Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-02-10

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I pausing before jut in the wall of thu
room. "A hue was here, you see, bu
5 we've bricked it up. They took up tht
hearth, let themselves down into the base
ment, and then dug through the wall, and
eighty feet under gronnd into the yard o.
a deserted building over the way. Ifyou
would like to see the place, step down
E. with me-
We descended a rough plank stairway,
and entered the basement. 1t was damp
mouldy, dismal place, and even ihen---in
hot July weather--as cold as an ice
house. What must it have been in mid
winter?
The keeper led US along the wall to
where Streight and bis party had broken
out, and then said;
'I's three feet thick, but they went
through it, and all the way under the
street, with only few case,knives and
a dust-pan.'
wal, they war smart. But, keeper,
whar, wus yer eyes all O. tibet time p
Down our way eff man couldn't see
twenty Yankees a wuckin' SO fur S i x
weeks, by daylight, in clare place like
this yere, we'd reckon be warn't fit TO
tend pen o niggers.'
The Judge whispered, You're over
doing it. Hold in.' Turner WINGED like
a struck hound, but smothering his wrath,
smilingly replied:
The place wasn't clear then. 1t was
filed with straw aud rubbish. The Yam
KEGS covered the opening with it, and hid
away among it when any one was coming.
| caught two of them down here one day,
bnt they pulled the wool over my eyes,
and let them Off with few days in a
dungeon. But that fellow Streight would
outwit the devil. He was the most un-
ruIy customer I've had in the twenty
months I've been here. put him in
keep, time and again, but never could
cool him down.
'Whar is the keeps?' I asked. Yes
got lots O them, baint ye?
'No-only six. Step this way, and III
show you
Talk better English said the Judge,
as we fell few PAGES behind Turner on
the way to the front of the building -
there are some school masters in Geor-
gia.
wal, thar ba'nt-not in the part
come from
The dungeons were low, close, dismal
apartments, about twelve feet square,
boarded off from the remainder of the
cellar, and lighted only by narrow graf
ing under the sidewalk. Their aours |
we're incrusted with filth, and their walls
stained and damp with the rain, which
in wet weather had dropped down from
the street.
And how many does ye commonly
lodge yere, when yer hotels full ? / ask
ed.
Il have had twenty in each, but fifteen
is about as many as they comfortably |
hold
Il reckon And then the comfut
wouldn't be much ter brag on.
The keeper soon invited US to walk in
to the adjoining basement. was a few
steps in advance of him, taking straight
to the entrance, when a sentinel,
pacing to and fro in the middle of the
apartment, leveled his musket so as to bar
my way, saying as he did so.
'Ye carn't pass yere, Sir. Ye must
gwo round by the WALL
This drew my attention to the spot, and
noticed that space, about fifteen feet
square, in the centre of the room, and
directly in front Of the sentinel had been
recently dug up With a spade. While in
all other places the ground was trodden
to the hardness and color of granite, this
spot seemed to be soft, and had the red
hue of the 'sacle ed soil.' An
other sentry was pacing TO and fro on its
other side, so that the place was complete
y surrounded ! Why were they guard
ng it so closely? The reason flashed up
On me, and said TO Turner:
4 say, how many barr'ls hes ye in
bar P
Enough to blow this shanty To- he
curtly.
Il reckopl Put 'em thar when thet
eler Dahlgreen was a giving ter rescue
Yankees?'
Il reckon
He said no more; but that was enough
o reveal the black seething hell the re-
,ellon has brewed. Can there be any
,eace with miScreanfs who thus deliber