A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

at 104 A SERVANT OF SATAN. € gang of about twelve others, was engaged on the main land- ing in breaking stones for the construction of a new road. — Two warders with loaded rifles kept watch over them, One of the two, however, seeing the men quietly at work with- drew after a while to a neighboring farm-house, which be- longed to an ex-convict who was still under the supervision of the police. The fate of these liberated convicts is scarcely a happy one. For although they are permitted to summon to their side the wife, sisters, or children whom they may have left behind them in France, or, if they prefer it, to marry some female ex-convict, yet their womankind are entirely sub- ject to the caprices and passions of the various prison ~ — functionaries. Even the very lowest sub-warder has it in his power to force these unfortunate people to submit to his demands, no matter how outrageous their nature may be, since any refusal would inevitably entail a denunciation, accusing either the husband or wife, or possibly both, of acts of insubordination. Needless to add that the word of persons who are under police supervision and who are de- prived of their civil rights has no weight whatsoever when opposed by that of a prison official. | One of the warders having, as has been stated above, re- tired to a neighboring farm-house, his companion sat down under the shade of some bushes which grew at the top of a small mound, whence he could exercise a careful watch over the men intrusted to his charge. The heat was over- — powering, and from time to time he refreshed himself with long pulls from a suspicious-looking flask which he had hidden away in an inside pocket. ‘The liquor, whatever it was, instead of rendering him more good-humored and tractable, seemed to call forth all the latent savagery of his — nature. Every time one of the unfortunate convicts at- -. tempted to rest from his work for a few brief moments the - ~< ue ae Lae é / - aa a 9 a i - > ee As" ° é eh’ Py .. ° “ a a oN a. = ~~ . 7 t. 4 oS » a ‘ *< cat One day matters came to a climax. Frederick, witha « thy . .. M - % a X > ° * 2; “eu . 4 i wer re . * Oo wes , J f ic L Oe i comicbooks.com | f. » e? 4 + PS re, * if - $