THE CURSE OF THE CARDEWS OR AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 144, 1 April 1909, Page 3

THE CURSE OF THE CARDEWS OR AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS.

(All Right* Hcscrvcl.)

T + By w. Ml itli.W GRAYDON. Author of * "T niackinoili'rs.'" ,r ilca|>ing the Whirlwind," "Th© Il«ir of Ute Loudouiis," Etc. TAUT XIII. The itunning facts quickly piled f»p. It was shown that 11»«* prisoner hail prepanil for flight when hp left the bungalow on the fatal night. Hp hail ridden awot from j the* scene of the assault on 1-Vigu-son's horse. ami ha«l Iwn caught several hours later with Ferguson's, knife. revolver, ami money In his iHiswrniun. Ifc must have known, it |>ointed out, that the planter cx|xtliil to return that night, anil that he would have a large sum on hb |x>rson. This was the cask' for the prosecution. and it could hardly have t*rn stronger. A sordid crime hail Ixvn ronimltlcil. | and the Identity of the |en»*trnlor ttn» licyonil doubt. On th«* other side were oite or two trifling • irnimxliinrcfs whirh. though altrntkil with Mm- mystery. «;»r----rinl but httV Wright. tJorilon Ferguson had left CSeorgutown with one hunilirtl pounds in hi.* pocKel. whereas not a third of that amount hnil been found on the prisoner. The taller had made a statement tending to fix the crime on a l*orlugii*!b- naiintl Xd\i'r I'astro. and though no s«rh person hail Ixvu discovered. it itaf admitted l»y Colonel Kktirdo _ that the news of th' assault had Ikvm brought to liiiu bt a stranger whom l<e had not sen l»(nr»' or sime. It pf^umalily another stronger— the intervening time |M>inl»'<l to Ihc i-Nisti'iiiT of two irysterious j»ersous —who had roused I*irf» Huysdi 1 from »liep. It-M hi*n .>i the crime n:»d of tie- d«ri-limi trsken l»y the fus »tive. n * I disappenrnl not t" I*' seen njain. The foiinsl f-»r the I'efeme made the most »i tl'ejo- fuels. jiini the frown (irti«i"«ilnr. iu the sj>« ch that followed. rleterlv used them l» ■" , SS» ! 't thai the nirus.il man pr«eIxihlv had two unknown acompli,ts. The judge summed up. and the jury returned a v«-r«ii I oi guilty without le;it ing lite l»o.\. Ten tears oi hard labour at the | enal Settlement was the sentence. iiml si", the prisoner heard it hi* pal-:d and he grii>j»d the edge of the dock «-onv»dsivrl> . ' Vim have condemned an innoient limn," lie criwl. luudl;.. Amid n tiM// i»f riiiiv*Tfti*ti*'n he was led n«a>. and in the passage outside the court room, whither hi"* well, lie asked a single ipeMion : "Who prut id»-d the muiK? for ih> ife em e ? " "A Chinaman," v. ,»«• I'c iej'l>. "Kroin Son I'arinvß. lh* owed >o» « iM»I of gratitude. he l»»M me." "It uas l.i i>-\ a*>atru'd hint:« Irirl - I.tt* r. wlien hi* Hti-x I.M-lvf.l irt iii ■ c"'. ' •!'" mu»t bate p*>r»'d v. i«h all hi.* savings. Tint? |'k'"»r. rg::«»r;.nt h»*wth> n ttan lib on! i vivo Ifinl n 'ho«i* l.t oi I• \ f..r rtt\ diite. Anil no doul>t r-.t-n let« ti.*v»» iu- guiFl"l i ■' itt.tl tviis the m»»iu t"j ic ot • mlh»h in <J«*t>>rj,«*> ot\ii that rii'irhf.. and when ll«e prifot"-roiiu-<l iy|r l tli<" T«»v..er lion.-, t'.i, |ii. ••-ii. g drtnk. a circle i»i t[ «-.(> i-n|F» r- I l i» of ii;t» n of III"* K-i'tlivi sm»l «<f ll.e t«»v rioi.s cirof tliO CBS " FMlt'-r .l«»li..tu ll.irditijii' is a j»i I'-ndKI a« lot- and n mnning crimiuKl." the > oui:g lawjer ih*clare«l. ", r l»* t> n « rongl;- -eonv icte I uiart \ r. «»ufier(np of li;» own fr« •• will f;»r another's criire. I don't know whirh." » » * * It ua." a morning iti K' l'iiiiirj. ami flu* short rain> .- »*»«.*>• >u. which .•iftonH l>t right» have • !»»?• •! a fortnight et»"li:*r. ye»il hefd l'«l.i»**«i wo) tlirn» sho»t Iti tti-ii t'»ti;»na. foodin;. tlie rtv«rr+ smt'l ov«tI!ow ing tf-e and char«rii»c ilaFii|' n «n . .v,»h« r«- with i -te -ladeti vat'o'tr Par. itir iVom ifr** rotisl. ma»«> lea* E'u«<» mi th»* Iv«*e«|ui'«o ami mnn> mi!*-* up the dark and t>'l« • >f {liter Mjuzoroni. the dawn v.-a.«-I ii:.il.ii>!; on th * isolated |**»»s>l settlement. where thw who came on iter long senWncest might well f>v' I pint II >•> have left ho|>« Ih-luihl, s* hard is the life they lend and so Irvirug anil deadly the climate. There was no bright sunshine to gild the tropical forests that «row«t r'd to the l>nnks of th.* stream and slv> i>Uuids that thrust their mas*-» pi verilure out of mid-channel. I hj« •lav Itmke in sullen gloom, with |>citing showers of roin. (roin Ihhinil a canopy of leailen clomls. The sombre urry Itghl seemed to turn ' everything to the same dull, disheartening hue. It crept over th« waters wreathed in gr>-v mists, ami the heavy, dripping foliage ol the trees, and having touched the Itiivf rmitcnl steamer that lay moori*' tit Uie wharf, it Hashe«l on pnst the e'ls'ual stone quarries, past thr short i n Stele road anil the ragged clearing i until it hardened the outlines »i I'lf 1 !* low. ugly hitiltlings that stoo« I e»eh>s»**l by palisade, and watchtowers. and massive gateway—a r»cv too dreary ond depressing foi I «(e I»iml l» conceive, j V. i»hin. early as wa# the hour. : the stir of human life was beginning. The sharp notes of a bugle .'tomnoued the convicts from thelt ■ loirrieil breakfast of bread anil mo* ! Itss s. anil altentlcnl by arimd and uniformeil warilers. they i iJeil out through th* open gates —a lung column of sad-faced wretches, i »I-.,m1 in calico Moiw* and trousers. Itronil arrows were stamped on the gnrb of servitude, t g in ' English prisons. and each man bore a d is tin- | ;uishing nunilier. All were munc- ! E s. sunk to the level of mere beasts I I burden. The roin had teni|»orttrily ceased .es I hp profession of convicts, shivering in their thin clothing, passed down the sloppy rood ond along the riv« r shore to" the riuorrics. where, hat Ing lw \*n separated into squads.

ihty were soon engaged at theit >!st'»i«mr> - laliours—the work thnt ...u»y of them had been doing for ■ -.us and would do for years to :f, unless a merciful fever should -:i them off in the meantime ■•;...• \\<rr drilling holes in th.-rock • ;.<! s<m-c preparing the blasting '■..;» i;>s- Others were breaking ■ »!!• s fur the ieincrara roads, or is, • Irnrgc that lay mooted twai :i- si.-aincr. All were silent and acini-. The taskmasters were vigiUnt. and detected indolence meant longer hours of labour and going •oippcrless to bed, if nothing worse. "Strike harder, Xo. 00. You're not doing half enough strokes to the minute," roughly commanded a Dutch warder. Von Fossen by name. who was noted for his temper and severity. "Xo. H'2. keep a tighter hold of that drill, or I'll report >ou to-night." The two convicts addressed, whr ivere reaily doing nil thut eould have tnen ex|»ected of them, silently went on with their work. Tin one won breaking a heap of stones. iiml the other was close behind him. Holding a drilling-iron for a companion, who «as striking it with g hammer. Xo. ."itl was Geoffrey Carlew, nlais .Juliun 1 larding-, and So. t*2 was his cell-mate, a iiiiddt'-aged Englishman who war MTting- a fifteen years' sentence fot manslaughter. His name was Sheldon, and he had come out to Gui ana in quest of gold ; nnd soon after his arrival ho had killed a man in a drunken brawl, and thus Leer brought to his present position, all n( which he had related from linn to time to Xo. ."HI. though without drawing the latter's confidence it return. Thome who had known Geoffrey in the old days would scarcely have I'e.-ogttised him now. Clean-shavei and with cropped head, burned by torching suns, clad in the hideout prison dress—one would not hav« :,:'ngle..l him out as being in an\ •.lin- different from l»i*« companions tl«- toiled on mechanically from fom or h.ili', with a dull, vacant look of ii is-ry in his e>e». It was al»va>s there now: the sufferings ami hardship* of the past four monlhfc »h»- enforced degradations of this living hell on the Mazaruni Diver, hat broken mill subdued his spirit. Tin hot e of escnp". which had first l:c-l£>-ed to sustain him. had soon been si id. <l b> what he learn.il from observation and hearsay. There was not n cli«nc»*-iu-jt hundred of getting clean away : and il or.e succeeded at rare intervals, il -a«is more through luck than skill. \in»-tenllis of those who risked the attempt were either shot down by tiie warders or promptly recaptured. \s for the tenth man, if he struck .mi for the villages or seaports, th<. Imp; and cry was hot around him : '-t he sought refuge in the depths .»( the forest, then? w-tv always the Indians, as keen as bloodhounds on • he trail, who knew of the reward offered for an escn|>ed convict, and v. ere ever on the alert to earn it. I.it lie wonder, under th-s? circumstances, that Geoffrey saw only a dark and cheerless future stretching before him. Towards the middle of the morning Xo. f*'J. taking advantage of a moment when the warder's back was turned, shuffled a step nearer to his c.ll-matc and whispered without looking up : "Watch sharp, comrade. Van I'ossen is in an ugly mood to-day. and he'll do us a mischief if he g.-ls half a chance. I hear he has i.eeii reprimanded by the governor s>»r tf-ing the whip 100 freely.'' • The brute ought to !•• dismissed. He would like nothing better than so murder one of us." mull-red »: •oi'ir.-y, in reply : ami as lie spoke. s p ie shar|»-cyed warder swung round nilh an oath ami a s-.-owl. CIIAI'TEU XMII. A BID FOlt FKF.F.DOM. It was quite true, sis il hnp|iencd, that the warder. Van Fossen. had l«en r-primand-d !•> the governor: nor was that nil. for lie was under not ire to leave at the end of the month. It mail-red little, therefore, that he had not .aught the drift of the low conversation. He badly want til to vent his smouldering rage and resentment on somebody, and here was an opportunity ready made for him. Placing his; rifle against a block of stone, he took from his belt the iripi-thonged whip he was so fond of using. "Talking, arc you, Xo. r,u ?" he cri.il : and with the words the instrument of torture descended smartly. (jiiivering with pain and indignation, Geoffrey dropped his hammer and straightened up. He was pale to the lips, his fists were clenched, and for an instant he was on the point of flying at his assailant's throat. The fear of consequences would not have deterred him had he received a second blow, and that wo* about to tall when a timely diversion occurred. The convict Sheldon, pausing nt his task to look over his shoulder, let the drill sway to one side. The natural result was that his fellow-worker missed his aim entirely, and struck the rock with such force that Vhc hammer grazed t no warder, who swung round in a fury. 'That was your fault. Xo. H2." he roared. "Why didn't \ou keep ■.our e\cs open. Xo. 7!» ? You ttumsy'dogs. I'll teach you to mind what you're doing." Xo. 79 backed out of harm's way, but his companion held his ground. Twice, thrice, regardless of remonstrance from two neighbouring worde s. Van Fo.-flen plied the whip r. ilh merciless severity on Xo. B'2's back and shoulders. Each stroke raised a Ijvpl mark, ami with ihe third one Sheldon launched forth madly and struck his tormentor in the mouth. "There's part payment for you, vou devil !" he cried, as the warder* went down in a heap, "(let up. and I'll give yon the rest, ii I hang for II.". Von Fosfen rose to his feet, blood oozing from his cut lips. With a snarl like a wild animal's le seized his rifle and levelled it at No. 82. He meant to kill him, ami he would have succeeded but for Geoffrey, who could not s.e murder -oiumilted before his eyes. He sprang forward ami struck up the weapon, which was discharged harmlessly in the air. He dodged a blow from the enraged warder, then rushed in and grappled with hint. They swayed and fell, struggling desperately as they rolled o\er and over

among the loose stones. The convicts stood passive and die. looking on with suppressed excitement. So brief an interval had elapsed since the affair started that no one in authority had a chance to interfere : but now the other warders rushed to the spot, and with some difficulty the combatants were separated. Van Fossen, smeared wilo blood ami wet clay, was a ghastly object. He could scarcely articulate for rage. "Demo\c these scoundrels to the punishment cells." he panted, huskily. "They both struct t tnc ; you jaw that ?" "I call yon all to witness," exclaimed Geoffrey, "that 1 was justified in what 1 did. I prevented a di liberate murder." The warders pr. served a neutral -iler.ee. and a little later, the coni Set gungs having resumed their interrupted labours, Xo. o'» and his companion in misfortune were man-hod off in custody to the prison. "I wasn't anxious to die just • et, even to escape front this lull on earth," Xo. 8- found a chr.net to whis|ier. after they had passed through the gates. It's a long lane that has no turning, and there arc reasons why I am keen on living. That brut- meant iiiurdc;*, and you iuicd my life at the risk of your own. I shan't forget il, comrade, and if ever the time comes when I san repay you" "It never will," vowed Geoffrey. "Pon't you be too sure of that. If it was safe to tell you more" "Xo talking," gruffly commanded rr.c of the warders ; and with thai the two culprits were separated and ed a way to solitary confinement. The governor of the penal .s-ula-ment had gone down country only the previous day, but he returned .1 fortnight later, and when he had n vest iga ted the charges he had Geoffrey and Sheldon brought before him. They dreaded the result, but n view of the provocation the;.- had received, and of the warder's bad record, they were merely deprived of their good-conduct marks and sentenced to an additional week in the punishment cells. This was quilt bad enough, however, for it meant darkness and foul air and insufficient food. Both were thin and haggard when they came out at the i.xpiralfon of the time. Meanwhile Van Fossen had left, and a new and more lenient warder filled his place. Early in March (Jeoffrey fell ill ot n ievcr. which, though not malignant, refused at first "to yield to medical treatment. For six days lie ay in his cell, unabl.* to do any work: and each night, us he tossed n the throes of delitium, he wa.s dimly conscious that Xo. 82 was watching over him like a faithful nurse, and answering his frequent appeals for water. (»n the seventh day the fever broke, leaving him weak, but convalescent. "You pulled me through," he said that evening to his companion. "You must have been awake day ami night. I am grateful. Sheldon, itit—but what was the good of it?" "Don't talk like that, comrade. While there's life there's hope—even on the Mazaruni." "Xot for me," dissented Geoffrey. "I've lieen out of my head evcry night," he went on. "Did I say much while I was delii ius'.'" "You rattled off a string of nonsense," admitted Sheldon, looping his eyes averted. "1 couldn't make ncad or tail of it, except that you were protesting your innocence." "I shall protest that until 1 di"." vowed Geoffrey. "I am as guiltless as a babe of the crime for which 1 was sent here." Moved by a sudden impulse, by a desire to have a friendly confident, he told the whole story of his arrest and conviction, even to stating in part the reason he had been lured so easily into the fatal trap. "It was something that I had done long before in England," he said. "Though 1 was not to blame—l was forced to it—the law wouldn't have recognised any such excuse. However, that is why I was so ready to believe the scoundrel when he came to San Parima that night and told me I was in danger. It was blackest treachery. Sheldon. 1 swear to you that I never lifted my hand against Gordon Ferguson." "And I believe you, Hardingc" declared Xo. S2. "I know when a man is telling the truth, and \ would back your innocoucc against the world. I wish you were stronger," he added, after a thoughtful pause. " 1 would wait and tak« you with me. but delay would spoil everything. The fact is—l know tht secret is safe with you—l mean t< strike for freedom, and that soon." "You arc going to ewrape ?'' exclaimed Geoffrey. "I intend to try it," replied Sheldon, jn a tone which implied that he could tell more if he wished. "You will never succeed.'* "I believe I will. My plans art laid very shrewdly, and I count ot some outside help." "Ah, that alters the case," Geoffrey said, enviously* "Yes, it makes all the difference. If 1 should get clean away, Hardingc, I'll not forget what I owe you." "If you were a millionaire, ant the Governor of British Guiana as well," Geoffrey declared, bitterly "you might strive in vain to upset the chain of evidence that has sent me to this inferno. There is no hope." "Influential friends could cleat you in time —or, at least, find a way to set you free," Sheldon re plied. "I might do something foi you in England." "In England ?" echoed Geoffrey'•Xo ; that chapter of my life is closed and scaled for ever. You •an do nothing to help me—nothing. "- "I'm not so sure of that." said Xo. 82. half to himself, and with a queer look at his companion. He turned over, as if to go to deep, and the subject of his contemplated escape was not again referred to between the two, though it was forgotten by neither. (To be Continued.)