Litchfield enquirer., 1875-07-01

ed rag. with one end extended out on the rim of the plate, for a wick. At Nick suggestion had made the wick very slen- der, so that 1t would make small flame, and consume the grease slowly. At eleven o'clock by my watch we lighted our little lamp, having first.darkened the grated win dow with one of our blankets.
 In about an hour and a half we had worked our way through the loose mason " to the foundation wall In ten minutes more we had pried out and removed enough of the wall stones to admit of our crawling through. We then took our store of bread and salt, my few remaining matches and cigars, and Charlie's pistol and ammunition, rolled them up tightly in our blankets, and decamped.
 VII
 A thunderstorm was now added to the rain and gale. We left the village with all convenient speed, and took a road leading northward The storm was ter 5 1..1n .-aat7Hre a,7Hyr eo othes fhan a q. a night We made our way silently through rivers of mud. Mick led off at a great pace. taking the middle of the road. I kept up with him without diff culty, for was then a frst-rate pedes- trian. Occasional flashes of lightning showed us our whereabouts, and enabled us to keep the road. Hour after hour. and mile after mile we went along, splash -splash-splash the track getting deep CT, all the way, until suddenly the storm ceased and the sky cleared. just as the day was beginning to dawn.
 We now found ourselves passing farm A 1o&k e&1 ~ck side the kitchen door. Mick confscated it, and, singing for me to follow, made straight for piece of woods which lay I deposited two half-d dollar pieces on the ground where the kettle had been, deter mined to keep clear of downright larceny while my money should hold out. By taking a somewhat tortuous route we managed to avoid clearings and still make our way northward until about an hour after sunrise It then became impossible to travel further without passing through an open field.
 Having ascertained that fact, we retired into dense thicket and threw ourselves on the ground. It was now early in Au- gust. The day began to promise degree of snltriness which was truly grateful to us, drenched and chilled as we were. Mick then produced saw with very fine teeth, which we had not used. With this excellent implement I soon relieved him of his handcuffS. These tokens of captiv- ity we buried. Fifteen years afterwards they were plowed up and brought to my office to be noticed in my paper as local curiosities. Iclawled to a sunny spot, little opening in the midst of the thicket, and laid me down to dry, and if possible to get warm.
 '.rhat's right" said Mick. stGo to sleep and I'll watch. When you have finished your nap. I'll trouble you to keep a lookout while take couple of winks.
 was soon asleep, and did not awake until after noon. When I awoke Mick threw himself on the ground and went in-. stantly to sleep.
 had now nothing to do but to sit still and wait for night to come. How was | to get through the five remaining hours of daylight? ? My first resource was to eounk my money.AI fonn6 that T lsas1 with me a little over forty dollars. I next cut very crooked and gnarled beech stick, trimmed off the branches and knots as neatly as could, and gave it a curiously mottled appearance by chipping away little pieces of the. outer bark, so that the spots were disposed in irregular spirals-a style of walking-stick then much affected by youngsters. I then cut and ornamented in like manner a straight beech shillelah for Mick and was study ing what next to do when Mick awoke.
 ''Have you looked at the pistol?" said he. --
 'sNo. and I was just racking my brains for something to dO."
 drew the charge from the pistol, clean ed it thoroughly, and reloaded it. 1t was now dusk. Mick helped himself to a small crust, lighted cigar, took the blankets down from q bush where he had hung them to dry, and wrapped artisti- caIly around our small supply of other movables, including the little kettle, so as to make a compact bundle He tied this up with a cord which he had manu- factured out of moosewood bark, while I slept. slung it across his broad shoulders, took his shillelah in hand, and announced that the time had come for starting.
 We crossed 8 narrow field and took the highway, this time in westerly direction. We walked at a leisurely pace until we reached road which crossed the one we had been travelling, at right angles. Mick, to my astonishment. turned to the south. As was utterly ignorant of the country was fain to follow where he led.
 ''How are we ever to reach the Canada line by going southward ?" said I.
 ''This road goes through sheep raising neighborhood," answered Mick.
 ''What do we want of a sheep raising neighborhood?
 'sThey keep no dogs down here. They don't know enough about their business to keep shepherd dogs. and they know too much to keep any others. The dogs have been barking at us ever since we started. There's three of them at it now, fit to split. It will relieve my nerves to be out of hearing of the brutes."
 Having no great respect for the delicacy of Mick's nerves, I was not quite satisfied with this explanation but feeling sure I should get no other at that time, trud- ged along in silence In about half an hour we were free from the baying of watch dogs. Suddenly Mick seated him. self by large hemlock stump. The moon had been up some two hours, and was shining so brightly that one could read coarse print Mick deliberately opened his pack, produced our little store of dry bread, took piece himself, and advised me to eat bit.
 AOu oCCs C<sAU ACs OuC C0u u40AC 8 Christmas dinner of this stuff all at once. Little and often is the way to keep up your strength on brickbats and rusty nails"
 sI am good deal more thirsty than hungry" said l.
 ''What an idgeot I amp said Mick.
 ''There's an elegant spring not more nor a quarter of mile from here" He tied up the bundle again, leaving out what bread he supposed we should need for that occasion. In few minutes we reach ed the spring, which was situated about midway between the road and fine farm house, and not more than three rods from either. Here we refreshed ourselves with dry bread and excellent water, and concluded our repast with cigars. While we were smoking we heard distant clat- ter of hoofs. Instantly Mick was on his feet and making his way to an embowered summer-h0use in a garden near the farm house. I followed, and we were soon seat ed on rustic bench, where we could by careful peeping command view of the road without being seen. Two horsemen soon came, dismonnted at the gate, went to the spring. and drank. As they were