“Wouldn’t pick him out for an innocent one, would you?”
“Well, no,” said Nic; “one seems to shrink from him.”
“And right enough too, sir. He got off with transportation for life; but I’m afraid he deserved something worse.”
“Did he kill anybody?” said Nic in an awe-stricken whisper.
“Yes; more than one, I believe, sir: sort of human wild beast. I never feel safe with him, and we all take care never to have Forty-four behind us. Try again, sir.”
“Well, this one coming now,” said Nic. “He’s rather common-looking, but he doesn’t seem so very bad. One would think he could be made a better man.”
“Twenty-five, sir. Well, he’ll have every chance out yonder. He has only got to get a good character over his work, and the governor and them will soon let him go up country as a signed servant, and when he has served his time he can start farmer on his own account. Makes faces at you, doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” cried Nic eagerly.
“Ah, he won’t now I’m here.”
Nic smiled, for the man screwed one side of his face as he passed, thinking that the chief warder would not see, but he did.