Page 230 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

had been produced by the excitement of his sudden rescue,
and he was now incapable of violence. Frere advanced, and
shook him by the shoulder.
‘Not alive!’ cried the poor wretch, waking with a start,
and raising his arm to strike. ‘Keep off!’
‘It’s all right,’ said Frere. ‘No one is going to harm you.
Wake up.’
Rufus Dawes glanced around him stupidly, and then
remembering what had happened, with a great effort, he
staggered to his feet. ‘I thought they’d got me!’ he said, ‘but
it’s the other way, I see. Come, let’s have breakfast, Mr. Frere.
I’m hungry.’
‘You must wait,’ said Frere. ‘Do you think there is no one
here but yourself?’
Rufus Dawes, swaying to and fro from weakness, passed
his shred of a cuff over his eyes. ‘I don’t know anything
about it. I only know I’m hungry.’
Frere stopped short. Now or never was the time to settle
future relations. Lying awake in the night, with the jack-
knife ready to his hand, he had decided on the course of
action that must be adopted. The convict should share with
the rest, but no more. If he rebelled at that, there must be a
trial of strength between them. ‘Look you here,’ he said. ‘We
have but barely enough food to serve us until help comes—
if it does come. I have the care of that poor woman and
child, and I will see fair play for their sakes. You shall share
with us to our last bit and drop, but, by Heaven, you shall
get no more.’
The convict, stretching out his wasted arms, looked down