For the Term of His Natural Life
Page 75
August 28th.--Hankey was murdered yesterday. He applied to be removedfrom the gaol-gang, but Frere refused. "I never let my men 'funk'," hesaid. "If they've threatened to murder you, I'll keep you there anothermonth in spite of 'em."
Someone who overheard this reported it to the gang, and they set uponthe unfortunate gaoler yesterday, and beat his brains out with theirshovels. Troke says that the wretch who was foremost cried, "There's foryou; and if your master don't take care, he'll get served the same oneof these days!" The gang were employed at building a reef in the sea,and were working up to their armpits in water. Hankey fell into thesurf, and never moved after the first blow. I saw the gang, and Dawessaid--
"It was Frere's fault; he should have let the man go!"
"I am surprised you did not interfere," said I. "I did all I could," wasthe man's answer. "What's a life more or less, here?"
This occurrence has spread consternation among the overseers, and theyhave addressed a "round robin" to the Commandant, praying to be relievedfrom their positions.
The way Frere has dealt with this petition is characteristic of him, andfills me at once with admiration and disgust. He came down with it inhis hand to the gaol-gang, walked into the yard, shut the gate, andsaid, "I've just got this from my overseers. They say they're afraidyou'll murder them as you murdered Hankey. Now, if you want to murder,murder me. Here I am. Step out, one of you." All this, said in a toneof the most galling contempt, did not move them. I saw a dozen pairsof eyes flash hatred, but the bull-dog courage of the man overawed themhere, as, I am told, it had done in Sydney. It would have been easy tokill him then and there, and his death, I am told, is sworn among them;but no one raised a finger. The only man who moved was Rufus Dawes, andhe checked himself instantly. Frere, with a recklessness of which I didnot think him capable, stepped up to this terror of the prison, and ranhis hands lightly down his sides, as is the custom with constables when"searching" a man. Dawes--who is of a fierce temper--turned crimsonat this and, I thought, would have struck him, but he did not. Frerethen--still unarmed and alone--proceeded to the man, saying, "Do youthink of bolting again, Dawes? Have you made any more boats?"
"You Devil!" said the chained man, in a voice pregnant with such weightof unborn murder, that the gang winced. "You'll find me one," saidFrere, with a laugh; and, turning to me, continued, in the same jestingtone, "There's a penitent for you, Mr. North--try your hand on him."
I was speechless at his audacity, and must have shown my disgust inmy face, for he coloured slightly, and as we were leaving the yard, heendeavoured to excuse himself, by saying that it was no use preaching tostones, and such doubly-dyed villains as this Dawes were past hope. "Iknow the ruffian of old," said he. "He came out in the ship from Englandwith me, and tried to raise a mutiny on board. He was the man who nearlymurdered my wife. He has never been out of irons--except then andwhen he escaped--for the last eighteen years; and as he's three lifesentences, he's like to die in 'em."
A monstrous wretch and criminal, evidently, and yet I feel a strangesympathy with this outcast.
CHAPTER V. MR. RICHARD DEVINE SURPRISED.