Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-07-08

C.
means to see him alone during the afternoon,
and to place the case before him frankly for
she felt assured, that, whether he aided her
or not, he would not betray her. When she
had stated her wish, and something of her
plan, she paused, anxiously, for the first
words by which his approval or disapproval
of the scheme was to be expressed.
Why, you see, Miss Mary said the wor-
thy corporal, after a moments reflection
I'm sorry, very sorry, Mr.. Harvey's shut up.
don't believe he's guilty a; ALL | thinks,
and so does most all of the men, and some of
the officers too, we all thinks that scurvy ras-
cal, (excuse my plain speaking Miss,) Dor
Wilson, cut the chain himself and then got
scared and peached a lie on Mr.. Harvey,-
Now Miss, that's what we all thinks, and al
though I'd like to see him safe off, and tho
I'd like to help him get off, yet the o!d Gov
ernor-( that's the Colonel, your father. Miss)
= say, the Governor would think very little
OF stringing me up instead of Mr.. Harvey, if
he found me OUT
Then you refuse to help me =
No, Miss, don't say that; | don't re-
fuse; but think-I think, Miss, that you
had better let him take his chance of getting
off,
He would not have said tha, of you Cor
poral-but l see how it is, must do ii all
myself
No, Miss, I'll be hanged if you will. If
you must and lciH do it, John Pickett is not
the man to desert you. I'm your man, Miss
Mary; 60 ahead, ma'am blame the odds, if
| am to be hanged, may as well hang for
a sheep as a lamb, so IN just stick knife
into that wretch, Dor Wilson, before I'm turn
ed Off
No, no, Corporal, not so bad as that
God will take care Of him, and see that he
does not escape the reward of his crimes =
let US wait for His judgement, then. And
now to tell you of my PAN
! This (for it was an exceedingly simple
one) was soon told, and the two separated, to
prepare for the successful execution of their
several parts.
1t was midway between eleven clock and
midnight. The fort was exceedingly quiet;
nothing was heard save the occasional tramp
of sentinel, walking slowly back and fourth
upon the ramparts. One sentinel, however,
did not thus vigilantly perform his duties
1t was the one who had charge of the window
of the room in which, Marion Harvey was
confined. Strang to say, he was sleeping
upon his post! About half an hour before,
he was slowly walking up and down in per-
feet wakefulness Mary Blenham had beck
oned to him from the back door, which was
but few fee. from where he STOOD and had
asked him 70 perform some trihe for her
This he did very cheerfully-for she was
universal favOrite-and besides, from where
he stood, he could easily keep an eve upon
his charge. Having finished the task requir-
ed of him, he was about returning to his SOL
itary walk, when his fair employer thanked
him, and offered him glass of wine. Tenn
perance societies were not much in vague in
those days, and even if they had been, and
If the sentry had been d tee-totaller, it is diff
hCult to say whether not he could have re-
sisted the winning smile with which the cor
dial was presented. As it was, however, he
drained the glass with pleasure, and returned
to his duty; but treachery sometimes turks
even beneath a woman'S smile, and 50 the
poor fellow soon found. The wine he had so
gratefully received was by no means the pure
and unadulterated > in fact, there was pret-
! ty good dose of laudanum mingled with it.
| The Colonel was sub bject to nervous fits, and
was frequently obliged to make use of some
narcotic to produce sleep. Mary had always
mixed these doses for him, and though, in
the present case, We must acknowledge that
the sentry's dose was rather stronger than
that usually prepared for her father, yet she
was careful that it should not be 80 great as
to produce injury. Her siratagem was sue
cessful. The soldier, on reganing his post,
walked at first with additional briskness, un-
der the influence of the wine; this, however,
soon wore off, and then the laudanum began
/ to operate in its turn. His eyelids would
fall down just when he meant that they
should STAY up, and at the very moment that
he thought that he had conquered the VILLAIN
Gus propensity, down went his head, and he
/ found himself going. He struggled manful-
( ly, but all would not do; he knew it was
wrong, but he couldn't help IL. At first he
Z sat down and determined to lie moment, till
1 the desire to sleep was over, and lastly-he
went to sleepl
/ A few minutes after this eyentful moment,
/ Corporal Pickett (who had been waiting pa
tently for the event behind the door came
slowly out, and. after testing the soundness
of the dose, and satisfying himself that Nor
/ pheus had tight hold upon his companion,
stepped up 10 the window, and began csuti-
ously to unscrew the fastenIngs of one ofthe
wooden bars that crossed it. This done, he
called in as loud voice as he dared as
/ sumo
| Harveyl Mr.. Harvey, l say. Harveyr
Marion had thrown himself upon his bed
early in the evening, and fatigued by the la
bors of the preceding night, and the ankle
ties of that day, ne had fallen into so sound
sleep, that il was with the utmost difficulty
I that be could be awakened. When, however,
he did open his eyes, he compTehended his
situation perfectly, and at once approach
4 ed the window.
I w ny, harvey one would mink gOh
! taken sonethin' to make sleep, like that fell
/ low yonder. Here take these, and be quick;
the word to night is Crows Nest.
/ : ] understand, Pickett; ] obliged TO
\ you; I'll thank you more at another time,
replied Marion, taking the buRdle, which he
found on inspection 10 contain complete uni
/ form. This he was not moment In putting
on, and then he crawled through the window
and was free. Making hurried acknowledge
ment to the Corporal, who, taking up the
wooden bar, deliberately screwed It on again,
he turned his steps to the open country. lie
/ found no fficuIty in passing most Of the SEN
tnels, until he reached the outermOst one Of
! all. Here, as usual, he received the chal-
/ lenge Of
no goes therel =
A friend = replied Marion, in a disguised
voice.
/ Advance, friend and give the countersign.'
Crows nest was the ready reply.
That sounds amazingly like Harvey's