“Mr. Pearson has fainted. I have just returned from my vacation. Please get some water. I think it is nothing serious.”

“I don’t understand the case. His pulse is normal. His temperature is not high enough to indicate extreme illness. Yet he seems to be in a very deep faint. You had better call another doctor. I am at a loss to know what to do.”

“I will ring for one at once. Here is Pat. I’ll send him for Doctor Simson.

“Pat, go at once and bring Doctor Simson. We are not able to bring Mr. Pearson to.”

Pat was heard mumbling to himself: “Another mysterious case. I’m going to leave this prison, and I would not blame the others if they did the same, prisoners and all.”

“Dr. Simson, you are wanted at once, at the main office. The officer, Mr. Pearson, is a dead man—or, at least, he looks it.”

[88]

“Well, Pat, if he is dead, there is no use in my going.”

“You better go and see for yourself. There are some funny doings going on around here. Men look like dead ones, and not dead. I hope I won’t be looking like a dead one and disappointing my friends. You must be coming along. They sent me for a doctor, and, faith, I would bring you at once.”

“Well, Pat, I am ready. So your patient looks like a dead one, hey?”

“You may decide that for yourself when you get there.”

“Well, here we are. I shall soon see.

“Good morning, Mr. Officer. What have we here? A sick man?”

“Good morning, doctor.”

“Doctor, what would you do in a case like this? I am not able to tell what is wrong.”

“Have you taken his temperature?”

“I have.”

“And what is it?”

“Normal.”

“In so dead a faint, and normal?”

“You may take his temperature and see if I am mistaken.”

“You are right, doctor. The best thing to[89] do is to let the patient rest a few moments. I see no serious danger. I do not really understand the case.”

“Pat, you may bring in the stretcher and we will take him to the hospital.”

“I have been set to carrying the dead to the cemetery when they could not speak any more.”

“You are having some trouble with one of your prisoners here, I understand.”

“We are, doctor, and here he is.”

“He does not look like a sickly man, but, my dear sir, you can not always tell by looking at a man what strength he has.”

The prisoner interposed: “I am not a strong man, doctor, but I am strong enough to work if I were given work that I could do.”

“We have placed him in many places, and we have not been able to find out what he can do.”

“I am doing all that is required of me, am I not, at the last work you have given me to do?”

“You are, as far as I know, but you were sentenced here to hard labor. I must obey the orders of the courts.”

“What is the poor man here for? He talks as if he were a good sort of a fellow.”

[90]

“Murder. Does that sound as if he were a good fellow? And a poor woman, at that—strangled her to death. A horrible death.”

At that moment a voice was heard saying: “You are accusing him wrongfully. He is not a murderer.”

Turning to look for the speaker, they were surprised to see Mr. Pearson ready to speak.

“Well, sir, you have recovered. How do you feel?”

“I have not been ill.”

“Well, we have been very busy for the last half-hour, trying to get you to speak.”

“Pat, you may take the stretcher back. The patient will be able to walk to the hospital if he needs to go.”

“The way these fellows have of dying and coming to life again must be a trade they have learned.”

“Are you not going to let me work, sir, at what I was last given to do?”

“You are going to hard labor. No more of this playing off around here.”

“Very well, sir.”

“I don’t think that you need my services any longer,” said the doctor. “The officer seems[91] all right, and he says that he is. I shall return to the hospital.”

“Now, Mr. Pearson,” said the superintendent, “please explain to me—when orders were given to put this man to hard work, you gave him a trusty job.”

“I did the best I could. I am not a heartless man. The poor fellow said he could not do hard manual labor, and I believe he told the truth, and I am willing to give him a trial, for proof of his honesty.”

“You know of all the crimes he has committed while in here, do you not? Or, at least, tried to and failed.”

“In what way, pray tell me?”

“Trying to murder the guards. I, for one, had a peculiar experience with him. Found myself in the hospital—fortunately, not hurt, however, but not able to explain what had happened.”

“Now you will have to work, sir, and I am going to call Pat. I can trust him to see that you do.

&ldquo............