The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-08-18

weighty than usual, but some joke
about the dull and heavy books
diverted their attention, and they
unbarred in turn all the thirteen
doors that led along the passage
way and down stairs out Of the cas-
tie, dragging the ponderous box at
ter them. When they reached the
What one began to tell a story OF
soaae- malefactor who had been car
ried out of the castle in chest.
But Elsies quick and ready wit
was equal to the emergency, and af-
ter examining the trunk to see. if
there were holes for air bored in
it, and scarcely thinking that
enough to support life could, enter
through the key-hole, they placed it
on the shore.
When the trunk was first sent, it's
contents had been examined, but
finding after several examinations
that it contained nothing but books,
there had been no subsequent in
yestigation made, so that there was
no danger from that direction to
be apprehended.
Elsie was not willing to trust the
chest on the thin board upon which
the boatman proposed to slide it
from the wharf to the vessel she
was much afraid that the valuable
books might be damaged if it
broke and after much grumbling,
the skipper procured a plank. The
troublesome passenger was even
then not satisfied, for she would
not give the boatman rest until
they had lashe,i the precious chest
fast, for as the weather was very
tempestuous, it seemed in eminent
danger of sliding into the sea at the
first lurch of the vessel. Elsie now
composed herself and sat down,
throwing white handkerchief over
her head which futtered in the wind.
This had been the signal arranged
by her to let her mistress, who was
aniously watching them from the
barred window of the fortress,
know that thus far all had gone well.
One of the crew observed her,
and she was obliged to explain that
one of the servants at the castle
had taunted her with being too COW:
ardly to sail on such stormy sea
and she was signaling him that she
was on board.
Now an officer of the garrison
who happened to be on board, seat
ed himself on the box of books,
and began drumming with his heels
against it, and it again required
all Elsie's wit to relieve her master
from this unnecessary annoyance.
In due time the ship reached
Gorcum, and Elsie paid the skipper
and his son to place the chest on a
hand barrow and carry it to the
house from which the books had on
each previous occasion been ship
ped. In the anguish Of his con-
fnement, the prisoner had been un-
able to refrain from a change in po-
sition, and the boy remarked to his
father that there was ''somethlng
alive in the box" The cheerful little
maid readily suggested the proba-
biity of the books sliding about,and
no more notice was taken OF it.
Finally the chest was placed in the
back room of the house from which
it had so often been sent to the
fortress, this time returning not
with it's usual load, but convey
ing to his liberty the great scholar
himself.
All danger was not yet past. El-
sic at first feared that she should
see the dead body of her beloved
master as she unlocked the trunk, for
there was no answer as she tapped
upon the lid, but as she openedit, he
rose from the cofin-like confinement
as one coming from the dead. At
first he was faint from his suferings,
but be rapidly revived as he felt the
necessity of speedy fight, for in
the book-shop next door there were
even then preachers and professors,
any one Of whom might recognize
him.
"You are the man of whom
the whole country is talking. We
must help you away at once, said
his friends.
A mason, brother.in-law Of his
hostess, procured for him the doub-
let, trunk hose, and shoes Of a
brick-layer, together with a trow-