month, as a warming-pan for that
ass Meekin. Ergo, the Bishop don't care about North."

Jemmy Vetch, who was next to Rex, let the full weight of his portion
of tree-trunk rest upon Gabbett, in order to express his unrestrained
admiration of Mr. Rex's sarcasm. "Ain't the Dandy a one'er?" said he.

"Are you thinking of coming the pious?" asked Rex. "It's no good with
North. Wait until the highly-intelligent Meekin comes. You can twist
that worthy successor of the Apostles round your little finger!"

"Silence there!" cries the overseer. "Do you want me to report yer?"

Amid such diversions the days rolled on, and Rufus Dawes almost longed
for the Coal Mines. To be sent from the settlement to the Coal Mines,
and from the Coal Mines to the settlement, was to these unhappy men a
"trip". At Port Arthur one went to an out-station, as more fortunate
people go to Queenscliff or the Ocean Beach now-a-days for "change of
air".

CHAPTER XIII. THE COMMANDANT'S BUTLER.

Rufus Dawes had been a fortnight at the settlement when a new-comer
appeared on the chain-gang. This was a young man of about twenty years
of age, thin, fair, and delicate. His name was Kirkland, and he belonged
to what were known as the "educated" prisoners. He had been a clerk in
a banking house, and was transported for embezzlement, though, by some,
grave doubts as to his guilt were entertained. The Commandant, Captain
Burgess, had employed him as butler in his own house, and his fate was
considered a "lucky" one. So, doubtless, it was, and might have been,
had not an untoward accident occurred. Captain Burgess, who was a
bachelor of the "old school", confessed to an amiable weakness for
blasphemy, and was given to condemning the convicts' eyes and limbs with
indiscriminate violence. Kirkland belonged to a Methodist family and
owned a piety utterly out of place in that region. The language of
Burgess made him shudder, and one day he so far forgot himself and his
place as to raise his hands to his ears. "My blank!" cried Burgess. "You
blank blank, is that your blank game? I'll blank soon cure you of that!"
and forthwith ordered him to the chain-gang for "insubordination".

He was received with suspicion by the gang, who did not like
white-handed prisoners. Troke, by way of experiment in human nature,
perhaps, placed him next to Gabbett. The day was got through in the
usual way, and Kirkland felt his heart revive.

The toil was severe, and the compan