Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-22
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would light one candle and go the other
end of the room to light the other, the rats
would cut the first one down..
They were regular Confederate rats, and
a candle was godsend to them. After
lot of worry got the rats out of the way
and sat down near the door waiting for
developments. There / stayed till II
O'Clock; but, though / kept my eyes on
the potatoes all the time, | couldn't see
any of them going. Shortly after y /
heard creaking, grating sound, which
seemed to be all over the room at once.
| cooked my gun and held my breath. but
still couldn't see any sign Of life except
the rats creeping about the floor. BY
George thought, this darned place is
haunted, if there is any such thing as a
place beng haunted The sound stopped,
but about ten minutes after it began again.
Hooked at the pile Of potatoes, and pres
emily say something shoot from the ceiling
and fall on them. / saw it was brick.
and could distinguish rope tied to it,
crept little nearer to get good look at
the thing, but before ! could examine it.
it was drawn slowly up. and there was
about peck of yams sticking to Il. 1t
went up through a hold which had been
cut in the floor above, and presently came
down again with thump right among the
potatoes. II was the most artful arrange
ment you ever saw. The brick had about
fifty holes drilled in it. and through each
hole sharpened tenpenny nail had been
run, so that when the brick tell among the
yams these nails stuck into every one they
fell on. ! couldn't help laughing at the
smart dodge those Yankees had taken TO
get at the yams. / gently put my hand
forward and caught hold of the rope.
Pretty soon they began to draw on il, and
when it did not move heard one fellow
say, Steady boys; the bricks hung in
something. Pull her steady without Jerk
ing They did pull steady, and fairly
lifted me from the floor no
Jerk; easy boys, easy the
director said, and they tugged away.
/ got pretty red in the face holding to
the rope ] was afraid to let 90. because
] thought some of those spiked nails might
strike me in passing. / thought of my
pocket knife. and hauled 1t out Just as they
were putting all their weight on the other
end Of the rope. | cut it in two and he
end shot back through the hole in the cell
ing and | conld hear a rolling and tumbl-
lug on the floor above. showing that the
sudden giving way of the rope had had
disastrous effect. | heard another voice
say There, now, told you So You've
broken the rope. We've lost our brick.
and tomorrow we'll be found out Then
another voice called out Can't You see
it9 We might hook 1t up" Next saw
a long neck protrudng through the hole.
and fellow peering down. Then | call
ed out: If you trouble any more of those
potatoes I'll shoot That fellows head
shot back through that hole like terrapin,
and It was as still rs death up there. I
hated to tell on them, because it was such
a sharp scheme of foragIng on the enemy,
but ] had to- When the officers went up
the next morning to examine the room
1t took long time to find the hole
Those Yankees had cut hole about
foot square through the floor, and it was
done so neatly that it took good eyes to
discover it. That was where the officers
yams went to-.