for the term of his natural life-第110章

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The　great　aim　of　Troke　was　to　catch　Dawes　tripping；　but　the　leader　of　the　〃Ring〃　was　far　too　wary。　　In　vain　had　Troke；　eager　to　sustain　his　reputation　for　sharpness；　burst　in　upon　the　convict　at　all　times　and　seasons。　　He　had　found　nothing。　　In　vain　had　he　laid　traps　for　him；　in　vain　had　he　〃planted〃　figs　of　tobacco；　and　attached　long　threads　to　them；　waited　in　a　bush　hard　by；　until　the　pluck　at　the　end　of　his　line　should　give　token　that　the　fish　had　bitten。　　The　experienced　〃old　hand〃　was　too　acute　for　him。　　Filled　with　disgust　and　ambition；　he　determined　upon　an　ingenious　little　trick。　　He　was　certain　that　Dawes　possessed　tobacco；　the　thing　was　to　find　it　upon　him。　　Now；　Rufus　Dawes；　holding　aloof；　as　was　his　custom；　from　the　majority　of　his　companions；　had　made　one　friend　if　so　mindless　and　battered　an　old　wreck　could　be　called　a　friend　Blind　Mooney。　　Perhaps　this　oddly…assorted　friendship　was　brought　about　by　two　causesone；　that　Mooney　was　the　only　man　on　the　island　who　knew　more　of　the　horrors　of　convictism　than　the　leader　of　the　Ring；　the　other；　that　Mooney　was　blind；　and；　to　a　moody；　sullen　man；　subject　to　violent　fits　of　passion　and　a　constant　suspicion　of　all　his　fellow…creatures；　a　blind　companion　was　more　congenial　than　a　sharp…eyed　one。

Mooney　was　one　of　the　〃First　Fleeters〃。　　He　had　arrived　in　Sydney　fifty…seven　years　before；　in　the　year　1789；　and　when　he　was　transported　he　was　fourteen　years　old。　　He　had　been　through　the　whole　round　of　servitude；　had　worked　as　a　bondsman；　had　married；　and　been　〃up　country〃；　had　been　again　sentenced；　and　was　a　sort　of　dismal　patriarch　of　Norfolk　Island；　having　been　there　at　its　former　settlement。　　He　had　no　friends。　His　wife　was　long　since　dead；　and　he　stated；　without　contradiction；　that　his　master；　having　taken　a　fancy　to　her；　had　despatched　the　uncomplaisant　husband　to　imprisonment。　　Such　cases　were　not　uncommon。

One　of　the　many　ways　in　which　Rufus　Dawes　had　obtained　the　affection　of　the　old　blind　man　was　a　gift　of　such　fragments　of　tobacco　as　he　had　himself　from　time　to　time　secured。　　Troke　knew　this；　and　on　the　evening　in　question　hit　upon　an　excellent　plan。　　Admitting　himself　noiselessly　into　the　boat…shed；　where　the　gang　slept；　he　crept　close　to　the　sleeping　Dawes；　and　counterfeiting　Mooney's　mumbling　utterance　asked　for　〃some　tobacco〃。　　Rufus　Dawes　was　but　half　awake；　and　on　repeating　his　request；　Troke　felt　something　put　into　his　hand。　　He　grasped　Dawes's　arm；　and　struck　a　light。　He　had　got　his　man　this　time。　　　Dawes　had　conveyed　to　his　fancied　friend　a　piece　of　tobacco　almost　as　big　as　the　top　joint　of　his　little　finger。　One　can　understand　the　feelings　of　a　man　entrapped　by　such　base　means。　Rufus　Dawes　no　sooner　saw　the　hated　face　of　Warder　Troke　peering　over　his　hammock；　then　he　sprang　out；　and　exerting　to　the　utmost　his　powerful　muscles；　knocked　Mr。　Troke　fairly　off　his　legs　into　the　arms　of　the　in…coming　constables。　　A　desperate　struggle　took　place；　at　the　end　of　which　the　convict；　overpowered　by　numbers；　was　borne　senseless　to　the　cells；　gagged；　and　chained　to　the　ring…bolt　on　the　bare　flags。　While　in　this　condition　he　was　savagely　beaten　by　five　or　six　constables。

To　this　maimed　and　manacled　rebel　was　the　Commandant　ushered　by　Troke　the　next　morning。

〃Ha！　ha！　my　man；〃　said　the　Commandant。　　〃Here　you　are　again；　you　see。　How　do　you　like　this　sort　of　thing？〃

Dawes；　glaring；　makes　no　answer。

〃You　shall　have　fifty　lashes；　my　man；〃　said　Frere。　　〃We'll　see　how　you　feel　then！〃　　The　fifty　were　duly　administered；　and　the　Commandant　called　the　next　day。　　The　rebel　was　still　mute。

〃Give　him　fifty　more；　Mr。　Troke。　　We'll　see　what　he's　made　of。〃

One　hundred　and　twenty　lashes　were　inflicted　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　but　still　the　sullen　convict　refused　to　speak。　　He　was　then　treated　to　fourteen　days'　solitary　confinement　in　one　of　the　new　cells。　On　being　brought　out　and　confronted　with　his　tormentor；　he　merely　laughed。　For　this　he　was　sent　back　for　another　fourteen　days；　and　still　remaining　obdurate；　was　flogged　again；　and　got　fourteen　days　more。　Had　the　chaplain　then　visited　him；　he　might　have　found　him　open　to　consolation；　but　the　chaplainso　it　was　statedwas　sick。　When　brought　out　at　the　conclusion　of　his　third　confinement；　he　was　found　to　be　in　so　exhausted　a　condition　that　the　doctor　ordered　him　to　hospital。　　As　soon　as　he　was　sufficiently　recovered；　Frere　visited　him；　and　finding　his　〃spirit〃　not　yet　〃broken〃；　ordered　that　he　should　be　put　to　grind　maize。　　Dawes　declined　to　work。　　So　they　chained　his　hand　to　one　arm　of　the　grindstone　and　placed　another　prisoner　at　the　other　arm。　As　the　second　prisoner　turned；　the　hand　of　Dawes　of　course　revolved。

〃You're　not　such　a　pebble　as　folks　seemed　to　think；〃　grinned　Frere；　pointing　to　the　turning　wheel。

　Upon　which　the　indomitable　poor　devil　straightened　his　sorely…tried　muscles；　　and　prevented　the　wheel　from　turning　at　all。　　Frere　gave　him　fifty　　more　lashes；　and　sent　him　the　next　day　to　grind　cayenne　pepper。　　This　was　a　punishment　more　dreaded　by　the　convicts　than　any　other。　　The　pungent　dust　filled　their　eyes　and　lungs；　causing　them　the　　most　excruciating　torments。　　For　a　man　with　a　raw　back　the　work　was　　one　continued　agony。　　In　four　days　Rufus　Dawes；　emaciated；　blistered；　　blinded；　broke　down。

〃For　God's　sake；　Captain　Frere；　kill　me　at　once！〃　he　said。

〃No　fear；〃　said　the　other；　rejoiced　at　this　proof　of　his　power。　〃You've　given　in；　that's　all　I　wanted。　　Troke；　take　him　off　to　the　hospital。〃

When　he　was　in　hospital；　North　visited　him。

〃I　would　have　come　to　see　you　before；〃　said　the　clergyman；　〃but　I　have　been　very　ill。〃

In　truth　he　looked　so。　　He　had　had　a　fever；　it　seemed；　and　they　had　shaved　his　beard；　and　cropped　his　hair。　　Dawes　could　see　that　the　haggard；　wasted　man　had　passed　through　some　agony　almost　as　great　as　his　own。　The　next　day　Frere　visited　him；　complimented　him　on　his　courage；　and　offered　to　make　him　a　constable。　　Dawes　turned　his　scarred　back　to　his　torturer；　and　resolutely　declined　to　answer。

〃I　am　afraid　you　have　made　an　enemy　of　the　Commandant；〃　said　North；　the　next　day。　　〃Why　not　accept　his　offer？〃

Dawes　cast　on　him　a　glance　of　quiet　scorn。　　〃And　betray　my　mates？　I'm　not　one　of　that　sort。〃

The　clergyman　spoke　to　him　of　hope；　of　release；　of　repentance；　and　redemption。　　The　prisoner　laughed。　　〃Who's　to　redeem　me？〃　he　said；　expressing　his　thoughts　in　phraseology　that　to　ordinary　folks　might　seem　blasphemous。　　〃It　would　take　a　Christ　to　die　again　to　save　such　as　I。〃

North　spoke　to　him　of　immortality。　　〃There　is　another　life；〃　said　he。　　〃Do　not　risk　your　chance　of　happiness　in　it。　　You　have　a　future　to　live　for；　man。〃

〃I　hope　not；〃　said　the　victim　of　the　〃system〃。　　〃I　want　to　restto　rest；　and　never　to　be　disturbed　again。〃

His　〃spirit〃　was　broken　enough　by　this　time。　　Yet　he　had　resolution　enough　to　refuse　Frere's　repeated　offers。　　〃I'll　never　'jump'　it；〃　he　said　to　North；　〃if　they　cut　me　in　half　first。〃

North　pityingly　implored　the　stubborn　mind　to　have　mercy　on　the　lacerated　body；　but　without　effect。　　His　own　wayward　heart　gave　him　the　key　to　read　the　cipher　of　this　man's　life。　　〃A　noble　nature　ruined；〃　said　he　to　himself。　〃What　is　the　secret　of　his　history？〃

Dawes；　on　his　part；　seeing　how　different　from　other　black　coats　was　this　priestat　once　so　ardent　and　so　gloomy；　so　stern　and　so　tenderbegan　to　speculate　on　the　cause　of　his　monitor's　sunken　cheeks；　fiery　eyes；　and　pre…occupied　manner；　to　wonder　what　grief　inspired　those　agonized　prayers；　those　eloquent　and　daring　supplications；　which　were　daily　poured　out　over　his　rude　bed。　　So　between　these　twothe　priest　and　the　sinnerwas　a　sort　of　sympathetic　bond。

One　day　this　bond　was　drawn　so　close　as　to　tug　at　both　their　heart…strings。　The　chaplain　had　a　flower　in　his　coat。　　Dawes　eyed　it　with　hungry　looks；　and；　as　the　clergyman　was　about　to　quit　the　room；　said；　〃Mr。　North；　will　you　give　me　that　rosebud？〃　North　paused　irresolutely；　and　finally；　as　if　after　a　struggle　with　himself；　took　it　carefully　from　his　button…hole；　and　placed　it　in　the　prisoner's　brown；　scarred　hand。　　In　another　instant　Dawes；　believing　himself　alone；　pressed　the　gift　to　his　lips。　　North　returned　abruptly；　and　the　eyes　of　the　pair　m