"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。
　　LucianApsetheyhadknowneachotherasyoungmen
　　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。
　　OngoingoutIexchangedaglanceandasmilestrictlyproperwiththerespectableMissBlank，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-
　　everformofmentaldegradationImaybeingbuthu-
　　manbesufferingfrom，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。
　　Butthemostinterestingcharacteristicofthisislandwhichseemslikeasortofpenalsettlementforcon-
　　demnedcattleconsistsinitsbeingtheonlyknownhabitatofanextremelyrareandgorgeousbutterfly。
　　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，andexplainedthathehadmeanttomakehiswaytoafarmwhichheunderstoodfromtheschooner'speople，Isupposewastobefoundintheneighbourhood。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。