第 66 节
作者:想聊      更新:2022-08-26 22:13      字数:9320
  〃Have you ever been in thatthat place I was in last night?〃 asked Kirkland。
  Rufus Dawes nodded。
  〃Does the Commandant know what goes on there?〃
  〃I suppose so。  What does he care?〃
  〃Care!  Man; do you believe in a God?〃 〃No;〃 said Dawes; 〃not here。 Hold up; my lad。  If you fall; we must fall over you; and then you're done for。〃
  He had hardly uttered the words; when the boy flung himself beneath the log。 In another instant the train would have been scrambling over his crushed body; had not Gabbett stretched out an iron hand; and plucked the would…be suicide from death。
  〃Hold on to me; Miss Nancy;〃 said the giant; 〃I'm big enough to carry double。〃
  Something in the tone or manner of the speaker affected Kirkland to disgust; for; spurning the offered hand; he uttered a cry and then; holding up his irons with his hands; he started to run for the water。
  〃Halt!  you young fool;〃 roared Troke; raising his carbine。 But Kirkland kept steadily on for the river。  Just as he reached it; however; the figure of Mr。 North rose from behind a pile of stones。 Kirkland jumped for the jetty; missed his footing; and fell into the arms of the chaplain。
  〃You young verminyou shall pay for this;〃 cries Troke。  〃You'll see if you won't remember this day。〃
  〃Oh; Mr。 North;〃 says Kirkland; 〃why did you stop me? I'd better be dead than stay another night in that place。〃
  〃You'll get it; my lad;〃 said Gabbett; when the runaway was brought back。 〃Your blessed hide'll feel for this; see if it don't。〃
  Kirkland only breathed harder; and looked round for Mr。 North; but Mr。 North had gone。  The new chaplain was to arrive that afternoon; and it was incumbent on him to be at the reception。  Troke reported the ex…bank clerk that night to Burgess; and Burgess; who was about to go to dinner with the new chaplain; disposed of his case out of hand。 〃Tried to bolt; eh!  Must stop that。  Fifty lashes; Troke。 Tell Macklewain to be readyor stay; I'll tell him myselfI'll break the young devil's spirit; blank him。〃
  〃Yes; sir;〃 said Troke。  〃Good evening; sir。〃
  〃Trokepick out some likely man; will you? That last fellow you had ought to have been tied up himself。  His flogging wouldn't have killed a flea。〃
  〃You can't get 'em to warm one another; your honour;〃 says Troke。
  〃They won't do it。〃
  〃Oh; yes; they will; though;〃 says Burgess; 〃or I'll know the reason why。 I won't have my men knocked up with flogging these rascals。 If the scourger won't do his duty; tie him up; and give him five…and…twenty for himself。  I'll be down in the morning myself if I can。〃
  〃Very good; your honour;〃 says Troke。
  Kirkland was put into a separate cell that night; and Troke; by way of assuring him a good night's rest; told him that he was to have 〃fifty〃 in the morning。  〃And Dawes'll lay it on;〃 he added。 〃He's one of the smartest men I've got; and he won't spare yer; yer may take your oath of that。〃
  CHAPTER XIV。
  Mr。 NORTH'S DISPOSITION。
  〃You will find this a terrible place; Mr。 Meekin;〃 said North to his supplanter; as they walked across to the Commandant's to dinner。 〃It has made me heartsick。〃
  〃I thought it was a little paradise;〃 said Meekin。  〃Captain Frere says that the scenery is delightful。〃 〃So it is;〃 returned North; looking askance; 〃but the prisoners are not delightful。〃
  〃Poor; abandoned wretches;〃 says Meekin; 〃I suppose not。 How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon that bank!  Eh!〃
  〃Abandoned; indeed; by God and manalmost。〃
  〃Mr。 North; Providence never abandons the most unworthy of His servants。 Never have I seen the righteous forsaken; nor His seed begging their bread。 In the valley of the shadow of death He is with us。  His staff; you know; Mr。 North。  Really; the Commandant's house is charmingly situated!〃
  Mr。 North sighed again。  〃You have not been long in the colony; Mr。 Meekin。 I doubtforgive me for expressing myself so freelyif you quite know of our convict system。〃
  〃An admirable one!  A most admirable one!〃 said Meekin。  〃There were a few matters I noticed in Hobart Town that did not quite please me the frequent use of profane language for instancebut on the whole I was delighted with the scheme。  It is so complete。〃
  North pursed up his lips。  〃Yes; it is very complete;〃 he said; 〃almost too complete。  But I am always in a minority when I discuss the question; so we will drop it; if you please。〃
  〃If you please;〃 said Meekin gravely。  He had heard from the Bishop that Mr。 North was an ill…conditioned sort of person; who smoked clay pipes; had been detected in drinking beer out of a pewter pot; and had been heard to state that white neck…cloths were of no consequence。  The dinner went off successfully。  Burgessdesirous; perhaps; of favourably impressing the chaplain whom the Bishop delighted to honourshut off his blasphemy for a while; and was urbane enough。  〃You'll find us rough; Mr。 Meekin;〃 he said; 〃but you'll find us 'all there' when we're wanted。 This is a little kingdom in itself。〃
  〃Like B閞anger's?〃 asked Meekin; with a smile。  Captain Burgess had never heard of B閞anger; but he smiled as if he had learnt his words by heart。
  〃Or like Sancho Panza's island;〃 said North。  〃You remember how justice was administered there?〃
  〃Not at this moment; sir;〃 said Burgess; with dignity。  He had been often oppressed by the notion that the Reverend Mr。 North 〃chaffed〃 him。 〃Pray help yourself to wine。〃
  〃Thank you; none;〃 said North; filling a tumbler with water。 〃I have a headache。〃 His manner of speech and action was so awkward that a silence fell upon the party; caused by each one wondering why Mr。 North should grow confused; and drum his fingers on the table; and stare everywhere but at the decanter。  Meekinever softly at his ease was the first to speak。  〃Have you many visitors; Captain Burgess?〃
  〃Very few。  Sometimes a party comes over with a recommendation from the Governor; and I show them over the place; but; as a rule; we see no one but ourselves。〃
  〃I asked;〃 said Meekin; 〃because some friends of mine were thinking of coming。〃
  〃And who may they be?〃
  〃Do you know Captain Frere?〃
  〃Frere!  I should say so!〃 returned Burgess; with a laugh; modelled upon Maurice Frere's own。  〃I was quartered with him at Sarah Island。 So he's a friend of yours; eh?〃
  〃I had the pleasure of meeting him in society。  He is just married; you know。〃
  〃Is he?〃 said Burgess。  〃The devil he is!  I heard something about it; too。〃
  〃Miss Vickers; a charming young person。  They are going to Sydney; where Captain Frere has some interest; and Frere thinks of taking Port Arthur on his way down。〃
  〃A strange fancy for a honeymoon trip;〃 said North。
  〃Captain Frere takes a deep interest in all relating to convict discipline;〃 went on Meekin; unheeding the interruption; 〃and is anxious that Mrs。 Frere should see this place。〃
  〃Yes; one oughtn't to leave the colony without seeing it;〃 says Burgess; 〃it's worth seeing。〃
  〃So Captain Frere thinks。  A romantic story; Captain Burgess。 He saved her life; you know。〃
  〃Ah!  that was a queer thing; that mutiny;〃 said Burgess。 〃We've got the fellows here; you know。〃
  〃I saw them tried at Hobart Town;〃 said Meekin。  〃In fact; the ringleader; John Rex; gave me his confession; and I sent it to the Bishop。〃
  〃A great rascal;〃 put in North。  〃A dangerous; scheming; coldblooded villain。〃
  〃Well now!〃 said Meekin; with asperity; 〃I don't agree with you。 Everybody seems to be against that poor fellowCaptain Frere tried to make me think that his letters contained a hidden meaning; but I don't believe they did。  He seems to me to be truly penitent for his offencesa misguided; but not a hypocritical man; if my knowledge of human nature goes for anything。〃
  〃I hope he is;〃 said North。  〃I wouldn't trust him。〃
  〃Oh!  there's no fear of him;〃 said Burgess cheerily; 〃if he grows uproarious; we'll soon give him a touch of the cat。〃
  〃I suppose severity is necessary;〃 returned Meekin; 〃though to my ears a flogging sounds a little distasteful。  It is a brutal punishment。〃
  〃It's a punishment for brutes;〃 said Burgess; and laughed; pleased with the nearest approach to an epigram he ever made in his life。
  Here attention was called by the strange behaviour of Mr。 North。 He had risen; and; without apology; flung wide the window; as though he gasped for air。  〃Hullo; North!  what's the matter?〃
  〃Nothing;〃 said North; recovering himself with an effort。 〃A spasm。  I have these attacks at times。〃 〃Have some brandy;〃 said Burgess。
  〃No; no; it will pass。  No; I say。  Well; if you insist。〃 And seizing the tumbler offered to him; he half…filled it with raw spirit; and swallowed the fiery draught at a gulp。
  The Reverend Meekin eyed his clerical brother with horror。 The Reverend Meekin was not accustomed to clergymen who wore black neckties; smoked clay pipes; chewed tobacco; and drank neat brandy out of tumblers。
  〃Ha!〃 said North; looking wildly round upon them。  〃That's better。〃
  〃Let us go on to the verandah;〃 said Burgess。  〃It's cooler than in the house。〃
  So they went on to the verandah; and looked down upon the lights of the prison; and listened to the sea lapping the shore。  The Reverend Mr。 North; in this cool atmosphere; seemed to recover h