New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-26

hardships he ended by plying the eonvicts
wal it's tarn-l hard ter see the, pore devils
night when the most on 'em IL away on hunt"
hunt Y Intercepted Dennis.
Yes hunt for a runaway"
Has a convict escaped y
Yes, an likey-lOokin' man Of he warn't n mig
amt quite used ter this place. Amt been here
long, an allus had kinder pity fer that niger
Amos hopes they won't cotch him But it's no use.
Hell be cotched sure. They do treat the niggers
oTtul mean But can't help it. An, we gifts toler-
ably well paid Thar amt no questions aNeG et a
nigge, dies Amt thar plenty more ter ill his
place' ,bgt ef a convict CUTS away IFS another
thing We're Obliged ter cotch him or the other
tellerS nj get demora1ed. Can't see how this
tarn9l iooi g!t OIL nohow. Hilton he'd gone on 49,
cret bHness q his own. \ tignt mouth that Hilton
has-never l?kln' with any f,ilcr. only we have
our Eue'"H MA seCtnt trips ncrust the lake. How
did tho mig eacapr' Wal whilc We was havn'
little game Caesar. tho hosa dog q the pack, was
k"epin guard an We was n hntttn high " was NJ
pretty maud ~ ever yer srrd ter he boat. ! had
four queens. another folcr lad ilush Etrhlght
SUI nov madn It an ontailn tul" mover tor slight
the women So irHt put mp my lucrn lrt all they
WIS with Juat thrn some one srd What's that
Nothn' no. l. an raisr. IL two. Ar vera fool
DIOR hr shouts. ter keep on playin' when 1rra!sa
called mo- nn I'm hlrst 81 ho didn't put IA hs pocket
every cent I've saved | woS lest SNearln I'd never
set n" more carr Ter u woman, when IN ruHnns
lnller VIA" h'd gone out ter see. Fools he yes,
Ter bo gambln when ngger's cut aud run"
Wal, we wosat long glttin' out lint Dick he'd ter
divide icarln we'd peach, rs he wos on watch. 30
arter all The women warnt 50 expensive. Bat I'm
darncl Of III bet on on, 50 sure next time"
" Dd You mud ont which convict had escaped "
Dennis asked, his sympathles excited for the run
away.
" Did we find outi Wal, | shond say so Caesar
didn't give us chance to look mt any but the right
cell. HI that dog amt got nOae fer the nggers
lie was puIn like mad at his chain, an tearing up
the Groun so | couldn't help ptyin the pore devil
e Cesar gets hold on him An II was bout the only
one q the nlgs had a soft feelin for. He was sech
big, tine-made niger | called HIM statyer the
fnst time | laid eyes on him. We opened the night
cell nearest Brown Caesar and seen his empty bunk.
Wal. SIR, he warnt no statyer but Jest devil an
nuthin else. That Niger had been KEEP a. work fer
nigh on ter thirty-six hours. an no more vlttals
than gOod-Slzed boy ii put away IN one dinner. III
some on the who come about here AKIN ques-
tons talks bout overworkin'' the cOnvicts tells
yer arter this nigger escapln I'll never believe they
works enough. Jest ter think q the devils havln'
pluck ter run away in the face o that"
And the guard pointed to the marsh where dark
object lay
AThat's all that's left of one o. the runaways an
afore he was sech fool rs ter try ter 'scape he
wuz q reg lar smart Niger. We're bound ter eaten
'em. Yer see. the dogs rarely fails ter find the
scent an nobodyd dar give convict shelter That
Niger was cotched the very night he skipped the
camp. How them dogs enjoyed the hight
Poor wretchesw Dennis shuddered at the hor-
rible thought do you know the name OF this last
escaped convict ?" he asked feeling interest in
who would dare make an effort for liberty. he
guard with the canteen 10 his mouth drank
lcsurcly smackiug his lips, and wiplng them on the
back of his hand before he answered:
Convicts don't have none. They has numbers.
how he called hissef lie told he Tom O'Nief or
O'Neal, suthin' like that"
Tom ONeal! Dennis was on his feet and the
guard looked up with sleepy. drunken eyes
You're gOin r
9" Yes, mi start But it's just as well not to meet
the guards with the captured convict. Tell me
which road they took"
Dennis had to repeat his question and shake the
guard little, the latter had Just about reached
the reflective stage of drunkenness, aud with can
teen in hand sat gazing at vacancy 1890
(which road Ha! La - and he gave a thick
laugh. Most every road. should say. Inc last
road they looked was there and be pointed In
vague sort Of way across the lake. Although tle
moon shining there was so much mist on the
lake that Dennis could not see the opposite shore
He had noticed some boats moored at the side OF the
coal dumps and started IN that direction, when
hearing the guarl speak he stopped for moment,
thinking perhaps that he might hear some further
Ha ia you should ha' seen Hilton's face when
they coined back and sed the dogs could md no
scent An no one had seen the nix. Al theh Ter see
Brown Caesar tear down acrOs. the marsh an snarl
an bark. Jest EFF he seen the Niger III tue water
Hilton didn't want ter 90 that way he always
takes that fer his secret rides. II be darneI, tho
ef I'd like ter be the one ter tell nun So Ia, hA
Holding the cantcen lie was talking to II IN maun-
dering confidence, and was perfectly UNCONSCIOUS
that Dennis had uniastened boat anu had pHshed
ont from the camp.
Hugging the shore Dennis male detonr OF part
of fine lake seeking anything that looked like road
which might have been taken by the guards in pur-
suif OF the convict But the trees growing close to-
grther overhunC the waters. and the thick under
Growth showed no signs OF heng trOldrn by the
foot Of man The dark shade OF the heavy branches
the ghostv effect of the moonlight shining upon the
mist-cover.d waters. III de the lake seem wlerd
enchanted prison from which there wa' no outlet,
escape.
Dennis had Just declared himself fool 10 be mis-
led hy "a drunken guard, when his boat grated on
shelving bank near II small frame binding that
STOOL ike a sentinel Guarding the stiffness
The earth looked ~ II it mad been recently troi-
den upon. some boats were fastened 20 the bushes.
He wi- cow need that TINS was the place he was IN
search Of and springus 10 the shore he gzed about
him.
Great holes wore dug info the soft loam
A. if some anInais had been seeking some hl dcu
prey there Brutes. brute, o. Dennis sp'k' aoud.
as his heart thrilled AZ the thought oi al ONeli
must have suffered and dared lie regarded nm no
Longer a. negro bur ar tellow-nau lighting against
crueI odds He would help aim II he possibly could
Dennis was thoroughly arOu-rd-lu,t Is De mad been
during the war when he had started IN some des-
perate undertaking. and Will head erect. with ~ a.
and ears on the alert, lie walked az doUole-quck on
10 the rescue.