for the term of his natural life-第65章

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l；　and　then　Mr。　Short　he　come；　and　we　examined　their　irons。〃

〃All　right？〃

〃All　right；　your　honour；　and　they　all　swore　they　knowed　nothing　of　it。　I　know　Dawes's　irons　was　all　right　when　he　went　to　dinner。〃

Frere　stopped　and　examined　the　empty　fetters。　　〃All　right　be　hanged；〃　he　said。　〃If　you　don't　know　your　duty　better　than　this；　the　sooner　you　go　somewhere　else　the　better；　my　man。　　Look　here！〃

The　two　ankle　fetters　were　severed。　　One　had　been　evidently　filed　through；　and　the　other　broken　transversely。　　The　latter　was　bent；　as　from　a　violent　blow。

〃Don't　know　where　he　got　the　file　from；〃　said　Warder　Short。

〃Know！　　Of　course　you　don't　know。　　You　men　never　do　know　anything　until　the　mischief's　done。　　You　want　me　here　for　a　month　or　so。　I'd　teach　you　your　duty！　　Don't　knowwith　things　like　this　lying　about？　I　wonder　the　whole　yard　isn't　loose　and　dining　with　the　Governor。〃

〃This〃　was　a　fragment　of　delft　pottery　which　Frere's　quick　eye　had　detected　among　the　broken　metal。

〃I'd　cut　the　biggest　iron　you've　got　with　this；　and　so　would　he　and　plenty　more；　I'll　go　bail。　　You　ought　to　have　lived　with　me　at　Sarah　Island；　Mr。　Short。　　Don't　know！〃

〃Well；　Captain　Frere；　it's　an　accident；〃　says　Short；　〃and　can't　be　helped　now。〃

〃An　accident！〃　roared　Frere。　　〃What　business　have　you　with　accidents？　How；　in　the　devil's　name；　you　let　the　man　get　over　the　wall；　I　don't　know。〃

〃He　ran　up　that　stone　heap；〃　says　Scott；　〃and　seemed　to　me　to　jump　at　the　roof　of　the　shed。　　I　fired　at　him；　and　he　swung　his　legs　over　the　top　of　the　wall　and　dropped。〃

Frere　measured　the　distance　from　his　eye；　and　an　irrepressible　feeling　of　admiration；　rising　out　of　his　own　skill　in　athletics；　took　possession　of　him　for　an　instant。

〃By　the　Lord　Harry；　but　it's　a　big　jump！〃　he　said；　and　then　the　instinctive　fear　with　which　the　consciousness　of　the　hideous　wrong　he　had　done　the　now　escaped　convict　inspired　him；　made　him　add：　〃A　desperate　villain　like　that　wouldn't　stick　at　a　murder　if　you　pressed　him　hard。　　Which　way　did　he　go？〃

〃Right　up　Macquarie　Street；　and　then　made　for　the　mountain。　There　were　few　people　about；　but　Mr。　Mays；　of　the　Star　Hotel；　tried　to　stop　him；　and　was　knocked　head　over　heels。　　He　says　the　fellow　runs　like　a　deer。〃

〃We'll　have　the　reward　out　if　we　don't　get　him　to…night；〃　says　Frere；　turning　away；　〃and　you'd　better　put　on　an　extra　warder。　　This　sort　of　game　is　catching。〃　And　he　strode　away　to　the　Barracks。

From　right　to　left；　from　east　to　west；　through　the　prison　city　flew　the　signal　of　alarm；　and　the　patrol；　clattering　out　along　the　road　to　New　Norfolk；　made　hot　haste　to　strike　the　trail　of　the　fugitive。　But　night　came　and　found　him　yet　at　large；　and　the　patrol　returning；　weary　and　disheartened；　protested　that　he　must　be　lying　hid　in　some　gorge　of　the　purple　mountain　that　overshadowed　the　town；　and　would　have　to　be　starved　into　submission。　　Meanwhile　the　usual　message　ran　through　the　island；　and　so　admirable　were　the　arrangements　which　Arthur　the　reformer　had　initiated；　that；　before　noon　of　the　next　day；　not　a　signal　station　on　the　coast　but　knew　that　No。　　8942；　etc。；　etc。；　prisoner　for　life；　was　illegally　at　large。　This　intelligence；　further　aided　by　a　paragraph　in　the　Gazette　anent　the　〃Daring　Escape〃；　noised　abroad；　the　world　cared　little　that　the　Mary　Jane；　Government　schooner；　had　sailed　for　Port　Arthur　without　Rufus　Dawes。

But　two　or　three　persons　cared　a　good　deal。　　Major　Vickers；　for　one；　was　indignant　that　his　boasted　security　of　bolts　and　bars　should　have　been　so　easily　defied；　and　in　proportion　to　his　indignation　was　the　grief　of　Messieurs　Jenkins；　Scott；　and　Co。；　suspended　from　office；　and　threatened　with　absolute　dismissal。　　Mr。　Meekin　was　terribly　frightened　at　the　fact　that　so　dangerous　a　monster　should　be　roaming　at　large　within　reach　of　his　own　saintly　person。　　Sylvia　had　shown　symptoms　of　nervous　terror；　none　the　less　injurious　because　carefully　repressed；　and　Captain　Maurice　Frere　was　a　prey　to　the　most　cruel　anxiety。　He　had　ridden　off　at　a　hand…gallop　within　ten　minutes　after　he　had　reached　the　Barracks；　and　had　spent　the　few　hours　of　remaining　daylight　in　scouring　the　country　along　the　road　to　the　North。　　At　dawn　the　next　day　he　was　away　to　the　mountain；　and　with　a　black…tracker　at　his　heels；　explored　as　much　of　that　wilderness　of　gully　and　chasm　as　nature　permitted　to　him。　　He　had　offered　to　double　the　reward；　and　had　examined　a　number　of　suspicious　persons。　　It　was　known　that　he　had　been　inspecting　the　prison　a　few　hours　before　the　escape　took　place；　and　his　efforts　were　therefore　attributed　to　zeal；　not　unmixed　with　chagrin。　〃Our　dear　friend　feels　his　reputation　at　stake；〃　the　future　chaplain　of　Port　Arthur　said　to　Sylvia　at　the　Christmas　dinner。　　〃He　is　so　proud　of　his　knowledge　of　these　unhappy　men　that　he　dislikes　to　be　outwitted　by　any　of　them。〃

Notwithstanding　all　this；　however；　Dawes　had　disappeared。　The　fat　landlord　of　the　Star　Hotel　was　the　last　person　who　saw　him；　and　the　flying　yellow　figure　seemed　to　have　been　as　completely　swallowed　up　by　the　warm　summer's　afternoon　as　if　it　had　run　headlong　into　the　blackest　night　that　ever　hung　above　the　earth。




CHAPTER　IX。

JOHN　REX'S　LETTER　HOME。



The　〃little　gathering〃　of　which　Major　Vickers　had　spoken　to　Mr。　Meekin；　had　grown　into　something　larger　than　he　had　anticipated。　Instead　of　a　quiet　dinner　at　which　his　own　household；　his　daughter's　betrothed；　and　the　stranger　clergyman　only　should　be　present；　the　Major　found　himself　entangled　with　Mesdames　Protherick　and　Jellicoe；　Mr。　McNab　of　the　garrison；　and　Mr。　Pounce　of　the　civil　list。　　His　quiet　Christmas　dinner　had　grown　into　an　evening　party。

The　conversation　was　on　the　usual　topic。

〃Heard　anything　about　that　fellow　Dawes？〃　asked　Mr。　Pounce。

〃Not　yet；〃　says　Frere；　sulkily；　〃but　he　won't　be　out　long。　I've　got　a　dozen　men　up　the　mountain。〃

〃I　suppose　it　is　not　easy　for　a　prisoner　to　make　good　his　escape？〃　says　Meekin。

〃Oh；　he　needn't　be　caught；〃　says　Frere；　〃if　that's　what　you　mean；　but　he'll　starve　instead。　　The　bushranging　days　are　over　now；　and　it's　a　precious　poor　look…out　for　any　man　to　live　upon　luck　in　the　bush。〃

〃Indeed；　yes；〃　says　Mr。　Pounce；　lapping　his　soup。　　〃This　island　seems　specially　adapted　by　Providence　for　a　convict　settlement；　for　with　an　admirable　climate；　it　carries　little　indigenous　vegetation　which　will　support　human　life。〃

〃Wull；〃　said　McNab　to　Sylvia；　〃I　don't　think　Prauvidence　had　any　thocht　o'　caunveect　deesiplin　whun　He　created　the　cauleny　o'　Van　Deemen's　Lan'。〃

〃Neither　do　I；〃　said　Sylvia。

〃I　don't　know；〃　says　Mrs。　Protherick。　　〃Poor　Protherick　used　often　to　say　that　it　seemed　as　if　some　Almighty　Hand　had　planned　the　Penal　Settlements　round　the　coast；　the　country　is　so　delightfully　barren。〃

〃Ay；　Port　Arthur　couldn't　have　been　better　if　it　had　been　made　on　purpose；〃　says　Frere；　〃and　all　up　the　coast　from　Tenby　to　St。　Helen's　there　isn't　a　scrap　for　human　being　to　make　a　meal　on。　　The　West　Coast　is　worse。　By　George；　sir；　in　the　old　days；　I　remember〃

〃By　the　way；〃　says　Meekin；　〃I've　got　something　to　show　you。　　Rex's　confession。　I　brought　it　down　on　purpose。〃

〃Rex's　confession！〃

〃His　account　of　his　adventures　after　he　left　Macquarie　Harbour。　I　am　going　to　send　it　to　the　Bishop。〃

〃Oh；　I　should　like　to　see　it；〃　said　Sylvia；　with　heightened　colour。　〃The　story　of　these　unhappy　men　has　a　personal　interest　for　me。〃

〃A　forbidden　subject；　Poppet。〃

〃No；　papa；　not　altogether　forbidden；　for　it　does　not　affect　me　now　as　it　used　to　do。　　You　must　let　me　read　it；　Mr。　Meekin。〃

〃A　pack　of　lies；　I　expect；〃　said　Frere；　with　a　scowl。　　〃That　scoundrel　Rex　couldn't　tell　the　truth　to　save　his　life。〃

〃You　misjudge　him；　Captain　Frere；〃　said　Meekin。　　〃All　the　prisoners　are　not　hardened　in　iniquity　like　Rufus　Dawes。　　Rex　is；　I　believe；　truly　penitent；　and　has　written　a　most　touching　letter　to　his　father。〃

〃A　letter！〃　said　Vickers。　　〃You　know　that；　by　the　King'sno；　the　Queen's　Regulations；　no　letters　are　allowed　to　be　sent　to　the　friends　of　prisoners　without　first　passing　through　the　hands　of　the　authorities。〃

〃I　am　aware　of　that；　Major；　and　for　that　reason　have　brought　it　with　me；　that　you　may　read　it　for　yoursel