First in the Field Part 80

"I surrender," said Mayne faintly; "I'm satisfied now. Dr Braydon, I never told you I was an ill-used man, but did my work. Still, I told your son. Dominic, lad, Heaven is just. That handcuffed hound is my old fellow-clerk, for whose sins I have suffered all these years. There are miracles in life, for it fell to me to take him when he was escaping."

"After he had watched to take your life!" cried Nic. "He was waiting, you know where? There, Sir John--father, will you believe it now?"

The doctor had been kneeling by the fallen convict, roughly bandaging a bullet wound when, as he turned to rise, Frank Mayne struck him aside, and flung himself upon the wounded man.

The doctor turned fiercely upon Mayne, but the next moment he grasped the truth, just as a blow from the b.u.t.t end of a musket struck the ruffian back; for as soon as the wound had been bandaged, the man had waited an opportunity to draw a knife and strike at him who had tried to a.s.suage his pain.

In a short time the party was on its way back, the wounded convict borne upon a roughly made stretcher, and Frank Mayne walking with the warder, to Brookes's great disgust, for the doctor had said that he would answer for his not attempting to escape.

The next day the police rode off with their prisoners, taking with them a light waggon, in which the wounded convict was laid, Dr Braydon having said that he was in no danger. But Frank Mayne was not of the party, for Sir John had heard the simple tale.

"And that man was your fellow-clerk in the government office? Yes, I remember something about his coming out in the same ship as my wife. I remember the case, because he was the second man charged with embezzlement at this government office; and I remember, too, saying that matters must be badly managed there."

"Yes, he was my fellow-clerk, Sir John," said Mayne. "He was found out at last, but the time has seemed very long."

"And you say you were unjustly sentenced?"

"In Heaven's name, Sir John, I do. I was faithful to my trust."

"I believe you, Mayne," said the governor, looking at him keenly; "and there shall be a thorough investigation of your case. In the meantime, what I can do I will. You hear, Nic, for your sake as well as his, Mayne is free to go anywhere in the colony, and I will see that justice is done him in every way."

"Thank you, Sir John," said Mayne hoa.r.s.ely; "it is more than I could expect on my bare a.s.sertion."

"Some bare a.s.sertions are better than oaths, eh, Braydon?" said Sir John. "What do you say?"

"I say that I have much forgiveness to ask of Mr Mayne: I ask it now of the man who saved my life."

There was silence for a few moments; for the doctor had held out his hand to Mayne, who stood looking at it with his lips quivering.

"I am only your a.s.signed servant, sir," he said at last.

"Not now," said the doctor. "I was offering my hand to a brave man who has been misunderstood. I offer it, too, to my son's friend."

Nic looked dull the next day, but he brightened up when his father proposed that they should ride a part of the way with Mayne, who was going to take some despatches to Government House, where for the present he was to stay.

"You see, Nic, it will be better," the governor said. "The poor fellow would be miserable here with his old fellow-servants. So I have arranged for him to go and wait till I come. His story's true enough, and I shall see that everything is done for him before he goes back to England--to take his old position, I hope."

But Frank Mayne had no such ideas. England was dead to him, and he was content to stay. And to Nic's delight, his friend received a grant of land some ten miles away, close to the great gorge, where the boy spent all the time he could, watching the erection of the house by convict labour; for in this Mayne was helped largely by Sir john, while the doctor had become one of his firmest supporters.

Of course Frank Mayne had formed a very warm attachment to the lad, who had believed in him from the first; but Lady O'Hara used to laugh and joke, and say _she knew_, though she never said what it was she knew.

Time, however, gave the explanation, about two years later Mayne had received a free pardon from his Majesty the King, "for suffering a great deal and nearly being driven mad," as Nic said.

But Frank Mayne said he was very happy and quite content, and we need not go into the causes of his content, especially since every one, from Lady O'Hara and Mrs Braydon downwards, was in the same way of thinking.

"Besides, Mr Mayne, it was worth it all, sure," said Lady O'Hara banteringly at the wedding. "Now don't you think so, Nic?"

"Of course I do?"

"Then that's right," cried the lady. "But tell me, Nic, how long is it since I brought you out?"

"I don't know," said Nic.

"Too busy; but about three years. Look at that now, and him grown quite a man."

"Yes," said the doctor, "farmer, cattle raiser, squatter."

"Yes," said Mayne, laying his hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder.

"One of the first in the field, and my true friend."

THE END.