, 1885-12-20
FgrrEREp no 4 pEspERApo.

lam French by birth aud my name Il
ranoals Thierry. Twin not burden You
with my early history. but viii begin by
a'atlng that / was sent TO the galleys and
Ind myself to-day an exile. Branding
was not out Of date at that time, and I'M
I'll | die, | shall bear some fiery letters on
my shoulder.
was arrested, registered. condemned
and sent to Paris. As | left the court OF
Justice my terrible sentence rang in my
ears. On the road from Paris to Bicetra
a day and n night-tte dull rolling Of
The prison wagon on the pavement re-
geated 1t to me. / think | must have been
stunned by the severity OF my doom, for
J have not the slightest recollec-
ION OF the particulars OF that jour
ney lizard labor for lifel" I heard
1pthing else, / could think of moth
lng else. Late In the afternoon OF the
ihird day the wagon drew up at the prison
'lpor and I entered. Ny name was then
Krittea in n large book, banded with iron,
- though 1t was fettered.
Number 207, green" said m officer.
Then | put on the uniform OF the gal
ley slave. | was no longer Francois
Thierry, but number 207. The officer vas
present while was dressing.
ilNilg up ~ ~ BctbihB iattf nc NAAbt
and you must be married before dinner
-Marriedfr repeated.
lie laughed as he lit n cigar. / was led
into a big court where Withholding men
with clanking chains were walking up
and down before the muzzles OF cannon.
Bring number 206. and call the priest"
cried the officer.
Number BOG came in, dragging a heavy
chain behind him, and with him a robust
blacksmith.
The ring Of an iron chain was put round
my ankle and forged together with a
single stroke OF a hammer. A like ring
bound my companion. Each stroke re-
echoed through the arches like the laugh
d demons. The officer drew a small red
book from his pocket and said;
Number 207, listen to our prison laws.
n you attempt Hight and fail, you will be
~hastlnadoed. II you succeed in getting to
the harbor and are there captured, you
will be doubly chained for three years.
As oon as o are missed three cannon
shots will be fired and signals of of alarm
viii be hoisted on each bastion. Tele-
grams will be sent to the harbor guards
and to the police throughout France
And after the officer had rea this he
relit his cigar and went out.
| was now a prisoner, forged to another
prisoner. AS | glanced at him l foundh his
eyes turned toward me. He was a SIMS
~ter-looking fellow, about 40 years old, not
any taller than |, but OF Hercuiean build.
~You are in for life" he said.
How do you know thatfn 1 exclaimed,
angrily.
Il can tell by your cap. Green is for
life. Why are you herei"
Il conspired against the government
He shrugged his shoulders contemptu-
ously.
yThen YOU'RE an elegant one. We other
prisoners hate such aristocratic COM
pany."
u made no answer
This is the fourth time that I've been
here my companion continued. Per-
haps you have heard of Gasparo, the coun-
terfeiterfn
had heard Of the daring criminal, and
drew back trembling from his gaze. An
Uneasy look in his eyes told me he had
noticed this shrinking. From that mo
ment he hated me.
Gasparo and I, with 900 other prisoners,
were to work in a stone quarry on the
other side Of the harbor. Day after day.
from sunrise TO sunset, the rocks re-
sounded with our blows. The spring and
summer passed and autumn came. My fell
low prisoner was Il P~iedmontese. He had
been a counterfeiter, thief. incendiary and
when he last fed from prison he commit
tee a murder. Heaven alone knows how
my sufferings were intensified by this
terrible companionship. How l shrank
from the touch of his hand. What loath-
ing took possession OF me at night when l
felt his breath on my cheek l tried to
overcome this loathing, but in vain. He
knew It as well ms l, and took every op-
portunity to revenge himself. However,
it would nave been OF no avail to put my
self in opposition to him, and any COM
plant to the overseer would only nave
provoked the wretch to worse tyranny.
At last there came a day when his hate
seemed to diminish. He allowed me my
nights rest, and the next morning he
whispered in my ear;
Don't you want TO escapei"
II felt the blood rush TO my face and
could not say a word.
"Can you keep a s~ecreti" he went on.
Until deathi~
We'll. then, listenl Tomorrow Mar
shall d'Auvergue will inspect the harbor,
locks, prison and stone quarry. Salutes
viii be fired from the walls and ships,
which viii make 1t difficult to hear the
mards' signal for the two escaping pris-
iRors. Do you understand me-
Yes"
What then, will be easier than to
'Cnock of the letters with a pick-ax, and
,scape when the overseer is net looking
,ur wayi VIII you dare'r
with my lifel7
Your hand"
had never before touched his blood
stained and thieving hand, and / shud-
Tered as l clasped it. The next morning
We had to undergo the inspection before
,oing to work. An hour before noon the
irst salute from the harbor reached our
'ars. The dull report went through me
.ke an electric spark Gasparo whis
red to me;
When the first shot is fired from the
tracks, strike with FOUR pickax on the
ng of my chain, close to the Rnkle.H
i sudden misgiving came over me.
And II l should do IL, how can l be sure
nat you will then free mei No, Gasparo;
~ must strike the first blow"
AS you please he answered, smiling,
1t with n muttered curse.
At that momens a fash came from the
'srracks, and then a report that reverber-
ed from the rocks 100 times. As the echoes
liled over our heads saw him get ready
strike, and saw my-chain fall. Hardly
al the thunder Of the first shot died
way before the second came. Now. l
rs to free Gasparo; l was less dexterous
an he, so 1t took several strokes TO free
= chains. At the third shot we flung our
ips away, climbed up the rock, and struck
lr a path that led into the valley. Sad
emily, Mt a bend in the road, we stood be.
IRE a little guard house, In front OF which
ere two soldiers. They pointed their
Guns at us and ordered us TO surrender.
iasparo turned, struck me heavily, and
aid:
Let them capture you. You always
were a thorn in my path"
As l fell l saw Gasparo throw down one
soldier and rush toward the other. Then
a shot, and all was dark around me.
When I opened my eyes l found myself
lying OF ttS Hoor Of q little unfinished
room, but fairly lighted by a small win