The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-12-06
W sEAO1OL ARE THE


playedball with, of Katie Moran, whom he haf
danced with at the fair only two months ago
Mechanically he walked across the square to I'll,
place where the bricklayers and masons haG
been busy thinking, as he did so, half uncon
sciously. how large the opening was, how long
4 the great sewer was, and where it emptieSt
itself. Suddenly a thought occurred to him
ed hands tremble with excitement. He turned
sharply away lest he should excite suspicion
and loitered with his former heavy, weary ste.
| towards the doorway Of the inner court yard.
Yes, replied the prisoner.
The official stalked on before him into the
adjoining square, then opening a door, passed
fore Q cell door, unlocked it. "If You Want
anything, you can call
Thank you," answered the condemned man.
If the official had been better skilled in read
ing faces, he might have looked to the fasten-
ing of the cell door q little more carefully.
Tim Welsh had noticed that the bolt of the
lock was very shaky, and he knew that shaky
bolt can be forced back.
Itwould not be dusk for long while vet, but
he could not wait the one acknowledgements,
hopeless as it seemed-must be tried quickly.
While the turkeys steps rc-echoed IN HIS hear
ing, me- still ,ettere, unscrewed the iron leg o.
his bedstead, and, stenling forward, waited
until he heard the great doors ut the end of the
corridor clash; then, putting the leg of the bed
between the bolt and the wall he strove with
ed, and he dared not make a noise.
In despair he replaced the leg, and sat down
to recover breath. Soon he heard another turn
key coming. He went to the cell door and
called.
What is i'll What dye want ~
A drink of water, phase; Pm very thirsty. !"
When the turnkey had brought in the water,
and retired, Welsh, who had been watching the
not half far home before He drank the
water to cool his burning mouth and parched
throat, and, selling the iron leg again, listened
as before until the doors clashed, when placing
the instrument in the old place, he-tirst gently
shaking the bolt-give it a vigorous blow, the
sound of which was lost in the noisy echoes from
the shutting doors. The bolt shot back, he
pulled the door open and peercd around re-
turning to his bed, he replaced the leg, and
made up "a bundle under the clothes, well as
he could, with the aid of the bolster; then
lightly down the gallery to the door that
opened into the yard. The key was in it he
turned the key, and, glancing around for the
second time, shut it after him and darted across
to the arched doorway, where a sentry paced.
How to get past this soldier was the question,
while he trcmbled in mingled horror at the
sound of the "rap-rap-rap-tap-tap coming
freshly to his ears, and the thought of probable
G,ccdom and more probable recapture. At this
moment the sentry turned back on his beat,
and the prisoner, crouchng in the doorway,
stole swiftly along by the wall to the opposite
side of the yard, and skunk in beside q but
tress. The open sewer on the same side
bnt further down. Trembling in every limb, q
he lay huddled up, not daring to move, lest he
should attract attention, until the sentry
turned for the third time. Then he fled along
by the wall, and dropping into the sewer crcpt
into the darkness there.
Safe for awhile, anyhow, glory be to God"
he gasped.
Eut as the poor creature pushed his way on
ward through the foul air, in STOPPING posi-
ton, with his fettered hands pushed out before
him to feel his way, deadly sickness came
over him. Still the family glimmered pros
pect of escape kept him up.
Fortunately there were but few rats. Five
or six times he felt them biting at his feet, |
from which his coarse stockings had long been
cut to pieces, and heard them squcaking as
they scrambled up the dripping walls. "Will
ever smell fresh breeze again, Lord help |
mel" he groancd. As he crawled along under |
the principal streets, he could hear the car
to which lie came he heard the words of Il
song, chorused by some men near public
house. At length after he had been more |
than eight hours on his way, he heard the roll |
ing of the river n faint glcam through
the pitchy darkness, felt faint fresh breeze
from the flowing tide y few more steps |
falling in his eagerness-and the glimmer grew
clearer the breeze grcwfresher, and he reached
the river bank.
1t was just four o'clock, and the clear solemn
light of the dawn was shed over the sleeping
,ity; the gardens were fresh in early fruit and
lowers; the noble river ripplcd serenely on,
md the cottages, trees and meadows lay far on
he other side. Very far off they looked, and
he rivcr-cold, broad and deep, lay between;
yet the undauntcd fugitive, fettered, aching,
,ck exhausted, muttered another prayer, and
plunged in.