Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-17

INC lOCh, saw tudt LuOuSu IL Caught, ~
was not half as far home as before. He
drank the water eagerly to cool his poor,
parched mouth, and then listening until
the door at the end of the corridor clashed,
he gave the holt a vigorous blow and
shake, the sound of which was lost in the
noisy echoes from the shutting doors. 1t
shot back, he pushed the door open and
stealthily crept into the hall, and closing
the cell door softly and lightly behind
him, ran down the gallery to the door
opening into the yard. The key was in it,
he turned the key, and peering round for
the second time, shut it after him and
darted across to the shadow of the door
way where the sentinel paced
1t was now quite dark, but how to get
ny the sentinel was the question, and he
shook as in an ague-ft as he listened to
the crap, rap" coming towards him, and
thought of his probable recapture. For
tunately, however, the sentry turned
back on his beat and the prisoner, crouch
ing and hugging the doorway, stole softly
along under the shadow of the wall to the
opposite side of the yard, and skunk be-
hind huge waterbutt and stood there.
The sewer was on the same side but fur
ther down. Gasping and trembling with
nervous excitement, he watched his
chance until the sentry turned for the
third time, when he fed along the wall
and dropping into the sewer, crept into
the darkness there.
"Thank God" he gasped. ~ am safe
for a while"
But as the poor fellow CROPPED his way
onward in STOPPING position, his fetter-
ed hands before him, the foul stencil
caused deadly sickness to creep over
him, which required all the desperate
energy that the glimmering prospect of
escape kept warm within him to with
stand
He felt the rats biting at his feet, from
which he had slipped the course shoes
before leaving his cell, and they made
his blood run cold, as they scrambled up
the walls, dripping and oozing with filth.
But on he crawled, choked, despalring,
fainting; thinking with stolid anguish of
| the pure breezes on those far off Northern
hills, his birthplace. calling aloud on
God and his mothers prayers to help him
At last, when he had been gong about
six hours, countless ages it seemed to his
benumbed senses, he heard the rolling of
the river, saw faint CLEAN through the
| inky darkness, felt fresh breeze from
the outside world. A few more stagger-
ing steps to where the glimmer grew
clearer, the breeze grew fresher, and he
| stood On the rivers bank.
| The clear solemn light of dawn was
just struggling in the eastern heavens,
and the river cold, broad and rapid, lay
between him and that further shore
which he must reach. For one moment
his eyes dwelt on the fair scene around
him, the next, undaunted, he had plunged,
fettered, aching, sick, exhausted, into the
swelling flood.
| The cold water brought back his faint
ing senses, and keeping his eyes fixed on
the goal of his hopes he propelled him
self on by the movement of his legs, as
menacled hands were almost worse than
useless to him.
Soon distressing numbness seized up
on his limbs and his utmost efforts bare
ly sufficed to keep his head above water
and to propel him slowly onward. Slow
ly and more slow became each faint
stroke, till just as the food rushed over
his head his feet touched bottom, and
with last despairing effort he stood up
right and waded to the shore, where he
sank down among the reeds in the soft
Just as the first beams of golden sun
light were resting on the farm chimneys
and on the struggling buildings of the
city hills opposite. Virginia Drake
moved uneasily in her sleep. Presently
opening her eyes wide and muttering 10
herself, ~ must have one more look, -
she stole noiselessly from her bed, and
began to dress with celebrity. Letting
herself quietly out by the kitchen door,
she threw her shawl over her head and
ran swiftly down the garden path, across
the meadows where the river rushed rap
idly onward.
"Poor Archie" she sighed, ''it's fine
morning this last morning he'll ever see; -
when suddenly catching sight of some
thing which looked like heap of old
clothes down in the mud among the
reeds, she ran to where the unconscious
youth was lying face downward on the
bank.
| Virginia's first impulse was to scream
for help, the next to raise the body gent
ly and drag it further up. The motion
aroused the poor, half-dead creature,
who gazed at her like hunted animal at
bay
With one glance at the handouts, the
torn and soiled soldiers coat whose faded
blue bespoke the enemy's uniform, the
truth as to who the prisoner was flashed
across her.
"Aren't you Archie Moulton" she
stammered, her face growing as pale as
his
ayes, and you are V1rgie Drake" he
answered, flushing all over. ooh, Vir-
gle, for Gods love, save me! I've come
through the sewer, was all night creep
ing through it, and l swan the river,
and l am almost gone! You won't 60
back on your old playmate, Virgie, will
you? but you'll save him for the sake OF
the old days, and God Almighty'll bless
you for ito
"Oh, Archie, I'll try, I'll try'' cried
the girl, wringing her hands. "Can you
walk, Archie? Come right to father, if
you can, he's yonder in the house," and
She led the way into the house where
| Farmer Drake was already astir.
"What's this?'' he cried, as the totter-
ing figure in the soaked, disordered gar
| ments came into the cheerful light of the
bright fire.
Vlrgie sprang to her father and chung
around his neck. "Father, honey" she
whispered, trembling all over, cit is
Archie Moulton and l want you to hide
him."
A few words suficed to explain the, sit
uation. and Farmer Drake rose to the