
story over and over again. At first
could see that old Ben distrusted me-
A convict, he thought, must needs be
thief. Else how should he be con-
vict" He trusted me, however, with
the young lady; he could depend up
on me for my share of duty. But
that story of innocence was, for long
time, too much for him; and it was a
| joyful moment for me when, one even
| ing, Ben held out his hand to me.


There" he said, Il can't help it /;
I've tried hard to help it, but | can't.
My lad, you are as innocent as l am.
You could not steal if you were to try.
Show me the man rs says you could.
I went through it all from the be-
ginning, picking up "A thread here and
forgotten detail there. Miss ElWood,
listening, was putting it together, un-
til she knew as much as | knew my
self.


Ben Croil, taking small interest in
the details, contcnted himself with the
main facts. 1t was enough for him
that great crime had been commit
ted, and the wrong-doer never pun
ished While we talked in those long
winter evenings he sat silent i'm his
own corner with his head against the
wall, until the time arrived when he
could smoke the one-halt pipe which
he allowed him for daily ration.


And the story came to this. l tell
it here because it was told so often
during our stay on the island.


On Friday morning, August Is, 1915,
I went rs usual to the Office in Lower
Thames Street, being then a clerk, in
the firm of Batterick & Baldwin, of
five years standing, getting on for
one-and-twenty years of age, in the
receipt of a salary, handsome for my
age and standing, of a hundred and
twenty pounds year. | lived just
south of the Borough, between the
church and kensington Common, hav-
ing my little sister Ruth with me in
lodgings. Ruth was at school all day,
but had tea ready for me when
less a press of work kept me longer,
not later than six. After tea | went
through her lessons with the child,
and at nine o'clock she went to bed.
In those days it was reckoned "A bad
sign for young city man TO be out
late at night, or to smoke, or to fire.
quent taverns; and there were no
music halls or such places. Day after
day that was my simple life. A week s
holiday in the autumn gave me run
with Ruth to Herne Bay or Gravesend,
just to smell the sea. There were a
few old friends of my fathers whom
we visited at regular intervals. !
knew nothing Of the dissipations and
vices of the great city, and was as un-
suspicious of them as if they did not
exist. That was my life. The life of
hard working city clerk, hoping by
long years of patient work to rise to
the higher levels of good salary and
complete confidence. AS have said
above, had already risen above the
heads of some, nay seniors in point of
| age.


Friday morning, August Is, 1916,
was al the Office door when the city
clocks began striking nine. was at
my desk before the last stroke OF the
last clock had ceased. At ten | was
sent for; Mr.. Baldwin, the chief part
ner, wanted me. He was busy when
! went in, and hardly looked up. He
had a message of some importance to
give me, which it would have taken
time to write. He explained the cir
cumstances at full length, and in
structed Inc as to the form in which |
WAS to set them forth He was nre