for the term of his natural life-第75节

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eeks。

〃I　can　do　it　now；〃　said　Tommy。　　〃I　feel　strong。〃

〃Will　it　hurt　much；　Tommy？〃　said　Billy；　who　was　not　so　courageous。

〃Not　so　much　as　a　whipping。〃

〃I'm　afraid！　　Oh；　Tom；　it's　so　deep！　　Don't　leave　me；　Tom！〃

The　bigger　boy　took　his　little　handkerchief　from　his　neck；　and　with　it　bound　his　own　left　hand　to　his　companion's　right。

〃Now　I　can't　leave　you。〃

〃What　was　it　the　lady　that　kissed　us　said；　Tommy？〃

〃Lord；　have　pity　on　them　two　fatherless　children！〃　repeated　Tommy。　〃Let's　say　it　together。〃

And　so　the　two　babies　knelt　on　the　brink　of　the　cliff；　and；　raising　the　bound　hands　together；　looked　up　at　the　sky；　and　ungrammatically　said；　〃Lord　have　pity　on　we　two　fatherless　children！〃　And　then　they　kissed　each　other；　and　〃did　it〃。


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The　intelligence；　transmitted　by　the　ever…active　semaphore；　reached　the　Commandant　in　the　midst　of　dinner；　and　in　his　agitation　he　blurted　it　out。

〃These　are　the　two　poor　things　I　saw　in　the　morning；〃　cried　Sylvia。　〃Oh；　Maurice；　these　two　poor　babies　driven　to　suicide！〃

〃Condemning　their　young　souls　to　everlasting　fire；〃　said　Meekin；　piously。

〃Mr。　Meekin！　　How　can　you　talk　like　that？　　Poor　little　creatures！　Oh；　it's　horrible！　　Maurice；　take　me　away。〃　And　she　burst　into　a　passion　of　weeping。　　〃I　can't　help　it；　ma'am；〃　says　Burgess；　rudely；　ashamed。　〃It　ain't　my　fault。〃

〃She's　nervous；〃　says　Frere；　leading　her　away。　　〃You　must　excuse　her。　Come　and　lie　down；　dearest。〃

〃I　will　not　stay　here　longer；〃　said　she。　　〃Let　us　go　to…morrow。〃

〃We　can't；〃　said　Frere。

〃Oh；　yes；　we　can。　　I　insist。　　Maurice；　if　you　love　me；　take　me　away。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Maurice；　moved　by　her　evident　grief；　〃I'll　try。〃

He　spoke　to　Burgess。　　〃Burgess；　this　matter　has　unsettled　my　wife；　so　that　she　wants　to　leave　at　once。　　I　must　visit　the　Neck；　you　know。　How　can　we　do　it？〃

〃Well；〃　says　Burgess；　〃if　the　wind　only　holds；　the　brig　could　go　round　to　Pirates'　Bay　and　pick　you　up。　　You'll　only　be　a　night　at　the　barracks。〃

〃I　think　that　would　be　best；〃　said　Frere。　　〃We'll　start　to…morrow；　please；　and　if　you'll　give　me　a　pen　and　ink　I'll　be　obliged。〃

〃I　hope　you　are　satisfied；〃　said　Burgess。

〃Oh　yes；　quite；〃　said　Frere。　　〃I　must　recommend　more　careful　supervision　at　Point　Puer；　though。　　It　will　never　do　to　have　these　young　blackguards　slipping　through　our　fingers　in　this　way。〃

So　a　neatly　written　statement　of　the　occurrence　was　appended　to　the　ledgers　in　which　the　names　of　William　Tomkins　and　Thomas　Grove　were　entered。　Macklewain　held　an　inquest；　and　nobody　troubled　about　them　any　more。　Why　should　they？　　The　prisons　of　London　were　full　of　such　Tommys　and　Billys。


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Sylvia　passed　through　the　rest　of　her　journey　in　a　dream　of　terror。　The　incident　of　the　children　had　shaken　her　nerves；　and　she　longed　to　be　away　from　the　place　and　its　associations。　　Even　Eaglehawk　Neck　with　its　curious　dog　stages　and　its　〃natural　pavement〃；　did　not　interest　her。　McNab's　blandishments　were　wearisome。　　She　shuddered　as　she　gazed　into　the　boiling　abyss　of　the　Blow…hole；　and　shook　with　fear　as　the　Commandant's　〃train〃　rattled　over　the　dangerous　tramway　that　wound　across　the　precipice　to　Long　Bay。　　The　〃train〃　was　composed　of　a　number　of　low　wagons　pushed　and　dragged　up　the　steep　inclines　by　convicts；　who　drew　themselves　up　in　the　wagons　when　the　trucks　dashed　down　the　slope；　and　acted　as　drags。　　Sylvia　felt　degraded　at　being　thus　drawn　by　human　beings；　and　trembled　when　the　lash　cracked；　and　the　convicts　answered　to　the　sting　like　cattle。　　Moreover；　there　was　among　the　foremost　of　these　beasts　of　burden　a　face　that　had　dimly　haunted　her　girlhood；　and　only　lately　vanished　from　her　dreams。　　This　face　looked　on　hershe　thoughtwith　bitterest　loathing　and　scorn；　and　she　felt　relieved　when　at　the　midday　halt　its　owner　was　ordered　to　fall　out　from　the　rest；　and　was　with　four　others　re…chained　for　the　homeward　journey。　　Frere；　struck　with　the　appearance　of　the　five；　said；　〃By　Jove；　Poppet；　there　are　our　old　friends　Rex　and　Dawes；　and　the　others。　　They　won't　let　'em　come　all　the　way；　because　they　are　such　a　desperate　lot；　they　might　make　a　rush　for　it。〃　Sylvia　comprehended　now　the　face　was　the　face　of　Dawes；　and　as　she　looked　after　him；　she　saw　him　suddenly　raise　his　hands　above　his　head　with　a　motion　that　terrified　her。　She　felt　for　an　instant　a　great　shock　of　pitiful　recollection。　Staring　at　the　group；　she　strove　to　recall　when　and　how　Rufus　Dawes；　the　wretch　from　whose　clutches　her　husband　had　saved　her；　had　ever　merited　her　pity；　but　her　clouded　memory　could　not　complete　the　picture；　and　as　the　wagons　swept　round　a　curve；　and　the　group　disappeared；　she　awoke　from　her　reverie　with　a　sigh。

〃Maurice；〃　she　whispered；　〃how　is　it　that　the　sight　of　that　man　always　makes　me　sad？〃

Her　husband　frowned；　and　then；　caressing　her；　bade　her　forget　the　man　and　the　place　and　her　fears。　　〃I　was　wrong　to　have　insisted　on　your　coming；〃　he　said。　　They　stood　on　the　deck　of　the　Sydney…bound　vessel　the　next　morning；　and　watched　the　〃Natural　Penitentiary〃　grow　dim　in　the　distance。　〃You　were　not　strong　enough。〃


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〃Dawes；〃　said　John　Rex；　〃you　love　that　girl！　　Now　that　you've　seen　her　another　man's　wife；　and　have　been　harnessed　like　a　beast　to　drag　him　along　the　road；　while　he　held　her　in　his　arms！now　that　you've　seen　and　suffered　that；　perhaps　you'll　join　us。〃

Rufus　Dawes　made　a　movement　of　agonized　impatience。

〃You'd　better。　　You'll　never　get　out　of　this　place　any　other　way。　Come；　be　a　man；　join　us！〃

〃No！〃

〃It　is　your　only　chance。　　Why　refuse　it？　Do　you　want　to　live　here　all　your　life？〃

〃I　want　no　sympathy　from　you　or　any　other。　　I　will　not　join　you。〃

Rex　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　walked　away。　　〃If　you　think　to　get　any　good　out　of　that　'inquiry'；　you　are　mightily　mistaken；〃　said　he；　as　he　went。　〃Frere　has　put　a　stopper　upon　that；　you'll　find。〃　He　spoke　truly。　Nothing　more　was　heard　of　it；　only　that；　some　six　months　afterwards；　Mr。　North；　when　at　Parramatta；　received　an　official　letter　（in　which　the　expenditure　of　wax　and　printing　and　paper　was　as　large　as　it　could　be　made）　which　informed　him　that　the　〃Comptroller…General　of　the　Convict　Department　had　decided　that　further　inquiry　concerning　the　death　of　the　prisoner　named　in　the　margin　was　unnecessary〃；　and　that　some　gentleman　with　an　utterly　illegible　signature　〃had　the　honour　to　be　his　most　obedient　servant〃。




CHAPTER　XXII。

GATHERING　IN　THE　THREADS。



Maurice　found　his　favourable　expectations　of　Sydney　fully　realized。　His　notable　escape　from　death　at　Macquarie　Harbour；　his　alliance　with　the　daughter　of　so　respected　a　colonist　as　Major　Vickers；　and　his　reputation　as　a　convict　disciplinarian　rendered　him　a　man　of　note。　He　received　a　vacant　magistracy；　and　became　even　more　noted　for　hardness　of　heart　and　artfulness　of　prison　knowledge　than　before。　　The　convict　population　spoke　of　him　as　〃that　　Frere；〃　and　registered　vows　of　vengeance　against　him；　which　he　laughedin　his　bluffnessto　scorn。

One　anecdote　concerning　the　method　by　which　he　shepherded　his　flock　will　suffice　to　show　his　character　and　his　value。　　It　was　his　custom　to　visit　the　prison…yard　at　Hyde　Park　Barracks　twice　a　week。　Visitors　to　convicts　were；　of　course；　armed；　and　the　two　pistol…butts　that　peeped　from　Frere's　waistcoat　attracted　many　a　longing　eye。　How　easy　would　it　be　for　some　fellow　to　pluck　one　forth　and　shatter　the　smiling；　hateful　face　of　the　noted　disciplinarian！　　Frere；　however；　brave　to　rashness；　never　would　bestow　his　weapons　more　safely；　but　lounged　through　the　yard　with　his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　shooting…coat；　and　the　deadly　butts　ready　to　the　hand　of　anyone　bold　enough　to　take　them。

One　day　a　man　named　Kavanagh；　a　captured　absconder；　who　had　openly　sworn　in　the　dock　the　death　of　the　magistrate；　walked　quickly　up　to　him　as　he　was　passing　through　the　yard；　and　snatched　a　pistol　from　his　belt。　The　yard　caught　its　breath；　and　the　attendant　warder；　hearing　the　click　of　the　lock；　instinctively　turned　his　head　away；　so　that　he　might　not　be　blinded　by　the　flash。　　But　Kavanagh　did　not　fire。　　At　the　instant　when　his　hand　was　on　the　pistol；　he　looked　up　and　met　the　magnetic　glance　of　Frere's　imperious　eyes。　　An　effort；　and　the　spell　would　have　been　broken。　A　twitch　of　the　finger；　and　his　enemy　would　have　fallen　dead。　There　was　an　instant　when　that　twitch　of　the　finger　could　have　been　given；　but　Kavanagh　let　that　instant　pass。　　The　dauntless　eye　fascinated　him。　He　played　with　the　pistol　nervously；　while　all　remained　stupefied。　Frere　stood；　without　withdrawing　his　hands　from　the　pockets　into　which　they　were　plunged。

〃That's　a　fine　pistol；　Jack；〃　he　said　at　last。

Kavanagh；　down　whose　white　face　the　sweat　was　pouring；　burst　into　a　hideous　laugh　of　relieved　terror；　and　thrust　the　weapon；　cocked　as　it　was；　back　again　into　the　magistrate's　belt。

Frere　slowly　drew　one　hand　from　his　pocket；　took　the　cocked　pistol　and　levelled　it　at　his　recent　assailant。　　〃That's　the　best　chance　you'll　ever　get；　Jack；〃　said　he。

Kavanagh　fell　on　his　knees。　　〃For　God's　sake；　C