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THE FRIENDLY DOCTOR.

193

"By my own autograph?-a petition, in short. Well, then, Dr. Hall, to you personally I am of course grateful, for the kind feeling that makes you urge this point as you do. But I will never, by throwing myself on the mercy of the English Government, confess myself to be a felon. I will not belie my whole past life and present feelings. I will not eat dirt.

"The Doctor was now going to leave me, but came back from the door, up to where I sat, and

6 And are you

laid his hand upon my shoulder. I saw that tears stood in the good old man's eyes. going,' he said, 'to let yourself be closed up here till you perish, a convict, when by so slight an effort you could-as I am sure you could— procure not only your removal, but probably your release? You are still young; you have a right to look forward to a long life yet, with your family, in freedom and honour. Write to the Governor in some form—a simple letter will do ; and I know he wishes to exert himself in this

matter, if it be brought before him, so as to

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194

WRITING TO THE GOVERNOR.

justify his interference. Take your pen now and write.'

"I will write something,' I said, 'but not now. I will think of it, and try to make it possible for the Governor and you to procure my removal, seeing my actual MS. is essential to that end.'

"After leaving the cell he returned to say I should be sure to give Captain Elliott his proper title as Governor. I answered that I believed the

gentleman was, out of all doubt, Governor of Bermuda, and that, of course, I would address him properly. So the Doctor left me.

66 "If a man were in the hands of a gang of robbers-I mean mere ordinary unconstitutional highwaymen—and if he were cooped up in a close pestilential crib, the oubliette of their cavern, would he not call out for more air? And would his so calling out amount to an admission that when they waylaid and robbed him they served him right, or be an acknowledgment of their title to rob on that road!-I trow not.

COURTESY FOR COURTESY.

195

"I am not sentenced to death. If the pirates put me to death by this ingenious method, it would be well, at least, to let the proceeding be known abroad. Not that I think they really want to kill me, and possibly they would even be glad of some excuse to extend 'mercy' to methe rascals! At all events I will take care to ask for no mitigation of my sentence-still less 'pardon,' but demand only that I shall not be murdered by a slow process of torture. Tomorrow I will do somewhat. Ah! if the life or death only of this poor carcase were at stake

"So I am to write to this British Governor of Bermuda, and respectfully, too. Indeed, if I write to Captain Elliott at all, I am no way entitled to address him otherwise than respectfully. On my arrival here, when he despatched my first letter to my wife, he had the courtesy to write to her himself, to set her mind at ease as much as he could.

"I have written. The letter is superscribed,

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LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR.

"To His Excellency the Governor of Bermuda.' It merely contains a statement about my health, with reference to the medical superintendent, and suggests that as I am not sentenced to death, it might be well to get some change made in my position, either by removal to a more healthy climate or otherwise, so that I may be enabled physically to endure the term of transportation to which I am sentenced.

"As this document does not call itself a petition or memorial, and does not end with a promise to pray, possibly the Governor may decline to notice it, yet I think he will use his influence to have me removed; and if he suggests this to the London Government, policy will probably incline them to mitigate the atrocity of their outrage. Let me but escape out of their clutches with my life, and I will let them hear of my gratitude for all their policy towards me.

"At any rate the letter has been despatched to Government House, and in a great hurry, lest I should rue and not send it at all. There is some

A GRIEVOUS EFFORT.

197

humiliation in stooping to ask anything of those pirates-even air that I can breathe.

"True, a man captured by Malays or Greeks, or other buccaneering rovers, would think it no shame to do thus much, or more, for life or liberty; and this simple note may save my life or gain my liberty. Yet it has cost me a grievous effort. I feel the wrong done to me tripled since enforcing myself to condescend so far, and if it pleases God, to whom vengeance belongeth, to award to me my share, then, by God's help, I will have additional revenge for this.

"Two months will bring me the result. Till then I must keep aching body and panting soul together as best I may."

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