THE PATRIOT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 21

THE PATRIOT.

<?oUTiet £47X was a little fellow, with the eyes of a ferret, 2nd tiie tongue of a Billingsgate aborig-inul. He was a man of man? erievan'-ps. and his soul writhed nnder the cruel fßif* which had inrmnred him In a Scottish prison. His amour propre \ras TDui.ded, and he shewed it. When tbe now parson palii hi? first visit. Couiii t 24TX rp»'ived his reverence with a scowl. "WTiat're after*' , ho demanded, folding n |? arms, ami drawing himself up to the foil eitett "f hi« impiwiup five ft-et-four. ■•Oh. Joe; n friendly call, yon know," ■aid the parson, with ;in ingratiating smile. Tho smile it-.i .1 failure. The arrowgpangled Uttio man "penly jfern! at it. -Ho. yea! II". ru?' A friendly call. . . Tite it orf, 1 say. !;k- I: orf:" "B.ess m ,, ' ' ox- lalmed tuo astonished risitor. "Takf what U !T. my dear man?" ■■That the" sin:;i', I tPll yer. Orf with I won't avf i: ,, l>!ii">m;n Sfotftinifln it mc U: 'his 'crn >U ..f a 'nle." And the little in:iii «s.,ivereil all over. He leetnfd to fiuJ it <■~;.! In elt. The parson was crave in a moment. But tils eyes eh-J 1 bl<"d. ?r> t.. speak. "Well, In: an KL.-lsshman. also, so we ■• Mine ton.;-, of narnrY eh?" said John Bnll. with a sudden hriglitenliig nf manner. ♦•'One touch of narur , makes the whole read a bit In my time—studied literachoor, English Uteraohoor." "Where have yn u donf ynur reading?" inqnired the parpnn. rarioufly. •■ln Ponlnr.d :uid Dartmoor." was the jjlib reply. "They bt-neouraged you there to himprovp yer mir.d; but here—look at this. sir. Do they rail this lirenirhoor in Seotlacd?" Aii.l he exhibited, witb n contemptuons sni:T. a Rrubl y-:ooting copy of "Tne Heart nf MWlntbian." "'By Walter Sen:. , ■• up read. "Another blootodn , ScWi'hninn. Listen to this." And de "Aweel. 1 i.-s. then fhou must plfkle in thine am pnke-nook. and buckle thy girdle thine am patr." "Sow, that's whnt I rail tommy-rot." cried this unhappy student of letters. "It ain't lUerarhoor: it's 5..»t.-n slops. Ifd had enou£h to mako a hnp-hannel swear, and I ain't a harchangel—l'm Jtwt i plain, honest ED?lisl:man." "But. why did you "vor come to Scotland at nil?" asked the piirson. •• i/ause I wns :> fool." said the little man passionately. "'I nuse I didn't know when I was well orf. Tause I was a trustful, open-minderl Englishman, aiwl thought the B''Otfh perliro wns 'Cause I pi'-fcpd ap a nicker that had fallen from a n old party that had lieen 'avin' a nixht oik. and tried to slecj. it orf on a doorstep. That's why. Mugged' for nnthin' at all! Had it been In ICnsland, now " and the ponr man almost wfpt. "Kut you had a fair trial, at any rate. I Enrpose?" "Gam!" said r.inri.-t 247 X. "You must be a preen 'vn —you! 'Oo ever heard of an Erglishman gettint; a fair trial in Scotland? TtPr was a Scotch judse. and a Scotch jury. and Scotch perlicemec: and 1 asks you, as an eddirated man, wot chance has an Englishman when he's up against a lot like that?" "Well, well! Now you are here. I hope j-oi: are at least fairly comfortable." "Ho, ynsl As eom.foruible as any one can be in a Scotch 'ju?.' But give mc Dartmoor. Dartmoor is 'eaven on .earth compared to this 'ell of a 'ole. There they treats free-born Englishmen like 'uman beings; 'ere they treats yon like " •Tesr "Lite a lot of bloomln' Scotchmen." said Convict 247 X. X.C.