by M. P. Shiel
XIX
THE GREAT BELL
The next morning Hogarth was not marched out, and near dinner-time wassummoned before the Governor. Here he stood in a cage of bars in aroom of "No.1" prison, devoted to prison-offences; and before him, at alittered table, sat governor and chief warder, with the witnesses of theoutbreak near.
The case was gone into, the report made: whereupon the Governor lookedup and down the length of Hogarth, and suddenly gave vent to a laugh.
"So, No. 76", said he, "this was the threatened escape?"
Hogarth was now all contrition and hanging head.
"I beg for mercy", he said, with a little smile.
"Oh, I am not your judge...Where were you when the officers were lookingfor you in the yard?"
"I was hiding in that little nook".
"Confounded carelessness on someone's part...And what cut and swelledyour mouth?"
"I bashed into the wall in the nook" (The can had cut him!).
"You must have been mad!"
"Yes, sir".
During the next two weeks he had round his ankles a chain which, risingin two loops, was fastened to a band round his waist; and he was set toturn "the crank".
Finally, he was led forth to stand before the periodic Director, who,after reading the report, turned to a volume of writing in which wasHogarth's record: good--till lately; and the Director addressed him withsternness, which yet was paternal: he would sentence him to one month ina punishment cell, to two months in chains, and to one dozen lashes.
And two days later he was led to the flogging-hall, which, as heapproached it, sent forth screams; the doctor looked at him andconsented; the Governor said: "Get it over".
Hogarth stripped to the waist, his teeth chattering: but not with fear.On the contrary, he felt a touch of exultation.
The wrists of his outstretched arms having been bound to "the triangle",the Governor gave the sign, the cat rose, and sang, and fell.
Slowly up, and whistlingly down, rasping, reaping. At the seventh shockhe fainted: and thence onward had a long dream, in which he saw RebekahFrankl in Hindoo dress and jewellery, and she threw at him a red roseblack at heart with passion, and her body balanced in dance, and herhands clapped at him.
During the next month he tholed the cold of that same punishment-cell;and during the next was in his old cell, but in chains, picking oakum.All this time, if he was aware of high winds by night, he was in anagony, till the next day the great bell rang its treble.
About the middle of February he was once more trenching in the open air.
But a fear had stolen into his mind: for the string of tin was notstrong, and the winds of the last month may have dislocated it. In anycase, he might have to wait a year, two, ten....
Occasionally he would redden with suppressed and turbulent energy.
But on the 17th of March, toward evening, England was visited by a stormlong remembered, lasting three days, during which the poor prisonerswere comforted with rations of hot soup and cocoa.
On the morning of the fourth day when the gangs were once more taken outHogarth was hardly conscious of frigid winds or agued limbs: for threedays the great bell of Colmoor had not rung; and his ears were open.
Of the prisoners, who, by practised instinct, get to know the moment atwhich it should sound, three presently straightened up, spade in hand,to glance at the prison: and suddenly heard--a sound.
A dull something somewhere--from the prison? unless it was some shockof the wind...Hogarth gazed piteously into the faces near him...No oneseemed to have heard.
A few seconds, like eternities...Then he saw a warder look at his watch;then--another! and--they glanced at the prison; and--they approachedeach other; and--they laid whispering heads together.
Then--joy!--came five officers, wildly running from the prison gates,calling, waving....
And now he knew, and smiled: the babble of that lalling tongue was dumb.
And the very next day, when the afternoon-gangs were marching out, theysaw descending from a carriage before the Deputy Governor's house agentleman with a roll of diagram-paper--a bell-foundry expert, summonedby telegraph from Cardiff.
Hogarth resolved to act that night.
