for the term of his natural life-第87章

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r　was　a　model　of　composition　in　one　way。　　It　stated　everything　clearly　and　succinctly。　Not　a　detail　that　could　assist　was　omittednot　a　line　that　could　embarrass　was　suffered　to　remain。　　John　Rex's　scheme　of　six　months'　deliberation　was　set　down　in　the　clearest　possible　manner。　　He　brought　his　letter　unsealed　to　Meekin。　　Meekin　looked　at　it　with　an　interest　that　was　half　suspicion。　〃Have　I　your　word　that　there　is　nothing　in　this　that　might　not　be　read　by　the　Commandant？〃

John　Rex　was　a　bold　man；　but　at　the　sight　of　the　deadly　thing　fluttering　open　in　the　clergyman's　hand；　his　knees　knocked　together。　Strong　in　his　knowledge　of　human　nature；　however；　he　pursued　his　desperate　plan。　　〃Read　it；　sir；〃　he　said　turning　away　his　face　reproachfully。　　〃You　are　a　gentleman。　　I　can　trust　you。〃

〃No；　Rex；〃　said　Meekin；　walking　loftily　into　the　pitfall；　〃I　do　not　read　private　letters。〃　It　was　sealed；　and　John　Rex　felt　as　if　somebody　had　withdrawn　a　match　from　a　powder　barrel。

In　a　month　Mr。　Meekin　received　a　letter；　beautifully　written；　from　〃Sarah　Rex〃；　stating　briefly　that　she　had　heard　of　his　goodness；　that　the　enclosed　letter　was　for　her　husband；　and　that　if　it　was　against　the　rules　to　give　it　him；　she　begged　it　might　be　returned　to　her　unread。　　Of　course　Meekin　gave　it　to　Rex；　who　next　morning　handed　to　Meekin　a　most　touching　pious　production；　begging　him　to　read　it。　　Meekin　did　so；　and　any　suspicions　he　may　have　had　were　at　once　disarmed。　　He　was　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　the　pious　letter　contained　a　private　one　intended　for　John　Rex　only；　which　letter　John　Rex　thought　so　highly　of；　that；　having　read　it　twice　through　most　attentively；　he　ate　it。

The　plan　of　escape　was　after　all　a　simple　one。　　Sarah　Purfoy　was　to　obtain　from　Blicks　the　moneys　he　held　in　trust；　and　to　embark　the　sum　thus　obtained　in　any　business　which　would　suffer　her　to　keep　a　vessel　hovering　round　the　southern　coast　of　Van　Diemen's　Land　without　exciting　suspicion。　The　escape　was　to　be　made　in　the　winter　months；　if　possible；　in　June　or　July。　The　watchful　vessel　was　to　be　commanded　by　some　trustworthy　person；　who　was　to　frequently　land　on　the　south…eastern　side；　and　keep　a　look…out　for　any　extraordinary　appearance　along　the　coast。　　Rex　himself　must　be　left　to　run　the　gauntlet　of　the　dogs　and　guards　unaided。　　〃This　seems　a　desperate　scheme；〃　wrote　Rex；　〃but　it　is　not　so　wild　as　it　looks。　I　have　thought　over　a　dozen　others；　and　rejected　them　all。　This　is　the　only　way。　　Consider　it　well。　　I　have　my　own　plan　for　escape；　which　is　easy　if　rescue　be　at　hand。　　All　depends　upon　placing　a　trustworthy　man　in　charge　of　the　vessel。　　You　ought　to　know　a　dozen　such。　I　will　wait　eighteen　months　to　give　you　time　to　make　all　arrangements。〃　The　eighteen　months　had　now　nearly　passed　over；　and　the　time　for　the　desperate　attempt　drew　near。　　Faithful　to　his　cruel　philosophy；　John　Rex　had　provided　scape…goats；　who；　by　their　vicarious　agonies；　should　assist　him　to　his　salvation。

He　had　discovered　that　of　the　twenty　men　in　his　gang　eight　had　already　determined　on　an　effort　for　freedom。　　The　names　of　these　eight　were　Gabbett；　Vetch；　Bodenham；　Cornelius；　Greenhill；　Sanders；　called　the　〃Moocher〃；　Cox；　and　Travers。　　The　leading　spirits　were　Vetch　and　Gabbett；　who；　with　profound　reverence；　requested　the　〃Dandy〃　to　join。　John　Rex；　ever　suspicious；　and　feeling　repelled　by　the　giant's　strange　eagerness；　at　first　refused；　but　by　degrees　allowed　himself　to　appear　to　be　drawn　into　the　scheme。　　He　would　urge　these　men　to　their　fate；　and　take　advantage　of　the　excitement　attendant　on　their　absence　to　effect　his　own　escape。　　〃While　all　the　island　is　looking　for　these　eight　boobies；　I　shall　have　a　good　chance　to　slip　away　unmissed。〃　He　wished；　however；　to　have　a　companion。　　Some　strong　man；　who；　if　pressed　hard；　would　turn　and　keep　the　pursuers　at　bay；　would　be　useful　without　doubt；　and　this　comrade…victim　he　sought　in　Rufus　Dawes。

Beginning；　as　we　have　seen；　from　a　purely　selfish　motive；　to　urge　his　fellow…prisoner　to　abscond　with　him；　John　Rex　gradually　found　himself　attracted　into　something　like　friendliness　by　the　sternness　with　which　his　overtures　were　repelled。　　Always　a　keen　student　of　human　nature；　the　scoundrel　saw　beneath　the　roughness　with　which　it　had　pleased　the　unfortunate　man　to　shroud　his　agony；　how　faithful　a　friend　and　how　ardent　and　undaunted　a　spirit　was　concealed。　　There　was；　moreover；　a　mystery　about　Rufus　Dawes　which　Rex；　the　reader　of　hearts；　longed　to　fathom。

〃Have　you　no　friends　whom　you　would　wish　to　see？〃　he　asked；　one　evening；　when　Rufus　Dawes　had　proved　more　than　usually　deaf　to　his　arguments。

〃No；〃　said　Dawes　gloomily。　　〃My　friends　are　all　dead　to　me。〃

〃What；　all？〃　asked　the　other。　　〃Most　men　have　some　one　whom　they　wish　to　see。〃

Rufus　Dawes　laughed　a　slow；　heavy　laugh。　　〃I　am　better　here。〃

〃Then　are　you　content　to　live　this　dog's　life？〃

〃Enough；　enough；〃　said　Dawes。　　〃I　am　resolved。〃

〃Pooh！　　Pluck　up　a　spirit；〃　cried　Rex。　　〃It　can't　fail。　　I've　been　thinking　of　it　for　eighteen　months；　and　it　can't　fail。〃

〃Who　are　going？〃　asked　the　other；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground。　John　Rex　enumerated　the　eight；　and　Dawes　raised　his　head。　　〃I　won't　go。　I　have　had　two　trials　at　it；　I　don't　want　another。　　I　would　advise　you　not　to　attempt　it　either。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃Gabbett　bolted　twice　before；〃　said　Rufus　Dawes；　shuddering　at　the　remembrance　of　the　ghastly　object　he　had　seen　in　the　sunlit　glen　at　Hell's　Gates。　〃Others　went　with　him；　but　each　time　he　returned　alone。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Rex；　struck　by　the　tone　of　his　companion。

〃What　became　of　the　others？〃

〃Died；　I　suppose；〃　said　the　Dandy；　with　a　forced　laugh。

〃Yes；　but　how？　　They　were　all　without　food。　　How　came　the　surviving　monster　to　live　six　weeks？〃

John　Rex　grew　a　shade　paler；　and　did　not　reply。　　He　recollected　the　sanguinary　legend　that　pertained　to　Gabbett's　rescue。　　But　he　did　not　intend　to　make　the　journey　in　his　company；　so；　after　all；　he　had　no　cause　for　fear。　　〃Come　with　me　then；〃　he　said；　at　length。　〃We　will　try　our　luck　together。〃

〃No。　　I　have　resolved。　　I　stay　here。〃

〃And　leave　your　innocence　unproved。〃

〃How　can　I　prove　it？〃　cried　Rufus　Dawes；　roughly　impatient。　〃There　are　crimes　committed　which　are　never　brought　to　light；　and　this　is　one　of　them。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Rex；　rising；　as　if　weary　of　the　discussion；　〃have　it　your　own　way；　then。　　You　know　best。　　The　private　detective　game　is　hard　work。　I；　myself；　have　gone　on　a　wild…goose　chase　before　now。　　There's　a　mystery　about　a　certain　ship…builder's　son　which　took　me　four　months　to　unravel；　and　then　I　lost　the　thread。〃

〃A　ship…builder's　son！　　Who　was　he？〃

John　Rex　paused　in　wonderment　at　the　eager　interest　with　which　the　question　was　put；　and　then　hastened　to　take　advantage　of　this　new　opening　for　conversation。　　〃A　queer　story。　　A　well…known　character　in　my　time　Sir　Richard　Devine。　　A　miserly　old　curmudgeon；　with　a　scapegrace　son。〃

Rufus　Dawes　bit　his　lips　to　avoid　showing　his　emotion。　　This　was　the　second　time　that　the　name　of　his　dead　father　had　been　spoken　in　his　hearing。　　〃I　think　I　remember　something　of　him；〃　he　said；　with　a　voice　that　sounded　strangely　calm　in　his　own　ears。

〃A　curious　story；〃　said　Rex；　plunging　into　past　memories。　〃Amongst　other　matters；　I　dabbled　a　little　in　the　Private　Inquiry　line　of　business；　and　the　old　man　came　to　me。　　He　had　a　son　who　had　gone　abroada　wild　young　dog；　by　all　accountsand　he　wanted　particulars　of　him。〃

〃Did　you　get　them？〃

〃To　a　certain　extent。　　I　hunted　him　through　Paris　into　Brussels；　from　Brussels　to　Antwerp；　from　Antwerp　back　to　Paris。　　I　lost　him　there。　A　miserable　end　to　a　long　and　expensive　search。　　I　got　nothing　but　a　portmanteau　with　a　lot　of　letters　from　his　mother。　　I　sent　the　particulars　to　the　ship…builder；　and　by　all　accounts　the　news　killed　him；　for　he　died　not　long　after。〃

〃And　the　son？〃

〃Came　to　the　queerest　end　of　all。　　The　old　man　had　left　him　his　fortune　a　large　one；　I　believebut　he'd　left　Europe；　it　seems；　for　India；　and　was　lost　in　the　Hydaspes。　　Frere　was　his　cousin。〃

〃Ah！〃

〃By　Gad；　it　annoys　me　when　I　think　of　it；〃　continued　Rex；　feeling；　by　force　of　memory；　once　more　the　adventurer　of　fashion。　　〃With　the　resources　I　had；　too。