onvictedofbreakingmycountry’slaws,andwassentencedtotransportation.Donotthinkveryharshlyofme,laddie.Itwasadebtofhonour,socalled,whichIhadtopay,andIusedmoneywhichwasnotmyowntodoit,inthecertaintythatIcouldreplaceitbeforetherecouldbeanypossibilityofitsbeingmissed.Butthemostdreadfulill-luckpursuedme.ThemoneywhichIhadreckoneduponnevercametohand,andaprematureexaminationofaccountsexposedmydeficit.Thecasemighthavebeendealtlenientlywith,butthelawsweremoreharshlyadministeredthirtyyearsagothannow,andonmytwenty-thirdbirthdayIfoundmyselfchainedasafelonwiththirty-sevenotherconvictsin’tween-decksofthebarqueGloriaScott,boundforAustralia.
“‘Itwastheyear’55whentheCrimeanwarwasatitsheight,andtheoldconvictshipshadbeenlargelyusedastransportsintheBlackSea.Thegovernmentwascompelled,therefore,tousesmallerandlesssuitablevesselsforsendingouttheirprisoners.TheGloriaScotthadbeenintheChineseteatrade,butshewasanold-fashioned,heavy-bowed,broad-beamedcraft,andthenewclippershadcutherout.Shewasafive-hundred-tonboat,andbesidesherthirty-eightgaol-birds,shecarriedtwenty-sixofacrew,eighteensoldiers,acaptain,threemates,adoctor,achaplain,andfourwarders.Nearlyahundredsoulswereinher,alltold,whenwesetsailfromFalmouth.
“‘Thepartitionsbetweenthecellsoftheconvicts,insteadofbeingofthickoak,asisusualinconvict-ships,werequitethinandfrail.Themannexttome,upontheaftside,wasonewhomIhadparticularlynoticedwhenwewereleddownthequay.Hewasayoungmanwithaclear,hairlessface,along,thinnose,andrathernut-crackerjaws.Hecarriedhisheadveryjauntilyintheair,hadaswaggeringstyleofwalking,andwas,aboveallelse,remarkableforhisextraordinaryheight.Idon’tthinkanyofourheadswouldhavecomeuptohisshoulder,andIamsurethathecouldnothavemeasuredlessthansixandahalffeet.Itwasstrangeamongsomanysadandwearyfacestoseeonewhichwasfullofenergyandresolution.Thesightofitwastomelikeafireinasnowstorm.Iwasglad,then,tofindthathewasmyneighbour,andgladderstillwhen,inthedeadofthenight,Iheardawhisperclosetomyear,andfoundthathehadmanagedtocutanopeningintheboardwhichseparatedus.
“‘“Hallao,chummy!”saidhe,“what’syourname,andwhatareyouherefor?”
“‘Iansweredhim,andaskedinturnwhoIwastalkingwith.
“‘“I’mJackPrendergast,”saidhe,“andbyGod!You’lllearntoblessmynamebeforeyou’vedonewithme.”
“‘Irememberedhearingofhiscase,foritwasonewhichhadmadeanimmensesensationthroughoutthecountrysometimebeforemyownarrest.Hewasamanofgoodfamilyandofgreatability,butofincurablyvicioushabits,whohadbyaningenioussystemoffraudobtainedhugesumsofmoneyfromtheleadingLondonmerchants.
“‘“Ha,ha!Youremembermycase!”saidheproudly.
“‘“Verywell,indeed.”
“‘“Thenmaybeyouremembersomethingqueeraboutit?”
“‘“Whatwasthat,then?”
“‘“I’dhadnearlyaquarterofamillion,hadn’tI?”
“‘“Soitwassaid.”
“‘“Butnonewasrecovered,eh?”
“‘“No.”
“‘“Well,whered’yesupposethebalanceis?”heasked.
“‘“Ihavenoidea,”saidI.
“‘“Rightbetweenmyfingerandthumb,”hecried.“ByGod!I’vegotmorepoundstomynamethanyou’vehairsonyourhead.Andifyou’vemoney,myson,andknowhowtohandleitandspreadit,youcandoanything!Now,youdon’tthinkitlikelythatamanwhocoulddoanythingisgoingtowearhisbreechesoutsittinginthestinkingholdofarat-gutted,beetle-ridden,mouldyoldcoffinofaChinacoaster.No,sir,suchamanwilllookafterhimselfandwilllookafterhischums.Youmaylaytothat!Youholdontohim,andyoumaykissthebookthathe’llhaulyouthrough.”
“‘Thatwashisstyleoftalk,andatfirstIthoughtitmeantnothingbutafterawhile,whenhehadtested