The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-02-14
VOL. Kill
THE PRISONERS TASK.
TswIDsn's !. - ysreller. ]

down and get into The ways of the
place. ,.,. 2.
Then, as he still had twenty years to
serye out, he said to himself one fine
morning that it was shameful to lead
so lazy life, and that he must find
some occupation worthy-not Of free
man, for he was prisoner simply
of O man.
He devoted year to rehecting, to
weighing the different ideas which
passed through his head, and examin-
ing what should be the definitive OBJ
q jeot of his life. .....
To train spider3 That was very
old, well known! Copy Pellison, peughl
fiat plagiary!
TO count on his fingers the wrinkles
on the wall? What that was ridicu-
lous and useless amusement; nothing
worth while.
He said to himself: ''I must find
something which would be at once
curious, profitable and gratifying to my
desire for vengeance. / must invent a
task which will make the time pass,
viii = will produce some benefit and
whidnSwill have the value of protest"
A fresh year was spent on this dis
covery, and finally success rewarded SO
much perseverance.
The prisoner lived in veritable
dungeon, where tho sun entered only
for half an hour o day, and then only by
thin line like single hair of light.
The wretched pallet on which tho un-
fortunate man rested his cramped limbs
was literally nothing but heap of
damp straw.
"Now, then," he cried with energy, 'sI
shall bother my jailers and bluff the
low. will dry my strawp
lie first of all counted the stalks
which formed his bundle. There were
1907. A poor bundle.
He next made an experiment to find
out how much time it needed to dry one
Of the straws. 1t needed three-quar-
ters Of an hour.
This made then, altogether, for the
1,3O7 straws, n sum of $50 hours and
fifteen minutes; or-ta taking it at half an
hour sunlight O day, ,961 days.
Assuming that the sun shone on an
average, one day in three, he Or
rived at total of sixteen years, one
month, one week and six days.
= At the end of six months this was
what remained for him to do.
He set to work then.
Every time that the sun shone the
prisoner held one Of the straws in tho
ray and thus utilized all his sunlight.
The rest of the time he kept warm
beneath his clothes what ho had been
able to dry.
Ten yoarSpassed away. Theprisoner
had now only third of his damp bundle
to sleep on, and had his chest stuffed
with the two other thirds which had
gradually been dried.
Fifteen years passed. Oh! Joy, only
136 stalks of damp straw loft Four
hundred and eight days more and the
prisoner would be finally able to stand
erect, proud of his work, victor over
society, and,cry with the vengeful voice
and satanic laughter of insurgents:
"Ha! ha! You condemned me to
damp straw in your dungeon! Then
weep with rage! L lie on dry straw"
Alas! cruel fate was waiting in am
bush for its prey!
One night when the prisoner was
dreaming of his future happiness, in his
ecstasy he made furious gestures,
knocked over Us pitcher, and the water
fell on his chest.
ALI the straw was wetted.
What wasto bo done now? Begin
again the Sisyphus task? Pass another
fifteen years in getting bits of sun into
bits of straw.
And his encouragement! You, the
lucky ones of tho world, who give up O
pleasure if you have to take twenty-five
steps to get it, dare YOU throw the first
stono at him?
But, you wilfsay, ne had only year
and halfto waitr
hnI III x,n,,
wounded pride, his abortive Fhopesp
What, this man shall have worked ff-
teen years In order to sleepton o bundle
OF dry straw, andFthen consent to leave
his PRISON with bits of damp straw on
his ham! Never! There is nothing be-
tween setf-rospect and lying down in
the gutter.
bated in anguish, struggling with de-
spHir, trying to find O footing again in
the annihilation which overwhelmed
him.
Flo ended by surrendering and con-
Tossing himself vanquished. He had lost
the battle.
One evening he fell on his knees,
crushed, despairing.
my God" he said with tears, II ask
AhJ forgiveness ZOE DelnS without
courage to-day. / have suffered for
thirty years, have felt my limbs decay,
my skin witherO my eyes wear away, my
blood become pale. my hair and teeth
fHll out. [ have fought against hunger,
cold, solitude. had one desire which
sustained my efforts, I had ono OBJ
ject in my life. Nov my desire cannot
possibly be satisfied. Now my object
has fled forever. Now L am dishon-
ored. Pardon me for desertinp nv
post, for leaving the battle, for running
away like coward. can no more"
Then in fit of indignation he re-
No. he cried, "no, thousand times
mol 1t shall not be said chat I have
lost my life for nothing. No; T am not
conquered No; L shall not desert I
No; [ amnot o coward! Mol will not
lie a minute longer on the damp straw
of the dungeons! No; society shall
not get the better of mep
Aid the prisoner died during the
night. vanquished like Brutus, grand aa
Cato.
He had died of an heroic indioeat;on