The Arkansas advocate., 1830-05-26

pecting myself soon to pass through the same change. At last the expression of his oountcnance altered; he raised his hands and clasped them as if in sup plication; his eyes were turned upwards. and in that prayer, when sleep had hap. pily sealed the eyes of the blasphemers around him, he gave up his soul to God.
 When the Bt-itisl. were obliged to re- tire from Boston, ] was taken to Hali- fax with thc rest of the prisoners, in the feet. ] was placed in a prison ship, but soon removed to a prison in the town. The confinement grew intolera- ble as my limbs recovered strength, and the prison door was hardly closed before ] resolved with my companions, that we would lot rest til we had made one great endeayor. Every day we were insulted by the wretches employed to guard us; our food was hardy sufficient to sustain us; we were not permitted to know any thing of tho success of our eountrymen, and as often as any favor was requested, 1t was denied with bitter scorn. Our apartment, in which six were confined, resembled dadungeon: hnt this, while it added to the gloom of our condition, aided our attempts at escape. ] was fortunate enough to find an old bayonet upon the floor, with which l loosened the masonry of the prison wall. Long and weariiy did we labor, reliey- ing each other at the task, and thus keeping constantly employed day and night, except when the grating of rusty hinges informed us that the turnkey was coming near our room. We had hung up our clothing on the wall where we labored as soon as we entered the iail, so that it was not suspected to be a screen for our labors. In tie course of four long weeks we succeeded in pene- trating through the wall, and never did my heart bound with such delight, as when saw the first gleam of a star through the opening.
 We waited fora night suitable to eur purpose, and 1t seemed as if the ele- ments had conspifed against us; for se- ven days passed, and each night was as clear and as calm as possible. At last the night set in dark and stormy. The wind as 1t howled from the ocean, and sent the rain rattling against our little window. was music to our ears. We heard the toll of midnight from the bells of the town and fIen began eur opera lions. Ne took the stones of the wall and placed them within the dungeon. removing them silently and one by one. When the passage was opened, we saw that it was not very high above ground. We doubted not that the sentry would shelter himselfin his box from the storm, butiest he should discover as each armed himself with stone. Hewas sheltered, as we supposed, but hearing the sound we made in letting ourselves down from the breach, he came towards Us. Before he could give his challenge we threw our stones at the unfortunate man, and heard him sink heavily to the earth, his musket ringing as he fell.
 Four of our number were strong, but one, with myself, was intirm from the eff feet of wounds. They, therefore, at our request, left us behind, though with much apparent reluctance. it was an evil hour for them when they did so, for they were afterwards retaken and com mltted to prison again, where ill-treat- ment and depression put an end to their lives before the close of the war. Iwent with my companion into swamp about q mile from the town, and we had hardly secured our retreat and laid ourselves down to rest, when the roar of a gun come floating upon the wind, a sigial that our retreat was discovered. It was followed by the martial shout of Jf1e bugie; but, near as 1t was, we could go no farther, and could only quietly employ ourselves in gathering boughs of pine to form kind oi couch and covering. Thus we lay sheltered till the day dawned, listening in no pleas ing suspense to the sounds of alarm that reached us from the town. in a few hours the sounds drew near us; we could even see our pursuers as they passed by. A small party employed stratagem to draw US from the swamp, in which they thoughtit possible we had taken shelter. Suddenly crying out, :. Here they are, they fired into tiie shrubbery; but though the balls fell all around us, we saw their motions and were not frightened from our hiding place. We rose at night and went on our way, subsisting upon fruits and beF-