Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-06-20

tobacco ppe from his mouth and splitting, |
"tis long while since thy last job o. the
sort"
GAY, lad terrible disrepair this place has
fallen into. But send us cheerful heart
say Ii Instead o the viper an owl shall
henceforward be hangings of men an all
manner o. diversion"
l kept my head out of sight and listened.
"What time doth a swingl" asked another
of tue soldiers.
~ heard the colonel give orders for 0
o'clock tomorrow" answered the first sol
der, splitting again
The clock over tho barbican struck four,
and in minute was being answered from
tower after tower down in the city.
"Four oclockl" cried the nan on the lad
der, "tiue to stop work, and here goes for
the last nail!" He drove 1t in and prepared
to descend.
"Hin shouted soldier, ''you've forgot the
rope"
"Thatn wait till tomorrow. There's
staple to drive in, too. l tell you I'm dry
and want my beer"
He whipped his apron round his waist and,
gathering up his nails, went down the ladder
AT the foot he picked up his bag, shouldered
the ladder and lounged away, leaving the
coil Of rope lying there. Presently the sol
diers sauntered off also, and tho court was
empty.
Now, up to this moment had but one idea
Of avoiding my fate, and that was to kill my
self. Twas to this end I had borrowed the
bodkin Of the maid Afterwards l had a no.
ton Of hinging myself from the window as
they came for me. But now, as J looked
down on that coil of rope lying directly be-
low, prettier scheme struck me. ] sat down
on the floor Of my cell and pulled off my boots
and stockings.
Twas such pretty plan that l got into a
fever of impotence. Drawing off stocking
and picking out the end Of the yarn, began
to unravel the knitting for dear life, until the
whole lay heap of thread on the floor.
then served the other in the same way; and
at the end had two lines, each pretty near
four hundred yards in length, which now
divided into eight lines of about hundred
yards each.
| With these set to work, and by the end
! Of twenty minutes had plated rope-if rope,
indeed, it could be called-weak, to be sure,
but long enough to reach tho ground with
plenty to spare. Then, having bent my bod
! kin to the form of hook tied it to the end
of my cord, weighted it with a crown from
my pocket apd clambered up to the window
l was going TO angle for the hangman's rope
Twas near dark by this, but I could just
distinguish it on the paving stones below,
and, looking about the court, saw that no
one was astr. l wriggled first my head,
then shoulder, through the opening, and
let the line run gently through my hand.
There were still many yards left that could
be paid out when l heard my coin tinkle
softly on the pavement.
Then began my difficulty. A dozen times
pulled my hook across the coil before it
hitched, and then full three score of times
the rope slipped away before l had raised it
a dozen yards. My elbow was raw, almost
with leaning on the sill, and | began to lose
heart and head, when, to my delight, she
bodkin caught anG held 1t had fastened or
a liuk In the rope, not far from the end. l
began to pull up, hand over hand, trembling
all the while like q leaf.
For Ihad two very reasonable fears First
the rope might slip away and tumble before
it reached my grasp Secondly, 1t might
after all, prove deal too short. 1t hac
looked to me q new rope Of many fathoms
not yet cut for to-morrow's purpose; but eye
sight might well deceive at that distance
and surely enough / saw that the whole was
dangling of the ground long before it came
to my hand.
But at last caught it, and, slipping bacl
into the room, pulled it after me, yard upor
yard. My heart went loud and fast Their,
was nothing to fasten it TO but an iron stapl
i'll the door, that meant losing the width o
my cell, some six feet This, however, mus
be risked, and made the end fast, lowere,
the other out of the window again, and
climbing to sitting posture on the window
sill, thrust out my legs over the gulf.
, Thankful was l that darkness had falle
before this and hidden the giddy depths be
low me. gripped the rope and pushed my
self inch by inch through the window, an
out over the ledge. For moment dangled
without courage to move hand. Ther
wrcathing my legs round the rope, loose
my left hand and caught with it again som
six inches lower. And so, down | went
Minute followed minute, and left me sti
descending, six inches at time, and lookin
r neither above nor below, but always at til
gray wall that seemed sliding up in front {
me. The first dizziness was over, but a hol
rible aching Of the arms had taken the pac
Of it, Twas growing intolerablc, when sue
7 denly my legs that sought to close the rop,
: found space only. / had come to the end.
looked down. A yard below my feet I'll
beam of the gallows cleaned palely out {
the darkness Here was my chance | IL
ally hands slip down the last foot or so OF ii
rope, hung for moment, then dropped f
q the BEAM
4 Ny feet missed it, as intended they SHOULD
q but l flung both arms out and caught i
bringing myself up with jerk. While yet
hung clawing, | heard footstep comm
through the gateway between the two ward
Here was fix With all speed and silenC
l drew myself up to the beam, found hol
+ with one knee upon it, got astride and la
down at length, hattening my body dow
@ against the timber Yet all the while | fe
sure must have been heard.
I The footsteps drew nearer and passed q
most under the gallows Twas an office
for as he passed he called out:
"Sergt. Downs! Sergt. Downs"
" A voice from the guard room in the bari
9 can answered him through the darkness.
d "Why is not the watch set?"
In minute, sir; it wants a minute to 6.
3 II thought the colonel ordered it at ha
past 5l'
In the silence that followed the barbict
~ clock began to strike, and half dozen troo
5. srs tumbled out from the guard room, son
laughing, some grumbling at the GOODNESS