e's a
desperate villain--one as'll stop at nothing when his blood is up, and
would think no more of killing a man as came in his way than you or I
might of knocking down a rat in a stable. Well, he's off safe enough
now for t'other side of the world, and I hope they'll keep him there."

The convicts continued to sing and shout, then grew quieter, apparently
tired by their exertions, though every now and again one or more of
them burst out afresh in a forced manner, as though bent on making a
display of bravado and unconcern. Once or twice, in the pauses of
their singing, and amid the clatter of the horses' hoofs and the rumble
of the wheels, I remember catching a slight sound, the origin of which
it was impossible for even my sharp ears to clearly distinguish, but
which I attributed to the swaying and grating of the lamp-iron on which
the game had been hung.

On and on we rattled through the darkness. Tom and I exhausted our
topics of conversation, and for the time being relapsed into silence.
Guilty as I knew my fellow-passengers were of serious crimes, I could
not help in a way feeling sorry for them, and contrasting their journey
with mine--I myself on the way to the enjoyment of a jolly Christmas
holiday with friends at home, and they to banishment from their native
land, and to hard servitude beyond the sea.

The cold, too, was intense. I felt it, though warmly clad, and made
sure that the poor wretches on the seats behind must be chilled to the
bone. Even burly Tom Barker, protected with a driving coat and a big
shawl, growled out that "it was a sharp un to-night, and no mistake,"
by which I understood him to imply that it was freezing hard.

At length, at the end of a stage, as we drew up outside an inn very
similar to the Sportsman, Tom prepared to dismount from his perch, and
invited me to do the same. I preferred, however, to remain where I
was, and was watching the stablemen removing the horses, when, to my
surprise, I heard a man's voice behind me pronounce my name.

"Mr. Eden."

Turning sharply, I found the convict directly behind me leaning forward
in his seat. The bright light which shone out through the open door of
the inn fell directly on his face, and I was shocked to recognize the
rugged features of the man Lewis, in whose boat at Rockymouth, on more
than one occasion, Miles and I had gone fishing.

"Excuse me, sir," continued the man. "I knew you as soon as you got up
at Round Green.