下载辰思小说免费APP
"Foramomenttugandshiphungmotionlessinacrowdofmovingshipping，andthentheterrificstrainthatevil，stony-heartedbrutewouldalwaysputoneverything，torethetowing-chockcleanout。Thetow-ropesurgedover，snappingtheironstanchionsofthehead-railoneafteranotherasiftheyhadbeensticksofsealing-wax。ItwasonlythenInoticedthatinordertohaveabetterviewoverourheads，Maggiehadsteppedupontheportanchorasitlayflatontheforecastledeck。
"Ithadbeenloweredproperlyintoitshardwoodbeds，buttherehadbeennotimetotakeaturnwithit。Anyway，itwasquitesecureasitwas，forgoingintodock；butIcouldseedirectlythatthetow-ropewouldsweepundertheflukeinanothersecond。Myheartflewuprightintomythroat，butnotbeforeIhadtimetoyellout:\'Jumpclearofthatanchor!\'
"ButIhadn\'ttimetoshriekouthername。Idon\'tsupposesheheardmeatall。Thefirsttouchofthehawseragainsttheflukethrewherdown；shewasuponherfeetagainquickaslightning，butshewasuponthewrongside。Iheardahorrid，scrapingsound，andthenthatanchor，tippingover，roseuplikesomethingalive；itsgreat，roughironarmcaughtMaggieroundthewaist，seemedtoclaspherclosewithadreadfulhug，andflungitselfwithheroveranddowninaterrificclangofiron，followedbyheavyringingblowsthatshooktheshipfromstemtostern——becausetheringstopperheld!"
"Howhorrible!"Iexclaimed。
"Iusedtodreamforyearsafterwardsofanchorscatchingholdofgirls，"saidthemanintweeds，alittlewildly。Heshuddered。"WithamostpitifulhowlCharleywasoverafterheralmostontheinstant。
But，Lord!hedidn\'tseeasmuchasagleamofherredtamo\'shanterinthewater。Nothing!nothingwhat-
ever!Inamomenttherewerehalf-a-dozenboatsaroundus，andhegotpulledintoone。I，withtheboatswainandthecarpenter，letgotheotheranchorinahurryandbroughttheshipupsomehow。Thepilothadgonesilly。Hewalkedupanddowntheforecastleheadwringinghishandsandmutteringtohimself:
\'Killingwomen，now!Killingwomen，now!\'Notanotherwordcouldyougetoutofhim。
"Duskfell，thenanightblackaspitch；andpeeringupontheriverIheardalow，mournfulhail，\'Ship，ahoy!\'TwoGravesendwatermencamealongside。
Theyhadalanternintheirwherry，andlookeduptheship\'sside，holdingontotheladderwithoutaword。I
sawinthepatchoflightalotofloose，fairhairdownthere。"
Heshudderedagain。
"AfterthetideturnedpoorMaggie\'sbodyhadfloatedclearofoneofthembigmooringbuoys，"heexplained。"Icreptaft，feelinghalf-dead，andmanagedtosendarocketup——tolettheothersearchersknow，ontheriver。AndthenIslunkawayforwardlikeacur，andspentthenightsittingontheheelofthebowspritsoastobeasfaraspossibleoutofCharley\'sway。"
"Poorfellow!"Imurmured。
"Yes。Poorfellow，"herepeated，musingly。"Thatbrutewouldn\'tlethim——notevenhim——cheatherofherprey。Buthemadeherfastindocknextmorning。
Hedid。Wehadn\'texchangedaword——notasinglelookforthatmatter。Ididn\'twanttolookathim。
Whenthelastropewasfastheputhishandstohisheadandstoodgazingdownathisfeetasiftryingtoremembersomething。Themenwaitedonthemaindeckforthewordsthatendthevoyage。Perhapsthatiswhathewastryingtoremember。Ispokeforhim。
\'That\'lldo，men。\'
"Ineversawacrewleaveashipsoquietly。Theysneakedovertherailoneafteranother，takingcarenottobangtheirseacheststooheavily。Theylookedourway，butnotonehadthestomachtocomeupandoffertoshakehandswiththemateasisusual。
"Ifollowedhimallovertheemptyshiptoandfro，hereandthere，withnolivingsoulaboutbutthetwoofus，becausetheoldship-keeperhadlockedhimselfupinthegalley——bothdoors。SuddenlypoorCharleymutters，inacrazyvoice:\'I\'mdonehere，\'andstridesdownthegangwaywithmeathisheels，upthedock，outatthegate，ontowardsTowerHill。HeusedtotakeroomswithadecentoldlandladyinAmericaSquare，tobenearhiswork。
"Allatoncehestopsshort，turnsround，andcomesbackstraightatme。\'Ned，\'sayshe，Iamgoinghome。\'
Ihadthegoodlucktosightafour-wheelerandgothiminjustintime。Hislegswerebeginningtogiveway。
Inourhallhefelldownonachair，andI\'llneverforgetfather\'sandmother\'samazed，perfectlystillfacesastheystoodoverhim。Theycouldn\'tunderstandwhathadhappenedtohimtillIblubberedout，\'Maggiegotdrowned，yesterday，intheriver。\'
"Motherletoutalittlecry。Fatherlooksfromhimtome，andfrommetohim，asifcomparingourfaces——
for，uponmysoul，Charleydidnotresemblehimselfatall。Nobodymoved；andthepoorfellowraiseshisbigbrownhandsslowlytohisthroat，andwithonesingletugripseverythingopen——collar，shirt，waistcoat——aperfectwreckandruinofaman。FatherandIgothimupstairssomehow，andmotherprettynearlykilledher-
selfnursinghimthroughabrainfever。"
Themanintweedsnoddedatmesignificantly。
"Ah!therewasnothingthatcouldbedonewiththatbrute。Shehadadevilinher。"
"Where\'syourbrother?"Iasked，expectingtohearhewasdead。ButhewascommandingasmartsteamerontheChinacoast，andnevercamehomenow。
Jermynfetchedaheavysigh，andthehandkerchiefbeingnowsufficientlydry，putituptenderlytohisredandlamentablenose。
"Shewasaraveningbeast，"themanintweedsstartedagain。"OldColchesterputhisfootdownandresigned。Andwouldyoubelieveit?Apse&Sonswrotetoaskwhetherhewouldn\'treconsiderhisde-
cision!AnythingtosavethegoodnameoftheApseFamily。\'OldColchesterwenttotheofficethenandsaidthathewouldtakechargeagainbutonlytosailheroutintotheNorthSeaandscuttleherthere。Hewasnearlyoffhischump。Heusedtobedarkishiron-grey，buthishairwentsnow-whiteinafortnight。AndMr。
LucianApse(theyhadknowneachotherasyoungmen)
pretendednottonoticeit。Eh?Here\'sinfatuationifyoulike!Here\'sprideforyou!
"Theyjumpedatthefirstmantheycouldgettotakeher，forfearofthescandaloftheApseFamilynotbeingabletofindaskipper。Hewasafestivesoul，I
believe，buthestucktohergrimandhard。Wilmotwashissecondmate。Aharum-scarumfellow，andpretendingtoagreatscornforallthegirls。Thefactishewasreallytimid。Butletonlyoneofthemdoasmuchasliftherlittlefingerinencouragement，andtherewasnothingthatcouldholdthebeggar。Asapprentice，once，hedesertedabroadafterapetticoat，andwouldhavegonetothedogsthen，ifhisskipperhadn\'ttakenthetroubletofindhimandlughimbytheearsoutofsomehouseofperditionorother。
"Itwassaidthatoneofthefirmhadbeenheardoncetoexpressahopethatthisbruteofashipwouldgetlostsoon。Icanhardlycreditthetale，unlessitmighthavebeenMr。AlfredApse，whomthefamilydidn\'tthinkmuchof。Theyhadhimintheoffice，buthewasconsideredabadeggaltogether，alwaysflyingofftoracemeetingsandcominghomedrunk。Youwouldhavethoughtthatashipsofullofdeadlytrickswouldrunherselfashoresomedayoutofsheercussedness。
Butnotshe!Shewasgoingtolastforever。Shehadanosetokeepoffthebottom。"
Jermynmadeagruntofapproval。
"Ashipafterapilot\'sownheart，eh?"jeeredthemanintweeds。"Well，Wilmotmanagedit。Hewasthemanforit，butevenhe，perhaps，couldn\'thavedonethetrickwithoutthegreen-eyedgoverness，ornurse，orwhatevershewastothechildrenofMr。andMrs。
Pamphilius。
"ThosepeoplewerepassengersinherfromPortAdelaidetotheCape。Well，theshipwentoutandanchoredoutsidefortheday。Theskipper——hospitablesoul——hadalotofguestsfromtowntoafarewelllunch——
asusualwithhim。Itwasfiveintheeveningbeforethelastshoreboatlefttheside，andtheweatherlookeduglyanddarkinthegulf。Therewasnoreasonforhimtogetunderway。However，ashehadtoldeverybodyhewasgoingthatday，heimagineditwaspropertodosoanyhow。Butashehadnomindafterallthesefestivitiestotacklethestraitsinthedark，withascantwind，hegaveorderstokeeptheshipunderlowertopsailsandforesailascloseasshewouldlie，dodgingalongthelandtillthemorning。Thenhesoughthisvirtuouscouch。Thematewasondeck，havinghisfacewashedverycleanwithhardrainsqualls。Wilmotrelievedhimatmidnight。
"TheApseFamilyhad，asyouobserved，ahouseonherpoop……"
"Abig，uglywhitething，stickingup，"Jermynmur-
mured，sadly，atthefire。
"That\'sit:acompanionforthecabinstairsandasortofchart-roomcombined。TheraindroveingustsonthesleepyWilmot。Theshipwasthensurgingslowlytothesouthward，closehauled，withthecoastwithinthreemilesorsotowindward。Therewasnoth-
ingtolookoutforinthatpartofthegulf，andWilmotwentroundtododgethesquallsundertheleeofthatchart-room，whosedooronthatsidewasopen。Thenightwasblack，likeabarrelofcoal-tar。Andthenheheardawoman\'svoicewhisperingtohim。
"Thatconfoundedgreen-eyedgirlofthePamphiliuspeoplehadputthekidstobedalongtimeago，ofcourse，butitseemscouldn\'tgettosleepherself。Sheheardeightbellsstruck，andthechiefmatecomebelowtoturnin。Shewaitedabit，thengotintoherdressing-
gownandstoleacrosstheemptysaloonandupthestairsintothechart-room。Shesatdownonthesetteeneartheopendoortocoolherself，Idaresay。
"IsupposewhenshewhisperedtoWilmotitwasasifsomebodyhadstruckamatchinthefellow\'sbrain。
Idon\'tknowhowitwastheyhadgotsoverythick。
Ifancyhehadmetherashoreafewtimesbefore。I
couldn\'tmakeitout，because，whentellingthestory，Wilmotwouldbreakofftoswearsomethingawfulateverysecondword。WehadmetonthequayinSydney，andhehadanapronofsackinguptohischin，abigwhipinhishand。Awagon-driver。Gladtodoany-
thingnottostarve。That\'swhathehadcomedownto。
"However，therehewas，withhisheadinsidethedoor，onthegirl\'sshoulderaslikelyasnot——officerofthewatch!Thehelmsman，ongivinghisevidenceafterwards，saidthatheshoutedseveraltimesthatthebinnaclelamphadgoneout。Itdidn\'tmattertohim，becausehisorderswereto\'sailherclose。\'\'Ithoughtitfunny，\'hesaid，\'thattheshipshouldkeeponfallingoffinsqualls，butIluffedherupeverytimeascloseasIwasable。ItwassodarkIcouldn\'tseemyhandbeforemyface，andtheraincameinbucketfulsonmyhead。\'
"Thetruthwasthatateverysquallthewindhauledaftalittle，tillgraduallytheshipcametobeheadingstraightforthecoast，withoutasinglesoulinherbeingawareofit。Wilmothimselfconfessedthathehadnotbeennearthestandardcompassforanhour。Hemightwellhaveconfessed!Thefirstthingheknewwasthemanonthelook-outshoutingbluemurderforwardthere。
"Hetorehisneckfree，hesays，andyelledbackathim:\'Whatdoyousay?\'
"\'IthinkIhearbreakersahead，sir，\'howledtheman，andcamerushingaftwiththerestofthewatch，inthe\'awfullestblindingdelugethateverfellfromthesky，\'
Wilmotsays。Forasecondorsohewassoscaredandbewilderedthathecouldnotrememberonwhichsideofthegulftheshipwas。Hewasn\'tagoodofficer，buthewasaseamanallthesame。Hepulledhimselftogetherinasecond，andtherightorderssprangtohislipswithoutthinking。Theyweretohardupwiththehelmandshiverthemainandmizzen-topsails。
"Itseemsthatthesailsactuallyfluttered。Hecouldn\'tseethem，butheheardthemrattlingandbang-
ingabovehishead。\'Nouse!Shewastooslowingoingoff，\'hewenton，hisdirtyfacetwitching，andthedamn\'dcarter\'swhipshakinginhishand。\'Sheseemedtostickfast。\'Andthentheflutterofthecanvasabovehisheadceased。Atthiscriticalmomentthewindhauledaftagainwithagust，fillingthesailsandsend-
ingtheshipwithagreatwayupontherocksonherleebow。Shehadoverreachedherselfinherlastlittlegame。Hertimehadcome——thehour，theman，theblacknight，thetreacherousgustofwind——therightwomantoputanendtoher。Thebrutedeservednothingbetter。StrangearetheinstrumentsofProvi-
dence。There\'sasortofpoeticaljustice——"
Themanintweedslookedhardatme。
"Thefirstledgeshewentoverstrippedthefalsekeeloffher。Rip!Theskipper，rushingoutofhisberth，foundacrazywoman，inaredflanneldressing-gown，flyingroundandroundthecuddy，screechinglikeacockatoo。
"Thenextbumpknockedhercleanunderthecabintable。Italsostartedthestern-postandcarriedawaytherudder，andthenthatbruteranupashelving，rockyshore，tearingherbottomout，tillshestopped。
short，andtheforemastdroppedoverthebowslikeagangway。"
"Anybodylost?"Iasked。
"Noone，unlessthatfellow，Wilmot，"answeredthegentleman，unknowntoMissBlank，lookingroundforhiscap。"Andhiscasewasworsethandrowningforaman。Everybodygotashoreallright。Galedidn\'tcomeontillnextday，deadfromtheWest，andbrokeupthatbruteinasurprisinglyshorttime。Itwasasthoughshehadbeenrottenatheart。"……Hechangedhistone，"Rainleftoff?Imustgetmybikeandrushhometodinner。IliveinHerneBay——cameoutforaspinthismorning。"
Henoddedatmeinafriendlyway，andwentoutwithaswagger。
"Doyouknowwhoheis，Jermyn?"Iasked。
TheNorthSeapilotshookhishead，dismally。
"Fancylosingashipinthatsillyfashion!Oh，dear!
ohdear!"hegroanedinlugubrioustones，spreadinghisdamphandkerchiefagainlikeacurtainbeforetheglowinggrate。
OngoingoutIexchangedaglanceandasmile(strictlyproper)withtherespectableMissBlank，bar-
maidoftheThreeCrows。
ADESPERATETALE
ANANARCHIST
THATyearIspentthebesttwomonthsofthedryseasonononeoftheestates——infact，ontheprincipalcattleestate——ofafamousmeat-extractmanufacturingcompany。
B。O。S。Bos。Youhaveseenthethreemagiclettersontheadvertisementpagesofmagazinesandnews-
papers，inthewindowsofprovisionmerchants，andoncalendarsfornextyearyoureceivebypostinthemonthofNovember。Theyscatterpamphletsalso，writteninasicklyenthusiasticstyleandinseverallanguages，givingstatisticsofslaughterandbloodshedenoughtomakeaTurkturnfaint。The"art"illustratingthat"literature"representsinvividandshiningcoloursalargeandenragedblackbullstampinguponayellowsnakewrithinginemerald-greengrass，withacobalt-
blueskyforabackground。Itisatrociousanditisanallegory。Thesnakesymbolizesdisease，weakness——
perhapsmerehunger，whichlastisthechronicdiseaseofthemajorityofmankind。OfcourseeverybodyknowstheB。0。S。Ltd。，withitsunrivalledproducts:
Vinobos，Jellybos，andthelatestunequalledperfection，Tribos，whosenourishmentisofferedtoyounotonlyhighlyconcentrated，butalreadyhalfdigested。SuchapparentlyisthelovethatLimitedCompanybearstoitsfellowmen——evenastheloveofthefatherandmotherpenguinfortheirhungryfledglings。
Ofcoursethecapitalofacountrymustbepro-
ductivelyemployed。Ihavenothingtosayagainstthecompany。Butbeingmyselfanimatedbyfeelingsofaffectiontowardsmyfellow-men，Iamsaddenedbythemodernsystemofadvertising。Whateverevidenceitoffersofenterprise，ingenuity，impudence，andresourceincertainindividuals，itprovestomymindthewideprevalenceofthatformofmentaldegradationwhichiscalledgullibility。
InvariouspartsofthecivilizedanduncivilizedworldIhavehadtoswallowB。0。S。withmoreorlessbenefittomyself，thoughwithoutgreatpleasure。Preparedwithhotwaterandabundantlypepperedtobringoutthetaste，thisextractisnotreallyunpalatable。ButI
haveneverswalloweditsadvertisements。Perhapstheyhavenotgonefarenough。AsfarasIcanre-
membertheymakenopromiseofeverlastingyouthtotheusersofB。0。S。，noryethavetheyclaimedthepowerofraisingthedeadfortheirestimableproducts。
Whythisausterereserve，Iwonder?ButIdon\'tthinktheywouldhavehadmeevenontheseterms。What-
everformofmentaldegradationImay(beingbuthu-
man)besufferingfrom，itisnotthepopularform。I
amnotgullible。
Ihavebeenatsomepainstobringoutdistinctlythisstatementaboutmyselfinviewofthestorywhichfollows。Ihavecheckedthefactsasfaraspossible。
IhaveturnedupthefilesofFrenchnewspapers，andI
havealsotalkedwiththeofficerwhocommandsthemilitaryguardontheIleRoyale，wheninthecourseofmytravelsIreachedCayenne。Ibelievethestorytobeinthemaintrue。Itisthesortofstorythatnoman，I
think，wouldeverinventabouthimself，foritisneithergrandiosenorflattering，noryetfunnyenoughtogratifyapervertedvanity。
Itconcernstheengineerofthesteam-launchbelong-
ingtotheMaranoncattleestateoftheB。0。S。Co。，Ltd。
Thisestateisalsoanisland——anislandasbigasasmallprovince，lyingintheestuaryofagreatSouthAmericanriver。Itiswildandnotbeautiful，butthegrassgrow-
ingonitslowplainsseemstopossessexceptionallynourishingandflavouringqualities。Itresoundswiththelowingofinnumerableherds——adeepanddistress-
ingsoundundertheopensky，risinglikeamonstrousprotestofprisonerscondemnedtodeath。Onthemainland，acrosstwentymilesofdiscolouredmuddywater，therestandsacitywhosename，letussay，isHorta。
Butthemostinterestingcharacteristicofthisisland(whichseemslikeasortofpenalsettlementforcon-
demnedcattle)consistsinitsbeingtheonlyknownhabitatofanextremelyrareandgorgeousbutterfly。
Thespeciesisevenmorerarethanitisbeautiful，whichisnotsayinglittle。Ihavealreadyalludedtomytravels。Itravelledatthattime，butstrictlyformy-
selfandwithamoderationunknowninourdaysofround-the-worldtickets。Ieventravelledwithapur-
pose。Asamatteroffact，Iam——"Ha，ha，ha!——adesperatebutterfly-slayer。Ha，ha，ha!"
ThiswasthetoneinwhichMr。HarryGee，themanagerofthecattlestation，alludedtomypursuits。
Heseemedtoconsidermethegreatestabsurdityintheworld。Ontheotherhand，theB。0。S。Co。，Ltd。，representedtohimtheacmeofthenineteenthcentury\'sachievement。Ibelievethathesleptinhisleggingsandspurs。Hisdayshespentinthesaddleflyingovertheplains，followedbyatrainofhalf-wildhorsemen，whocalledhimDonEnrique，andwhohadnodefiniteideaoftheB。0。S。Co。，Ltd。，whichpaidtheirwages。Hewasanexcellentmanager，butIdon\'tseewhy，whenwemetatmeals，heshouldhavethumpedmeontheback，withloud，derisiveinquiries:"How\'sthedeadlysportto-day?Butterfliesgoingstrong?Ha，ha，ha!"——
especiallyashechargedmetwodollarsperdiemforthehospitalityoftheB。0。S。Co。，Ltd。，(capitalL1，500，000，fullypaidup)，inwhosebalance-sheetforthatyearthosemoniesarenodoubtincluded。"Idon\'tthinkI
canmakeitanythinglessinjusticetomycompany，"
hehadremarked，withextremegravity，whenIwasarrangingwithhimthetermsofmystayontheisland。
Hischaffwouldhavebeenharmlessenoughifintimacyofintercourseintheabsenceofallfriendlyfeelingwerenotathingdetestableinitself。Moreover，hisfacetiousnesswasnotveryamusing。Itconsistedinthewearisomerepetitionofdescriptivephrasesappliedtopeoplewithaburstoflaughter。"Desperatebutterfly-slayer。Ha，ha，ha!"wasonesampleofhispeculiarwitwhichhehimselfenjoyedsomuch。Andinthesameveinofexquisitehumourhecalledmyat-
tentiontotheengineerofthesteam-launch，oneday，aswestrolledonthepathbythesideofthecreek。
Theman\'sheadandshouldersemergedabovethedeck，overwhichwerescatteredvarioustoolsofhistradeandafewpiecesofmachinery。Hewasdoingsomerepairstotheengines。Atthesoundofourfoot-
stepsheraisedanxiouslyagrimyfacewithapointedchinandatinyfairmoustache。Whatcouldbeseenofhisdelicatefeaturesundertheblacksmudgesappearedtomewastedandlividinthegreenishshadeoftheenormoustreespreadingitsfoliageoverthelaunchmooredclosetothebank。
Tomygreatsurprise，HarryGeeaddressedhimas"Crocodile，"inthathalf-jeering，half-bullyingtonewhichischaracteristicofself-satisfactioninhisdelect-
ablekind:
"Howdoestheworkgeton，Crocodile?"
IshouldhavesaidbeforethattheamiableHarryhadpickedupFrenchofasortsomewhere——insomecolonyorother——andthathepronounceditwithadisagreeableforcedprecisionasthoughhemeanttoguythelan-
guage。Themaninthelaunchansweredhimquicklyinapleasantvoice。Hiseyeshadaliquidsoftnessandhisteethflasheddazzlinglywhitebetweenhisthin，droopinglips。Themanagerturnedtome，verycheer-
fulandloud，explaining:
"IcallhimCrocodilebecauseheliveshalfin，halfoutofthecreek。Amphibious——see?There\'snothingelseamphibiouslivingontheislandexceptcrocodiles；
sohemustbelongtothespecies——eh?Butinrealityhe\'snothinglessthanuncitoyenanarchistedeBar-
celone。"
"AcitizenanarchistfromBarcelona?"Irepeated，stupidly，lookingdownattheman。Hehadturnedtohisworkintheengine-wellofthelaunchandpresentedhisbowedbacktous。InthatattitudeIheardhimprotest，veryaudibly:
"IdonotevenknowSpanish。"
"Hey?What?Youdaretodenyyoucomefromoverthere?"theaccomplishedmanagerwasdownonhimtruculently。
Atthisthemanstraightenedhimselfup，droppingaspannerhehadbeenusing，andfacedus；buthetrem-
bledinallhislimbs。
"Idenynothing，nothing，nothing!"hesaid，ex-
citedly。
Hepickedupthespannerandwenttoworkagainwithoutpayinganyfurtherattentiontous。Afterlookingathimforaminuteorso，wewentaway。
"Ishereallyananarchist?"Iasked，whenoutofear-shot。
"Idon\'tcareahangwhatheis，"answeredthehumorousofficialoftheB。0。S。Co。"Igavehimthenamebecauseitsuitedmetolabelhiminthatway，It\'sgoodforthecompany。"
"Forthecompany!"Iexclaimed，stoppingshort。
"Aha!"hetriumphed，tiltinguphishairlesspugfaceandstraddlinghisthin，longlegs。"Thatsur-
prisesyou。Iamboundtodomybestformycompany。
Theyhaveenormousexpenses。Why——ouragentinHortatellsmetheyspendfiftythousandpoundseveryyearinadvertisingallovertheworld!Onecan\'tbetooeconomicalinworkingtheshow。Well，justyoulisten。WhenItookchargeheretheestatehadnosteam-launch。Iaskedforone，andkeptonaskingbyeverymailtillIgotit；butthemantheysentoutwithitchuckedhisjobattheendoftwomonths，leav-
ingthelaunchmooredatthepontooninHorta。Gotabetterscrewatasawmilluptheriver——blasthim!Andeversinceithasbeenthesamething。AnyScotchorYankeevagabondthatlikestocallhimselfamechanicoutheregetseighteenpoundsamonth，andthenextyouknowhe\'sclearedout，aftersmashingsomethingaslikelyasnot。IgiveyoumywordthatsomeoftheobjectsI\'vehadforengine-driverscouldn\'ttelltheboilerfromthefunnel。Butthisfellowunderstandshistrade，andIdon\'tmeanhimtoclearout。See?"
Andhestruckmelightlyonthechestforemphasis。
Disregardinghispeculiaritiesofmanner，Iwantedtoknowwhatallthishadtodowiththemanbeingananarchist。
"Come!"jeeredthemanager。"Ifyousawsuddenlyabarefooted，unkemptchapslinkingamongstthebushesontheseafaceoftheisland，andatthesametimeobservedlessthanamilefromthebeach，asmallschoonerfullofniggershaulingoffinahurry，youwouldn\'tthinkthemanfelltherefromthesky，wouldyou?AnditcouldbenothingelsebuteitherthatorCayenne。I\'vegotmywitsaboutme。DirectlyI
sightedthisqueergameIsaidtomyself——\'EscapedConvict。\'IwasascertainofitasIamofseeingyoustandingherethisminute。SoIspurredonstraightathim。Hestoodhisgroundforabitonasandhillockcryingout:\'Monsieur!Monsieur!Arretez!\'thenatthelastmomentbrokeandranforlife。SaysItomyself，\'I\'lltameyoubeforeI\'mdonewithyou。\'SowithoutasinglewordIkepton，headinghimoffhereandthere。Iroundedhimuptowardstheshore，andatlastIhadhimcorralledonaspit，hisheelsinthewaterandnothingbutseaandskyathisback，withmyhorsepawingthesandandshakinghisheadwithinayardofhim。
"Hefoldedhisarmsonhisbreastthenandstuckhischinupinasortofdesperateway；butIwasn\'ttobeimpressedbythebeggar\'sposturing。
"SaysI，\'You\'rearunawayconvict。\'
"WhenheheardFrench，hischinwentdownandhisfacechanged。
"\'Idenynothing，\'sayshe，pantingyet，forIhadkepthimskippingaboutinfrontofmyhorseprettysmartly。Iaskedhimwhathewasdoingthere。Hehadgothisbreathbythen，andexplainedthathehadmeanttomakehiswaytoafarmwhichheunderstood(fromtheschooner\'speople，Isuppose)wastobefoundintheneighbourhood。AtthatIlaughedaloudandhegotuneasy。Hadhebeendeceived?Wastherenofarmwithinwalkingdistance?
"Ilaughedmoreandmore。Hewasonfoot，andofcoursethefirstbunchofcattlehecameacrosswouldhavestampedhimtoragsundertheirhoofs。Adis-
mountedmancaughtonthefeeding-groundshasn\'tgottheghostofachance。
"\'Mycominguponyoulikethishascertainlysavedyourlife，\'Isaid。Heremarkedthatperhapsitwasso；
butthatforhisparthehadimaginedIhadwantedtokillhimunderthehoofsofmyhorse。IassuredhimthatnothingwouldhavebeeneasierhadImeantit。
Andthenwecametoasortofdeadstop。ForthelifeofmeIdidn\'tknowwhattodowiththisconvict，unlessIchuckedhimintothesea。Itoccurredtometoaskhimwhathehadbeentransportedfor。Hehunghishead。
"\'Whatisit?\'saysI。\'Theft，murder，rape，orwhat?\'Iwantedtohearwhathewouldhavetosayforhimself，thoughofcourseIexpecteditwouldbesomesortoflie。Butallhesaidwas——
"\'Makeitwhatyoulike。Idenynothing。Itisnogooddenyinganything。\'
"Ilookedhimovercarefullyandathoughtstruckme。
"\'They\'vegotanarchiststhere，too，\'Isaid。\'Per-
hapsyou\'reoneofthem。\'
"\'Idenynothingwhatever，monsieur，\'herepeats。
"Thisanswermademethinkthatperhapshewasnotananarchist。Ibelievethosedamnedlunaticsareratherproudofthemselves。Ifhehadbeenone，hewouldhaveprobablyconfessedstraightout。
"\'Whatwereyoubeforeyoubecameaconvict?\'
"\'Ouvrier，\'hesays。\'Andagoodworkman，too。\'
"AtthatIbegantothinkhemustbeananarchist，afterall。That\'stheclasstheycomemostlyfrom，isn\'tit?Ihatethecowardlybomb-throwingbrutes。I
almostmadeupmymindtoturnmyhorseshortroundandleavehimtostarveordrownwherehewas，which-
everhelikedbest。Astocrossingtheislandtobothermeagain，thecattlewouldseetothat。Idon\'tknowwhatinducedmetoask——
"\'Whatsortofworkman?\'
"Ididn\'tcareahangwhetherheansweredmeornot。Butwhenhesaidatonce，\'Mecanicien，monsieur，\'
Inearlyjumpedoutofthesaddlewithexcitement。Thelaunchhadbeenlyingdisabledandidleinthecreekforthreeweeks。Mydutytothecompanywasclear。Henoticedmystart，too，andtherewewereforaminuteorsostaringateachotherasifbewitched。
"\'Getuponmyhorsebehindme，\'Itoldhim。\'Youshallputmysteam-launchtorights。\'"
ThesearethewordsinwhichtheworthymanageroftheMaranonestaterelatedtomethecomingofthesupposedanarchist。Hemeanttokeephim——outofasenseofdutytothecompany——andthenamehehadgivenhimwouldpreventthefellowfromobtainingemploymentanywhereinHorta。Thevaquerosoftheestate，whentheywentonleave，spreaditalloverthetown。Theydidnotknowwhatananarchistwas，noryetwhatBarcelonameant。TheycalledhimAnarchistodeBarcelona，asifitwerehisChristiannameandsur-
name。ButthepeopleintownhadbeenreadingintheirpapersabouttheanarchistsinEuropeandwereverymuchimpressed。Overthejocularadditionof"deBarcelona"Mr。HarryGeechuckledwithimmensesatisfaction。"Thatbreedisparticularlymurderous，isn\'tit?Itmakesthesawmillscrowdstillmoreafraidofhavinganythingtodowithhim——see?"heexulted，candidly。"IholdhimbythatnamebetterthanifI
hadhimchainedupbythelegtothedeckofthesteam-
launch。
"Andmark，"headded，afterapause，"hedoesnotdenyit。Iamnotwronginghiminanyway。Heisaconvictofsomesort，anyhow。"
"ButIsupposeyoupayhimsomewages，don\'tyou?"
Iasked。
"Wages!Whatdoeshewantwithmoneyhere?
Hegetshisfoodfrommykitchenandhisclothingfromthestore。OfcourseI\'llgivehimsomethingattheendoftheyear，butyoudon\'tthinkI\'demployaconvictandgivehimthesamemoneyIwouldgiveanhonestman?Iamlookingaftertheinterestsofmycompanyfirstandlast。"
Iadmittedthat，foracompanyspendingfiftythousandpoundseveryyearinadvertising，thestrictesteconomywasobviouslynecessary。ThemanageroftheMaranonEstanciagruntedapprovingly。
"AndI\'lltellyouwhat，"hecontinued:"ifIwerecertainhe\'sananarchistandhehadthecheektoaskmeformoney，Iwouldgivehimthetoeofmyboot。How-
ever，lethimhavethebenefitofthedoubt。Iamper-
fectlywillingtotakeitthathehasdonenothingworsethantostickaknifeintosomebody——withextenuatingcircumstances——Frenchfashion，don\'tyouknow。Butthatsubversivesanguinaryrotofdoingawaywithalllawandorderintheworldmakesmybloodboil。It\'ssimplycuttingthegroundfromunderthefeetofeverydecent，respectable，hard-workingperson。Itellyouthattheconsciencesofpeoplewhohavethem，likeyouorI，mustbeprotectedinsomeway；orelsethefirstlowscoundrelthatcamealongwouldineveryrespectbejustasgoodasmyself。Wouldn\'the，now?Andthat\'sabsurd!"
Heglaredatme。Inoddedslightlyandmurmuredthatdoubtlesstherewasmuchsubtletruthinhisview。
TheprincipaltruthdiscoverableintheviewsofPaultheengineerwasthatalittlethingmaybringabouttheundoingofaman。
"Ilnefautpasbeaucouppourperdreunhomme，"hesaidtome，thoughtfully，oneevening。
reportthisreflectioninFrench，sincethemanwasofParis，notofBarcelonaatall。AttheMaranonhelivedapartfromthestation，inasmallshedwithametalroofandstrawwalls，whichhecalledmonatelier。Hehadawork-benchthere。Theyhadgivenhimseveralhorse-blanketsandasaddle——notthatheeverhadoccasiontoride，butbecausenootherbeddingwasusedbytheworking-hands，whowereallvaqueros——
cattlemen。Andonthishorseman\'sgear，likeasonoftheplains，heusedtosleepamongstthetoolsofhistrade，inalitterofrustyscrap-iron，withaportableforgeathishead，underthework-benchsustaininghisgrimymosquito-net。
NowandthenIwouldbringhimafewcandleendssavedfromthescantsupplyofthemanager\'shouse。
Hewasverythankfulforthese。Hedidnotliketolieawakeinthedark，heconfessed。Hecomplainedthatsleepfledfromhim。"Lesommeilmefuit，"hedeclared，withhishabitualairofsubduedstoicism，whichmadehimsympatheticandtouching。ImadeitcleartohimthatIdidnotattachundueimportancetothefactofhishavingbeenaconvict。
Thusitcameaboutthatoneeveninghewasledtotalkabouthimself。Asoneofthebitsofcandleontheedgeofthebenchburneddowntotheend，hehastenedtolightanother。
HehaddonehismilitaryserviceinaprovincialgarrisonandreturnedtoParistofollowhistrade。Itwasawell-paidone。Hetoldmewithsomepridethatinashorttimehewasearningnolessthantenfrancsaday。Hewasthinkingofsettingupforhimselfbyandbyandofgettingmarried。
Herehesigheddeeplyandpaused。Thenwithareturntohisstoicalnote:
"ItseemsIdidnotknowenoughaboutmyself。"
Onhistwenty-fifthbirthdaytwoofhisfriendsintherepairingshopwhereheworkedproposedtostandhimadinner。Hewasimmenselytouchedbythisattention。
"Iwasasteadyman，"heremarked，"butIamnotlesssociablethananyotherbody。"
TheentertainmentcameoffinalittlecafeontheBoulevarddelaChapelle。Atdinnertheydranksomespecialwine。Itwasexcellent。Everythingwasexcel-
lent；andtheworld——inhisownwords——seemedaverygoodplacetolivein。Hehadgoodprospects，somelittlemoneylaidby，andtheaffectionoftwoexcellentfriends。Heofferedtopayforallthedrinksafterdinner，whichwasonlyproperonhispart。
Theydrankmorewine；theydrankliqueurs，cognac，beer，thenmoreliqueursandmorecognac。Twostrangerssittingatthenexttablelookedathim，hesaid，withsomuchfriendliness，thatheinvitedthemtojointheparty。
Hehadneverdrunksomuchinhislife。Hiselationwasextreme，andsopleasurablethatwheneveritflaggedhehastenedtoordermoredrinks。
"Itseemedtome，"hesaid，inhisquiettoneandlookingonthegroundinthegloomyshedfullofshad-
ows，"thatIwasonthepointofjustattainingagreatandwonderfulfelicity。Anotherdrink，Ifelt，woulddoit。Theotherswereholdingoutwellwithme，glassforglass。"
Butanextraordinarythinghappened。Atsomethingthestrangerssaidhiselationfell。Gloomyideas——desideesnoires——rushedintohishead。Alltheworldout-
sidethecafe；appearedtohimasadismalevilplacewhereamultitudeofpoorwretcheshadtoworkandslavetothesoleendthatafewindividualsshouldrideincarriagesandliveriotouslyinpalaces。Hebecameashamedofhishappiness。Thepityofmankind\'scruellotwrunghisheart。Inavoicechokedwithsorrowhetriedtoexpressthesesentiments。Hethinksheweptandsworeinturns。
Thetwonewacquaintanceshastenedtoapplaudhishumaneindignation。Yes。Theamountofinjusticeintheworldwasindeedscandalous。Therewasonlyonewayofdealingwiththerottenstateofsociety。
Demolishthewholesacreeboutique。Blowupthewholeiniquitousshow。
Theirheadshoveredoverthetable。Theywhis-
peredtohimeloquently；Idon\'tthinktheyquiteexpectedtheresult。Hewasextremelydrunk——maddrunk。Withahowlofrageheleapedsuddenlyuponthetable。Kickingoverthebottlesandglasses，heyelled:"Vivel\'anarchie!Deathtothecapitalists!"
Heyelledthisagainandagain。Allroundhimbrokenglasswasfalling，chairswerebeingswungintheair，peopleweretakingeachotherbythethroat。Thepolicedashedin。Hehit，bit，scratchedandstruggled，tillsomethingcrasheddownuponhishead……
Hecametohimselfinapolicecell，lockeduponachargeofassault，seditiouscries，andanarchistpropaganda。
Helookedatmefixedlywithhisliquid，shiningeyes，thatseemedverybiginthedimlight。
"Thatwasbad。ButeventhenImighthavegotoffsomehow，perhaps，"hesaid，slowly。
Idoubtit。Butwhateverchancehehadwasdoneawaywithbyayoungsocialistlawyerwhovolunteeredtoundertakehisdefence。Invainheassuredhimthathewasnoanarchist；thathewasaquiet，respectablemechanic，onlytooanxioustoworktenhoursperdayathistrade。Hewasrepresentedatthetrialasthevictimofsocietyandhisdrunkenshoutingsastheexpressionofinfinitesuffering。Theyounglawyerhadhiswaytomake，andthiscasewasjustwhathewantedforastart。Thespeechforthedefencewaspronouncedmagnificent。
Thepoorfellowpaused，swallowed，andbroughtoutthestatement:
"Igotthemaximumpenaltyapplicabletoafirstoffence。"
Imadeanappropriatemurmur。Hehunghisheadandfoldedhisarms。
"Whentheyletmeoutofprison，"hebegan，gently，"Imadetracks，ofcourse，formyoldworkshop。Mypatronhadaparticularlikingformebefore；butwhenhesawmeheturnedgreenwithfrightandshowedmethedoorwithashakinghand。"
Whilehestoodinthestreet，uneasyanddiscon-
certed，hewasaccostedbyamiddle-agedmanwhointroducedhimselfasanengineer\'sfitter，too。"Iknowwhoyouare，"hesaid。"Ihaveattendedyourtrial。
Youareagoodcomradeandyourideasaresound。
Butthedevilofitisthatyouwon\'tbeabletogetworkanywherenow。Thesebourgeois\'llconspiretostarveyou。That\'stheirway。Expectnomercyfromtherich。"
Tobespokentosokindlyinthestreethadcom-
fortedhimverymuch。Hisseemedtobethesortofnatureneedingsupportandsympathy。Theideaofnotbeingabletofindworkhadknockedhimovercompletely。Ifhispatron，whoknewhimsowellforaquiet，orderly，competentworkman，wouldhavenoth-
ingtodowithhimnow——thensurelynobodyelsewould。
Thatwasclear。Thepolice，keepingtheireyeonhim，wouldhastentowarneveryemployerinclinedtogivehimachance。Hefeltsuddenlyveryhelpless，alarmedandidle；andhefollowedthemiddle-agedmantotheestaminetroundthecornerwherehemetsomeothergoodcompanions。Theyassuredhimthathewouldnotbeallowedtostarve，workornowork。Theyhaddrinksallroundtothediscomfitureofallemployersoflabourandtothedestructionofsociety。
Hesatbitinghislowerlip。
"Thatis，monsieur，howIbecameacompagnon，"hesaid。Thehandhepassedoverhisforeheadwastrembling。"Allthesame，there\'ssomethingwronginaworldwhereamancangetlostforaglassmoreorless。"
Heneverlookedup，thoughIcouldseehewasgettingexcitedunderhisdejection。Heslappedthebenchwithhisopenpalm。
"No!"hecried。"Itwasanimpossibleexistence!
Watchedbythepolice，watchedbythecomrades，I
didnotbelongtomyselfanymore!Why，Icouldnotevengotodrawafewfrancsfrommysavings-bankwithoutacomradehangingaboutthedoortoseethatIdidn\'tbolt!Andmostofthemwereneithermorenorlessthanhousebreakers。Theintelligent，Imean。
Theyrobbedtherich；theywereonlygettingbacktheirown，theysaid。WhenIhadhadsomedrinkI
believedthem。Therewerealsothefoolsandthemad。
Desexaltes——quoi!WhenIwasdrunkIlovedthem。
WhenIgotmoredrinkIwasangrywiththeworld。
Thatwasthebesttime。Ifoundrefugefrommiseryinrage。Butonecan\'tbealwaysdrunk——n\'est-cepas，monsieur?AndwhenIwassoberIwasafraidtobreakaway。Theywouldhavestuckmelikeapig。"
Hefoldedhisarmsagainandraisedhissharpchinwithabittersmile。
"Byandbytheytoldmeitwastimetogotowork。
Theworkwastorobabank。Afterwardsabombwouldbethrowntowrecktheplace。Mybeginner\'spartwouldbetokeepwatchinastreetatthebackandtotakecareofablackbagwiththebombinsidetillitwaswanted。Afterthemeetingatwhichtheaffairwasarrangedatrustycomradedidnotleavemeaninch。
Ihadnotdaredtoprotest；Iwasafraidofbeingdoneawaywithquietlyinthatroom；only，aswewerewalkingtogetherIwonderedwhetheritwouldnotbebetterformetothrowmyselfsuddenlyintotheSeine。ButwhileIwasturningitoverinmymindwehadcrossedthebridge，andafterwardsIhadnottheopportunity。"
Inthelightofthecandleend，withhissharpfeatures，fluffylittlemoustache，andovalface，helookedattimesdelicatelyandgailyyoung，andthenappearedquiteold，decrepit，fullofsorrow，pressinghisfoldedarmstohisbreast。
AsheremainedsilentIfeltboundtoask:
"Well!Andhowdiditend?"
"DeportationtoCayenne，"heanswered。
Heseemedtothinkthatsomebodyhadgiventheplotaway。Ashewaskeepingwatchinthebackstreet，baginhand，hewassetuponbythepolice。
"Theseimbeciles，"hadknockedhimdownwithoutnoticingwhathehadinhishand。Hewonderedhowthebombfailedtoexplodeashefell。Butitdidn\'texplode。
"Itriedtotellmystoryincourt，"hecontinued。
"Thepresidentwasamused。Therewereintheaudiencesomeidiotswholaughed。"
Iexpressedthehopethatsomeofhiscompanionshadbeencaught，too。Heshudderedslightlybeforehetoldmethatthereweretwo——Simon，calledalsoBiscuit，themiddle-agedfitterwhospoketohiminthestreet，andafellowofthenameofMafile，oneofthesym-
patheticstrangerswhohadapplaudedhissentimentsandconsoledhishumanitariansorrowswhenhegotdrunkinthecafe。
"Yes，"hewenton，withaneffort，"Ihadthead-
vantageoftheircompanyoverthereonSt。Joseph\'sIsland，amongstsomeeightyorninetyotherconvicts。
Wewereallclassedasdangerous。"
St。Joseph\'sIslandistheprettiestoftheIlesdeSalut。Itisrockyandgreen，withshallowravines，bushes，thickets，grovesofmango-trees，andmanyfeatherypalms。Sixwardersarmedwithrevolversandcarbinesareinchargeoftheconvictskeptthere。
Aneight-oaredgalleykeepsupthecommunicationinthedaytime，acrossachannelaquarterofamilewide，withtheIleRoyale，wherethereisamilitarypost。
Shemakesthefirsttripatsixinthemorning。Atfourintheafternoonherserviceisover，andsheisthenhauledupintoalittledockontheIleRoyaleandasentryputoverherandafewsmallerboats。FromthattimetillnextmorningtheislandofSt。Josephremainscutofffromtherestoftheworld，withthewarderspatrollinginturnthepathfromthewarders\'housetotheconvicthuts，andamultitudeofsharkspatrollingthewatersallround。
Underthesecircumstancestheconvictsplannedamutiny。Suchathinghadneverbeenknowninthepenitentiary\'shistorybefore。Buttheirplanwasnotwithoutsomepossibilityofsuccess。Thewardersweretobetakenbysurpriseandmurderedduringthenight。
Theirarmswouldenabletheconvictstoshootdownthepeopleinthegalleyasshecamealongsideinthemorning。Thegalleyonceintheirpossession，otherboatsweretobecaptured，andthewholecompanywastorowawayupthecoast。
Atduskthetwowardersondutymusteredthecon-
victsasusual。Thentheyproceededtoinspectthehutstoascertainthateverythingwasinorder。Inthesecondtheyenteredtheyweresetuponandabsolutelysmotheredunderthenumbersoftheirassailants。Thetwilightfadedrapidly。Itwasanewmoon；andaheavyblacksquallgatheringoverthecoastincreasedthepro-
founddarknessofthenight。Theconvictsassembledintheopenspace，deliberatinguponthenextsteptobetaken，arguedamongstthemselvesinlowvoices。
"Youtookpartinallthis?"Iasked。
"No。Iknewwhatwasgoingtobedone，ofcourse。
ButwhyshouldIkillthesewarders?Ihadnothingagainstthem。ButIwasafraidoftheothers。What-
everhappened，Icouldnotescapefromthem。Isataloneonthestumpofatreewithmyheadinmyhands，sickatheartatthethoughtofafreedomthatcouldbenothingbutamockerytome。SuddenlyIwasstartledtoperceivetheshapeofamanonthepathnearby。
Hestoodperfectlystill，thenhisformbecameeffacedinthenight。Itmusthavebeenthechiefwardercomingtoseewhathadbecomeofhistwomen。Noonenoticedhim。Theconvictskeptonquarrellingovertheirplans。Theleaderscouldnotgetthemselvesobeyed。Thefiercewhisperingofthatdarkmassofmenwasveryhorrible。
"Atlasttheydividedintotwopartiesandmovedoff。
WhentheyhadpassedmeIrose，wearyandhopeless。
Thepathtothewarders\'housewasdarkandsilent，butoneachsidethebushesrustledslightly。PresentlyIsawafaintthreadoflightbeforeme。Thechiefwarder，followedbyhisthreemen，wasapproachingcautiously。Buthehadfailedtoclosehisdarklanternproperly。Theconvictshadseenthatfaintgleam，too。
