Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-01-12
He slept shor. time only tha.

1t was cold, and threatened snow.
"Providence means to help me,
he said TO himself. And in trutl
Providence did; for in short tim
he saw through his open door th
guard following . negro man, wh
carried tray with the tin cup q
coffee and the bread for the prisoners
The negro seemed sulky. and serve,
the prisoners with great reluctance
He was in an i'll humor. Captain
Bowie knew him too. well; and hi
heart beat faster on seeing a blacl
face-the first he had seen on that
floor. A private soldier had hereto
fore been serving them.
His turn came last, and the guard
pointing to the cell, turned down the
corridor to stop some noisy laughter
that party Of prisoners were indu lg.
ing in at his and the darkey's ex.
pense.
AS the man entered his cell Captain
Bowie recognized him as q slave of q
near relative of his.
"LewisI'
Mars Walterr'
And the mans face frightened up.
"Hushl" And Captain Bowie laid
his finger on his lip; and as he took
the cup Of coffee and the half loaf oil
bread he managed to whisper:
II am to be shot on Friday, to.
morrow, early, and in the yard here.
Will ycu help me?"
He looked at the man. The guard
was coming back. The negro had his
back to the door. He answered
hastily, and as low as the prisoner had
done:
"Yes, / will"
"What in the d are you talkins
to the prisoner about ?" called out th,
hurrying-up guard: "Mind your
own business, and do not speak to th,
prisoners ?" go.
And he looked angrily at the negro
But as he had not seen the Spy
speaking, he thought il was onl,
negro curiosity to find out who tn,
prisoner was.
The man waited outside until tn,
prisoners had finished, and thel
gathered up the cups; and. with
meaning backward look at Captain
Bowie went away.
The morning seemed so long. Abou
one o'clock it began to snow heavily.
The same negro came with soup an,
bread. He had no chance to speal
again to the condemned man, bu
pushed piece of paper into his ham
as he took the empty tin cup.
Captain Bowie slipped it up hi
sleeve until he could get chance
read it.-When he dared he laid O
his pallet behind the door with hi
back turned to it, and holding tn
scrap so it was half hidden by hi
hand, he looked at it:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OORATTHEENDOFTHECO RRID(
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
UTTHEGASR UNFORTH ATROON
THEDOORW ILLBE OPEN EDALl
DDERISINTHEMI DDLE OFTHEl
OOMITLEADSTOATRAPDOORIN
HEROOFIT WILLBEO EOPENEDALI
lCANDOFORYOU."
At first he thought it was hierc
glyphics. But after a little study b
saw it was written in printed capitals
and all in one long word. Then b
set about separating each word, AM
at last. after some difficulty, he mad
out the following:
"At nine tonight; the last door a
the end Of the corridor is the Goa
room; when / put out the gas run 70
that room; the door will be open;
ladder 10 in the middle Of the room;
leads to-a tap door in the roof;
will be open. All l can do for you.
He tore the note up in bits an,
swallowed them. He wished he ha.
something to reward the faithful ne
gro. But then if be lived he would
The afternoon was not so long q
the morning. as he was inaginin
about everything he might have
encounter.
Coffee and bread told him it wa
seven o'clock. Two hours but to wai
and what then
Things grew gradually quiet. Th
prisoners one by one left the ope
door and retired to their pallets I
straw. He did likewise, not to arous
suspicion. But he fronted the doc,
and waited and watched.
Nine came at last, and he heard th
guard call to some one to come mp an
get coal for the stove in the corrido,
that "ths FIRE was nearly out"
de then walked away towards th