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Convicts in sentence

215 examples of Convicts in a sentence

It was inevitably unfortunate, since Ayrton, or Ben Joyce, as he may be called, guided it, sometimes preceded, sometimes followed by his band of convicts, who had been told what they had to do.
He would be able to take the 'Duncan' into Twofold Bay, where it would be easy for the convicts to seize her, and her crew massacred, Ben Joyce would become master of the seas.
It was that which the "Duncan" would have carried, had the convicts succeeded in their criminal design!
All his gang had gone on board, and pirates after having been convicts, these wretches, more ferocious than the Malays themselves, scoured the Pacific, destroying vessels, and massacring their crews.
The convicts spoke loudly, they recounted their deeds, drinking deeply at the same time, and this is what Ayrton gathered.
This is Norfolk Island, once the seat of an establishment in which were lodged the most intractable convicts from the English penitentiaries.
The convicts were, for the most part, assembled under the poop; but a few, stretched on the deck, were talking loudly.
It was in no way a signal, and no communication yet existed between the convicts and Lincoln Island.
Evidently the island, with its water, its harbor, its resources of all kinds so increased in value by the colonists, and the concealment afforded by Granite House, could not but be convenient for the convicts; in their hands it would become an excellent place of refuge, and, being unknown, it would assure them, for a long time perhaps, impunity and security.
Harding and his companions had, therefore, not even the choice of flying and hiding themselves in the island, since the convicts intended to reside there, and since, in the event of the "Speedy" departing on an expedition, it was probable that some of the crew would remain on shore, so as to settle themselves there.
This Ayrton resolved to learn at any cost, and as an hour after his arrival the vociferations had begun to die away, and as a large number of the convicts were already buried in a drunken sleep, Ayrton did not hesitate to venture onto the "Speedy's" deck, which the extinguished lanterns now left in total darkness.
Then, gliding among the convicts stretched here and there, he made the round of the ship, and found that the "Speedy" carried four guns, which would throw shot of from eight to ten pounds in weight.
He fired his revolver, and two of the convicts fell, but a blow from a knife which he could not ward off made a gash in his shoulder.
The most important thing is, that the convicts should believe that the inhabitants of the island are numerous, and consequently capable of resisting them.
What is to be feared is, the necessity of meeting hand-to-hand, since the convicts have numbers on their side.
In this way, shots being fired from four different points at once, the convicts would be led to believe that the island was both largely peopled and strongly defended.
All this must be confused enough to the convicts' minds.
It could now be seen that one of the convicts held a lead-line in his hand, and that he wished to fathom the depth of the channel hollowed out by the current of the Mercy.
But now about a dozen other convicts, maddened with rage, and possibly by the effect of the evening's potations, threw themselves into the boat.
The actual situation was this: on the islet were a dozen convicts, of whom some were no doubt wounded, but who had still a boat at their disposal; on the island were six, but who could not by any possibility reach Granite House, as they could not cross the river, all the bridges being raised.
What do you think of it, now?""I think," answered the engineer, "that the combat will now take a new form, for it cannot be supposed that the convicts will be so foolish as to remain in a position so unfavorable for them!""They won't cross the channel," said the sailor.
"The convicts might profit by the high tide to enter the channel, with the risk of grounding at low tide, it is true; but then, under the fire from her guns, our posts would be no longer tenable."
Ayrton's and Gideon Spilett's rifles then spoke, and no doubt imparted some very disagreeable intelligence to two of the convicts, for they fell backwards.
"We must take refuge in Granite House while there is still time, and the convicts cannot see us.""That is, my opinion, too," replied Gideon Spilett, "but once shut up--""We must be guided by circumstances," said the engineer.
"What about those six convicts who disembarked on the right bank of the Mercy?" said he.
Very probably the convicts had not had time to escape, and the ship lying over on her side, the greater number of them had remained below.
Convicts are not sailors.
Although the bridges over the Mercy were raised, the convicts would not be stopped by a river or a stream and, rendered desperate, these wretches would be capable of anything.
The morning came, however, without the convicts having attempted any attack.
Hitherto they had only wild beasts to guard against, and now six convicts of the worst description, perhaps, were roaming over their island.
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