Part 80 (1/2)

”I surrender,” said Mayne faintly; ”I'm satisfied now Dr Braydon, I never told you I was an ill-used man, but did my work Still, I told your son Dominic, lad, Heaven is just That handcuffed hound is my old fellow-clerk, for whose sins I have suffered all these years There are miracles in life, for it fell to ”

”After he had watched to take your life!” cried Nic ”He aiting, you knohere? There, Sir John--father, will you believe it now?”

The doctor had been kneeling by the fallen convict, roughly bandaging a bullet wound when, as he turned to rise, Frank Mayne struck hi himself upon the wounded man

The doctor turned fiercely upon Mayne, but the next rasped the truth, just as a blow from the butt end of a musket struck the ruffian back; for as soon as the wound had been bandaged, the man had waited an opportunity to draw a knife and strike at hie his pain

In a short time the party was on its way back, the wounded convict borne upon a roughlywith the warder, to Brookes's great disgust, for the doctor had said that he would answer for his not atte to escape

The next day the police rode off with their prisoners, taking with theon, in which the wounded convict was laid, Dr Braydon having said that he was in no danger But Frank Mayne was not of the party, for Sir John had heard the siovern out in the same shi+p as my wife I reed with eovern that ed there”

”Yes, he was my fellow-clerk, Sir John,” said Mayne ”He was found out at last, but the ti”

”And you say you were unjustly sentenced?”

”In Heaven's name, Sir John, I do I was faithful to overnor, looking at hiation of your case In the meantime, what I can do I will You hear, Nic, for your sake as well as his, Mayne is free to go anywhere in the colony, and I will see that justice is done him in every way”

”Thank you, Sir John,” said Mayne hoarsely; ”it is more than I could expect on my bare assertion”

”Some bare assertions are better than oaths, eh, Braydon?” said Sir John ”What do you say?”

”I say that I have iveness to ask of Mr Mayne: I ask it now of the man who saved my life”

There was silence for a few moments; for the doctor had held out his hand to Mayne, who stood looking at it with his lips quivering

”I aned servant, sir,” he said at last

”Not now,” said the doctor ”I was offering my hand to a brave man who has been misunderstood I offer it, too, to my son's friend”