The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-11-27

traces Of manliness, moves with the shuf
fling 'locked step across the corridors
marshalled by guard who directs ever!
movement by shrill whistles.
Outside in long, low sheds, ranged along
both sides of yard paved with cobble
stones, other gangs of similar pale.faced
unmanued-lookng men, wearing the same
hideous, striped garb, are laboring unceas
ingly in absolute silence under the eyes ot
stern taskmasters.
OF what are all these men thinking in
their enforced sllepoep Surely they think -
the tongue may be trammeed but who
will essay to bind the thoughts? Are they
thinking of home-of wives perhaps, OF
children, of friends low aud vile as them.
selves, of past exploits, of future plans, OF
any of the countless millions of things OF
which men think when free to talk and act
as they please? Doubtless they are. Who
can limit the range of their thoughts; who
can begin to picture the visions which float
before the minds eye of these men as they
toll in silence through the long hours?
Hearts are breaking here, but who cares?
Who recks of the mild tumplt going on in
many mind as thoughts bitter, heart
breaking, desperate, float back and forth?
The lives here are full of tragedy.
Who knows, for instance, that the indi-
yidual whose identity is lost to all but
himself and the prison records in the pris-
on, No. ''2,3l0," is thinking as he labors
of balmy summer night under the shadow
of grand trees, of the perfume Of roses of
a song and a resolution? Yet such thoughts
are ever present with him, his sole consola-
tion amid the horrors of his surroundings,
his only relief from the moDotony of his
daily existence. To-Day he is thinking of
them, thinking especially of the resolution
that he wpuld do something to take away
the reproach from the sad eyes that he
feels are constantly watching him. The
dali, unceasing toll, by day, the horror of
the scant, dream haunted slumber by
night, have taken away from him much of
the energy which naturally belongs to
men of his temperament and physique, but
his thoughts to-day arouse in him soma
thing of the old tpmper---the old aggressive
spirit.
He has heard something! In that mys-
teri0us way in which the dwellerS in pris-
onS where no speech is allowed become
possessed of information frnm the outside
world as well as from their own dreary
world indoors, and make plots and concoct
conspiracies, he has leared Of proposed
emcute. For days and weeks a plot fol a
rising has been Matching among these mis-
cradle creatures, They know it may mean
certOin death to some of them. increased
misery to the many, escape only to a few.
Yet they plan. In the utter dreariness of
their lives any thine that promises change
is welcome. Besides, there is the chance
Of success for few. and each honcs TO be
one of that few, and furthermore there is
desire for revenge. No. 2.3l9' has heard
all the details of the plot. He has not been
party to it otherwise, but he has been
trusted by the cgnspirators. He knows on
whom vengeance is to be wrcaked
the warden Of the prison is doomed, and
that the rising only awaits favorable OPP
! portunity to make that destested officer
victim OF the vengeance of the conspirators
! The warden has been q hard tasllmaster re-
lentless, cruel, a model tyrapt with a ca
pacity far beyond any who preceded him
in this institution for cruel punishments
and unnecessary severity. Whatever else
may bs done his life is to be aciifeeh-
that is settled. mo. 1919" knows Of this
determination, and has himself reached
one. He would not hs human if he did
not wish to see the rising successful, as far
as the escape OF some Of his companions is
concernedi but he is determined that if he
can prevent it murder shall not be done
he means to save the tyrant's life, even al
the risk of his own, and by preventing the
consummatioa of the convicts' vengeance
save some of the other lives which would
necessarily pay the forfeit of the carrying
out of their plans. This is to be his re-
paration-lhis his opportunity. TO reason
with these men he knows is useless; he
Will not inform on them, his only plan is
/ to save the warden at the moment of the
rising. 1t will be desperate undertak
! ing, and the cost-his own life If he
should not lose il In the effort, the inevita-
ble revenge of his comrades, who will
! deem him traitor, makes his speedy death
a certainty. Yet he sees in this an oppor-
tunity to save life--an opportunity to
make reparatiOn. He will embrace il. He
and to-day he feels that the hour of trial is
at hand.
The afternoon of the shor. winter day is
waning, and q storm is evidently coming
up, for it is growing dark in the Snaps. Is
it some intuitive sense of impending trGHble
that causes the guards in the shop to pay
more than usual attention to the convicts,
or is it that they have just begun to notice
that something has changed in the room
within few minutes? Half an hour ago
the sounds Of labor alone broke the stiffness.
Now ths rattle OF tbs hammers and the
clinlS of the steel are interrupted 0 ti.eir
| ~ N5"'Ni''si "'" III thS ihIclNdlS uloiluS
sound, something akin to the hun OF a
school-room, only less pronounced, is heard,
punctuated every now and again with a
Kissing SOUND. Looking around on the busy
groups not llp is seen to move. The eyes
OF all are apparently steadfastly fixed on the
work before them, yet the droning sound
continues. Looking still more closely at
the grnpps. one catches every now and
again sudden stoaiti,y glance cast in the
direction OF guard, The conyicts are
whispering.
NO. 1919" knows what is going on.-
with ears strained he listens intently.
Mnanuhilp Ii IL ra ri.lI .ln III. M