The official continued: “As the man left to do my bidding I said to myself: ‘He has gone to bring in my brother for me to sentence to hard labor. What shall I do? I do not feel as if I could utter the words.’

“I was completely upset. I experienced a most peculiar feeling. I thought: ‘Here he comes. I must do my duty.’

“I said to the prisoner: ‘Come in, sir. And how do your feel this morning?’

“Now, the devil take the mon who is two-faced! I brought the prisoner here to be put to work. Instead of that, he is having a nice visit with him. Inquiring about his health!’ Pat was heard mumbling to himself.

“‘Well, sir, I am going to see if you can do the work I will give you to do. I am going to have you take care of the prisoners in seeing that they have water to drink. Now, I will give you instructions. You understand the rules[81] of the prison, and I hope that you will abide by them. Do not speak to any of your fellow-prisoners. You will be passing back and forth around each working booth. They understand how to ask for water, if they wish any.’

“‘Pat, you may show him the way. And see that you do not burden him with a heavy load. Now you may go.’

“‘Well, come along here, pet. I will give you a quart bucket which is light to carry, and if I happen to be going your way, I will help you carry it.’

“I hoped that at last we had found a place which the prisoner could fill. I felt somewhat at ease. I felt that I had done my duty to my brother as well as I could under the circumstances. I hoped that my arrangements would please him and also please the superior officer when he returned. And, by the way, it was time for him to return. I wondered if he had enjoyed his vacation.

“‘Well, your honor.’

“‘What is it, Pat?’

“‘Your pet has refused to carry a full bucket of water, and stands there and looks at it as if he never saw water before. He will not speak a word. I do believe he is petrified—turned to[82] one of those things which looks like a man and is a dead one.’

“‘Pat, I can hardly believe you. I shall have to see for myself. Close the door behind us. We can not leave it unlocked to tempt our prisoners.

“‘You are falsifying, Pat. Is not that the fellow, going there with that bucket of water?’

“‘To be sure it is.’

“‘Then why did you come to me with such reports?’

“‘I came with the truth, your honor, and if the man can be dead one minute and alive the next, then I want to deal with the live ones all the toime.’

“‘You perhaps do not understand how to handle him.’

“‘And faith, I think the majority of them is in the same fix. They have had the same experience themselves.’

“‘Well, as long as everything is all right, we will try and rest easy.’

“‘You are resting easy now. But when the superintendent comes back and finds that when he has left orders to punish a convict you favor him, I think you will have to find yourself another job.’

[83]

“When the superintendent entered, I experienced a feeling of relief. I exclaimed: ‘Well, well! Back, and looking fine. I was thinking of you this morning, hoping that you were having a good rest.’

“‘I did not rest much, for reasons that I will explain. I hav............