Dodge City times., 1891-01-16
ACLOSE
ASTORY OFLOVEANDW WAR.
HY ALFRED n. CALHOUN.
IcorrR1cHr. 1870. by Bacheller 4 Col
CHAPTER XIv.-Coxr1NUEp.

in the Upper Potomac room, the guards
must have noticed the hubbub near the
chimney. For fully two hours Howard
and waited, still holding each others
hands. At length a shrewd tunneller
near us raised the cry: ''The guards!
the guards!" and on the instant, the
crowd about the opening surged away
and rushed up the stairs.
The space about the hearth wascleared
and our chance had come. l dropped
into the cellar first, closely followed by
the Lieutenant. We needed no guide
to lead us to the opening. and as soon as
found it we plunged in, again in the ad-
vance.
About the middle of the tunnel we had
run on a sharp bowldcr that forced a
slight detection northward; here. as /
CROPPED my way through, came upon a
man stuck hard and fast. It proved to
be an Austrian Count, Lieutenant Won
Klodt, of the Army of the Potomac, and a
splendid officer. He had come over to
see the war, and he spoke but little En-
iglish, and this little vanished in the
tunnel, but fortunately knew some
German.
"Push aheadr' said, prodding at him
,as was being prodded myself.
Scott in Himmel! can't. I'm fast!'
he replied in German.
"Your clothes?"
"Yes, my breeches."
''Slip them off and I'll carry them out
flor you," / said.
by our united efforts we got Off the
trousers and he was enabled to 60 on.
II handed them to him after emerged
from the tunnel, and the last saw of
him, as Howard and 1 made our way
south toward the canal, he was putting
his clothes to rights.
1t was starlight night with a
keen frost in the air, but it was
. royal change from the fetid at
lmosphere OF the prison. We did not
hurry, but walked lcisurely to the east.
Under the lamp at the corner of the
Iprison l saw guard standing, and l
heard his cry: lone o'clock: post num-
Der ten and all's well!'' "Alrs well!"
ECHOED Howard as we passed out of
sight of the prison and made our way
toward the railroad, which We had
!planned to follow for mile or two and
then make for the Chickahominy
swamp, in which we were to remain in
hiding for the day.
The lateness of the hour favored us.
land excepting a drunken man in uni
form who saluted us as we passed, we saw
mo soldiers. Neither of us had boots fit
for marching, but we paid no heed to
this. Once on the road leading to the
North we quickened orr pare. We had
lgone about two miles when a fire in the
advance caused us to change our course.
I'VE turned to the east, climbing over
earthworks and passing scores Of guns,
now harmless as the birds that some day
!were to build their nests in them.
We were in doubt as to the location of
the Chickahominy when to our great de-
light we entered a dense growth Of
water willows and soon were on the ice
that covered the swamp. This ice was
very treacherous; again and again it
gave way under us, letting us down to
tOur arm pits and forcing us to break
long avenues before we could find a dry
knoll or a log that would enable us to
rise. And so we kept painfully on till
lthc blessed sun rose up and warmed our
faces and our nearts.
CHAPTER XV
In anticipation of our escape, We had
Istinted ourselves for days, SO that we
might have corn bread to eat on the
way. for we did not expect to find
friends nor good place fer foraging
Ibetween the Chickahominy and Will
iamsburg or Fortress Monroe. Our wet
ting in tho swamp soaked the hard.
corn bread till it changed into cold
mush; but We ate it with greed and spar
Iingiy.
We wrung out our clothes and tramped
around on a little island so as to keep
warm till they dried. With pieces Of
string, brought with us for the purpose,