“One day I was strolling through the grounds when suddenly, as I passed through a grove which stood by a fish-pond, I heard voices and saw the two men I hated most of all on earth standing near me. They were both naked. They had the audacity to go bathing in the fishpond. Clark had his back turned toward me, and I saw on it, below the neck, three marks, fiery red, as though they had been made by a brand. They were these:” and taking a pencil, Frank made the following marks:
{Illustration: ^ /|\ {three lines, forming short arrow}
R {sans-serif R}
+ {plus sign} }
Louis looked at this with intense excitement.
“You have been in New South Wales,” said Frank, “and perhaps know whether it is true or not that these are brands on convicts?”
“It is true, and on convicts of the very worst kind.”
“Do you know what they mean?”
“Yes.”
“What?”