The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-09-06
could be trusted to use them, too, in case of

seen any day of the week working in gangs
pulling trucks full OF stone along TO part Of
the wall which was being strengthened, o,
exercising under the control of couple o.
wardens. And always that ominous "outei
circle" Of men Of the Civil Guard overlooked
what was going on--men standing watching
all round the oonvicts, at little distance Of
their muskets resting under their arms OF
over their shoulders. Well did the jail
birds know themeaning of that ring Of armed
custodians, ever attendant on them.
To return to Stephens. Nursing his furi.
Gus and suppressed hate, he plotted through
the whole night. BY dawn his plan were
matured. At six he was reused by the bell
inside his cell ringing viciously.
"My last day in this hole" he muttered
TO himself.
What was his designf It was we'll known
that, as n rule, IL was a sheer Madness for a
convict to dream Of breaking out from the in
terror of the prison. Escapes sometimes did
occur, but then that was when the prisoners
were in the fields; or perhaps under cover
of suddenly setting mist, one man might
elude the vigilance of HIS guard. Such Incl
dents, even under circumstances like that,
were rare. How would escape from the
double gtrdle OF stone walls, the warders in
the interior quadrangle, the guard at the
outer gate, be possible for StephensY
He knew he had one thing in his favor.
This was his resemblance TO the Doctor. II
he could only use that deity he might
escape his guardians. lie determined To
try. He knew that in an hour, when the
couvicts were being marshaled in the quad
raugle preparatory 10 going out or to return
to their cells there occurred moments when
man might make move without being
seen by warder. Surely he would have
time to stink into the portal near the Doc.
tors room, rap, and enter. Then woe be to
the Doctor An exchange of garb, most
likely Of compulsory character, must take
place. AS IT fortune favored him, on the
day for the attempt the mist have described
enveloped the mountain prison In It's almost
impenetrable fold.
The convicts were relegated TO different
kinds of work within the prison. Some had
to put up with the solitude of their cells. In
pursuance with the Governors orders
Stephens was not one of these. AS he could
not be drafted out on to the fields, he was
set among the gang in the stone yard.
He had become used to degradation. Yet
now that he was forced to drag heavy cart
load of stones along, yoked with villains
whose countenances betrayed them, the
10 escape. And he was weak, too-terribly
weak; the work demanded of him strained
every limb, every nerve.
At last the halfpast twelve bell tinkled,
which told the men to cease labor. Very
soon they were marshaled in files, and were
ready to march back into the interior quad
rangle. When they arrived there IL was the
business of two warders to stand near and
superintend the entry Of the con icts into
the huge building, something like gigantic
factory built of stone, where the cells were
placed.
Stephens contrived, in starting, to be one
of the last men in the file. He knew then
that when he got into the quadrangle he
would be somewhere pretty close to the Doc
tors apartments.
DR.. Brands little surgery was irreproach.
able on the score of neatness. The Doctor
was there now, having done his work at the
infirmary, and was preparing to leave the
prison, as he usually did at mid day. He
was whistling to himself, when the door
opened. He was standing with his back to
it, and was surprised that the person. who
ever il was, had not raped. Wheeling
around he beheld facing him his second self
but in convict garb the fellow Stephens.
(" Number 457''Sthe man against whom he
bore stupid and unreasoninr prudpe.
There must have been something of mepacs
in the mans look.
"What business have YOU here ?" the
Doctor calculated, fsrcely.
And at the same moment he inyoluntarily
glanced aside to see what weapon he had
within reach.
stephens saw the mov.mapt r,s had
sprung forward aud grappled with his enemy
he might have overpowered him. but Dr..
Brand would be sure TO shout and bring ali
the warders in swarm into the room. To
persuade him by eutreaties to consent IN az
change dresses was, he felt. utterly homeless.
All this whirled through his mind In a
moment. The next. he caught a heavy glass
bottle from the nearest shelf and flung IL
straight at the Doctors head.
The aim was perfect. The victim fell with
o thud and did not rise. Stephens stood
wondering and petri6ed for the moment. ami
perhaps half remorseful. Then. recollectinp
the imminent danger he was in. he kuelt
down 10 disrobe the PROSTATE man.
But there was no need for at that mom,nt
he caught sight of the inner sauotum aud
saw coat hanging on neg. IL was the
Doctors long great coat. which would com.
pletalv cover the nrison trou sars that ha 70 n g
Obliged TO wear and pair of thick boots.
but of the uumistakable prison cut. was
under a chair. IL was hardly a minule's
worl, for tba copv;ct =, mn, tLas. an III. r..,