Rosa Lambert — page 261: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

wwe -_—- 250 you would swear like a trooper. However, I see you are getting impatient; and so I will make haste with my story. You must know, then, that the authorities at Newgate had all us convicts stripped to the very skin and searched before we were packed off to the hulks at Woolwich ; and so T hadn’t the ghost of a chance to keep my money. The Governor said it was all forfeited to the Crown, but that he would speak to the Sheriffs and get them to write to the Home Secretary to let it be kept for me till my sentence was up, when it would enable me to have an honest start in the world, But I was pretty well resolved to get an earlier start than thaé, if possible; and so, under all cir- cumstances, it is not very likely I shall ever call on the Governor of Newgate or the most worshipful Sheriffs to ask for my fifty pounds at their hands.” “ And about the escape from the hulk P” I said, “Pray be quick, Cyril: time is slipping fast away.” “Five minutes more,’ he ejaculated, “and I shall be off like a shot: but if I had time, Rose, I could just draw you such a picture of convict-life on board a hulk as would make that soft beautiful hair of your’s stand onend. It’s hell upon earth! -—-and if I hadn’t got the notion of escape into my head before I even left Newgate, I should precious soon have entertained it on finding myself in that dreadful ship. It was six weeks ago that I escaped; and it was done as nice as possible one morning just as day was breaking, You must understand there’s a place in the forepart of the hulk sepa- rated from the rest of the main deck by a bulk- head—or what you would eall a strong wooden partition ; and that place served as a lock-up for refractory fellows. Well, one day, I had a row with another convict: we got fighting—I half killed him—-but received a rather severe blow on my own head: so I was put into the little crib I have been describing to you; and what’s more, I was put in irons also. Perhaps,” continued Cyril, with a knowing laugh, “I picked that quar- rel on purpose to have myself reported refractory : —perhaps it was a bit of calculation on my part to get shoved into that hole. Of course it was!— for I knew my opportunity. <A few days before, when working in the dockyard with the other convicts, L had picked up a file and secured it about my person. That was all I wanted. It was about five in the evening that I purposely got my- self on the punishment-list and shoved into the lock-up place, because I knew that I should be all alone there. Sot began filing away:—for hours and hours I filed—and at last I got off the irons. I didn’t mind the ring on my leg, for the simple yeason that it would not prevent my escape, and I could take it off at a better opportunity. I had been told by a fellow-convict that there were some clothes belonging to the schoolmaster on board, slowed away in a chest which was kept in the lock-up place; and I meant to appropriate a suit from that chest for my own special use. ‘Well, it was about one in the morning when I got the irons off. The next thing 1 did was to force open the chest with the file; and lo and behold! it contained only a lot of books and stationery—one pair of trousers—two or three shirts—and a couple of handkerchiefs. SLowever, these articles of toggery were better then nothing, for it would have been mt Kea LL A A A TE et att t-te tet alae, ROSA LAMBERT, —— —_——— little short of madness to escape in my gonvict's dress. So L put on the pantaloons and a clean shirt: I tied one of the handkerchiefs round my wounded head, for want of a hat; and then I began to force the iron bars of the port-hole, I had nothing but the file to work with: but after a little time I made the passage free. But now came the most difficult part of the job—or at least the most dangerous, The morning was just beginning to dawn; and if the sentinels should hear a splash as I lowered myself into the water, or see something swimming away from the ship, their musket balls would be sent whizzing after me. However, I thought it better to risk every- thing than to stay in that accursed hulk—par- ticulariy as I had gone so far that if I did remain I should be terribly punished for filing off my irons and doing all the rest which plainly enough showed that I meant to try an escape. It was a ticklish moment, I can tell you, Rose, when I lowered my- self out of the port-hole and began sliding down one of the heavy chains by which the hulk is moored. But I was armed with the courage of desperation: if was neck-or-nothing—and I knew it full well. I don’t think that a feather could fall into the water more gently than I committed my- self to it; and then I struck out with all the power of myarms. It was low tide; and the distance to the shore was not very great. I reached it in safety,—scarcely believing my own senses when I found that I was safe on dry land. I can’t think what the deuce the sentinels must have been after, or how it was possible they did not hear me strik- ing out in the water. However, it is certain that they did not—or otherwise I might not be here to tell you the tale.” “Good heavens,” I said, “what fearful risks you ran! And was there no pursuit?” “T don’t suppose the escape was discovered till two or three hours afterwards,” replied Cyril. “I know that when I found myself safe on shore I cut away as fast as my legs would carry me— plunged into the marshes—and never ceased walk- ing even to rest for a moment, for three good hours. My clothes dried upon my back—such clothes as they were, consisting only of this very identical shirt I have got on—these pantaloons— and these shoes. The old tattered jacket and the miserable cap you see me wear now, were given me by a poor cottager, who also gave me a meal; for I pitched him some story which touched his heart.” “ And for six weeks since your escape “For six weeks, Rose, I have been wandering about like a starved and lost dog—sleeping under hedges and haystacks, or in barns—begging my bread—sometimes spurned by pampered lacqueys from the doors of country-houses, but generally experiencing charitable sympathy amongst poor peasant people. In short, I don’t know how I have managed to keep body and soul together ; and what with being half-famished and conti- nually in a state of terror at the thought of cap- ture f “ You must indeed have suffered dreadfully !’— and tears trickled down my cheeks. “ But what accident brought you to Sandgate P” “Oh, I knew it was no use to stay in England, where I stand the chance of being recognised and taken at any moment, because no doubt my dee 39 a (eo) 2700 cS