The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-05-25


laughter that echoed over the lake as tn
luckless tyros, one after another, came t,
an ignominious fate.
'In my Kentucky home | had been ac
customed to the sport every winter, anC
was accounted the champion skater of th'
neighborhood Many time had | dis
tanced a whole party of young people in
race up the river, and | prided myself oil
my accomplishment. This, however,
kept profound secret; for the wild though
had entered my brain, why not make m,
escape in this way? Once across tht
lake and in the woods, pursuit would bc
next to impossible and | trusted to luck
and plue&-to work my way home.
If my skill and speed were on y equa
to what they once were, | felt sure the
thing was feasible But | had not been
on skates for three years, and months OF
prison fare ami inactive life had greatly
weakened me. However, | gladly seized
the opportunity OF trying; but always feign-
ed reluctance and timidity whenever ven.
turcd ont: and many were the awkward
slips and tumbles | purposely made. |
would have given any thing to have dared,
Just for few slides, to give my powers full
play. just to satisfy myself that my old
skill was good as ever; but this would
betray me, SO affected to be as awkward
as the Others; vet all the while the old IA
miiar feeling would come back to me at
each step | took. and | felt sure, if once
plunged forward, | could skim over that
lake like bird.
"We had been amusing ourselves thus
for TIVE days, when, on the third, as We
were marshaled out to our daily exercise,
the guard remarked Guess there'll be
no more skating after today, bows. Therell
be thaw pretty soon, so you d better make
the most Of il this morning.
II felt the blood rush to ms face as he
spoke Should | dare to try il to-day
Il was my last chance thought of my
old mother at home, who was wearing away
her life for her boy. and resolved to make
the attempt
There were no signs of a thaw yet, as
we came down the lake. bat the tempera-
ture was decidedly milier than it had been
fer some days | watched the boys buck
ling on their skates, aud then slowly put
on niue examined them carefully, to
see that they were sound in every respect,
buckle and tongue and all good for two
GT three mile race
As good luck would have 1t, nooe of
our guards accompanied Us on the lie this
morning, 80 secure did they feel Of cur in-
ability 70 get beyond their reach, ba, sat
or stood around in tho sun, prepared to
enjoy 10 the utmost our awkward feats
Well, | started of at last, very cautiously
at 6rs;, as though afraid to trust ms inse-
cure footing, Ny object was TO get as far
As possible from land and the armed guard
before made dash for Freedom.
would 20 few PAGES, then fall and roll
over. apparently, in the most helpless
manner imaginable But managed At
each tumble 10 ges a li,tle farther away,
I'LL al last vas about fity yards frou che
shoSc. and quite distance from the rvst &c
the party before attracted any attention.
Then loud voice from the guards sung
out
Hello, you there Johnny Reb
Come, tamble bark this way, and be quick
about H.
Il immediately .iumbled, but not in
their direciion. I'm coming, cried, If
I can ever stand on this plaguey slip
pery thing, sud sitting dowR | COM
ncnced 70 side around 10 the most awk-
ward and grOtesqne fashion.
Here the narrative was interrupted by
sudden laugh from Mr. Harcourt "What
a figure yoa eat--must have cut, he said
~Yes. indeed; and the guard on shore
greeted my maueuvrcs, aud those Of NY
equally graceful eompanioas, with shouts
Of laughter, and such complimentary ejae-
ulasions as 'bullfFog, sterrapin. &c
Il slowly scrambled 10 my feet, and,
uhila apparently endeavoring to steady my
self, rapidly took in the situation. / vas
fully sixty yards from the shore. Not one
Of the guards was on the lake, and it would
take some moments = buckle on the skates
They would have their guns, too, which
would impede their progress. As all this
fitted through my mind was sl0wly shue-
fling back and forth, Is though making my
way towards them saw that al the
moment their attention was diverted from
me BY the gyra,ions Of the other prisoners,
| wheeled aud sped up the lake like a shot,
"Oh, the delicious seasatien that tingled
through every nerve aud fibre Of my frame
a. | flew like a bird 0yer the ice. In a
moment | was on the river at my old Ken
tacky home, leaving my competitors far ia
H. re.,r n.,t ,,svV ~. 100 ,v..a e. g..
d0m-for life-and | felt all my old skill
and fiectuess return to me fourfold at the
thought.
But loud cries, followed hy rapid shots,
now came from the shore. glanced back
and saw the guards serambling into their
skates, while the prisoners were staring in
stupid amaEement at my flying form so
great was be exhilaratioa of my physical
nature | could no, realize the tremendous
danger | was 10. | laughed aloud and
clapped my hands in an eestaey Of excite
ment. felt as though | had wings, so
smooth and rapid was my fight-wings to
my heels it Mt TO my shoulders, as | fed
on, like modern Mercury.
IL inStinctively bent my course toward
the mainland lying some half-mile away,
but of course had no idea Of attempting a
landing t1til | had quite distaneed my
pursuers, .or only on the ice could hope
to prove a match for them. That they
were following in eager and enragcd pursuit
| felt sure, for Halt halt was borne on
the wind, and shot after shot came whizzing
through the icy air.
Il glanced back Five or six of them
were in full chase; and they were fine
skaters, too, for | could see the speed at
WHICH they came, But for the good start
| had made | had surely been overtaken,
On and on | sped, Trees and other objects
on land, which | gradually neared, flew by
me ike figures in a kaleidoscope The
cold wind whistled through my hair and
clothing, but my whole body was aglow
with the rapid motion and excitement
II suddenly remembered the guards
remark about the coming thaw What if
| should come to thin ice, and find a cold
and watery grave. Oh, that there were
only danger signals ahead But the
danger signals behind me were sufficient to
drive me on to any that might lie before.
son | few. What distance | was
making could hardly guess, but certainly
two or three miles must now lie between