The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-24
A FAIR BLOCKADE BREAKER.
By t. c. De Leon.


for escape Still uncertain, he sprang
to his feet as Fitzhugh entered, staring
lat him with mien half questioning, half
defiant.
! The visitor glanced quickly round the
pen. Its three other inmates were all
strangers to him; and the boy caught
his glance resting on the window, then
dropping to the bunk beneath. Then
they were full of meaning when thsg
turned full upon Evan and he said,
coldly:
81 do not come to taunt you; only to
say that have had you excused from
your bath-to-day. 1t is best for you to
remain here; but by tomorrow you may
escape punishment altogether. We
have met before, boy!"
81 understand" the scout replied,
dropping his eyes. ''Had you said that
first, had never spoken So"
I "It was BEST" the other answered.
slowly. ''This guard house is just
where you ought to be!' He. raised his
voice for the sentry to hear. "You will
be here all night, even If you miss your
bath tomorrow.
: ct understand perfectly" the boy
again replied. 81 suppose I am as well
off here as elsewhere"
! "Far better for such an active youth,
whose tongue has more liberty than his
body, just now. Keep that tongue
quiet, or you may remain here longer
jthan-I think you will"
! He turned, opening the door. As the
sentry faced, for his exit, he added:
+, "You are such a boy, here's something
for you. It may taste better, coming
from Gen. Baldwin's breakfast table"
! Drawing from his pocket crisp,
brown bun, he handed it to Evan, who
caught his meaning look that accom-
panied the next words:
''Don't bolt it aoaole; it might disagree
with you. Anyway, you will be obliged
to divide with these other rebs, sup
pose. Good-day."
J. He was gone; the bolt shot, and Evan
Fauntleroy, with whirling brain-full
of hope, memory of the secret letter,
curses of his own stupidity, and flashes
of Bessie Westchester's meaning eyes,
sat once more on the hunks edge. After
some thought, he rose, saying, softly:
Comrades, I'd like your names and
commands. I am Fauntelroy, troop.
til Virginia cavalry"
| The trio gave the information; when
the boy cried with a loud laugh:
'sWell, pards, let's divide Gen. Bald
wins bum
But his finger went to his lip, as he
listened intently for the sentry's tramp.
till it faded slowly from the door. Then
he carefully broke the small loaf, taking
from it thin, tempered 6le-saw, a fiat
phial of oil, and a strong, thin Irvine,
closely wrapped around scrap OF
written card. These he quickly con-
cea1ed in his shirt; and when the new
relief looked in at the door five minutes
later all four men were munching the
laky white bread, with innocent faces
but hearts beating high with hope.
Then, as the regular tramp again
sounded without, Evan eagerly read the
card in low whisper:
"Just after the midnight relief drop
the Irvine from the window. Saw the
bar first. Pull up the rope very eau
tiously. Stockade sentry walks to edge
of guard house just by window. Watch
his back. will be below. will force
you into the guard house. 1t is the only
hope"
Never had hours crawled with feet so
leaden as those between noon and
nightfall, for those liberty-hungry
creatures, watching the creeping sun
light along the prison wall. But at last
came tattoo; then-after seeming age
taps. a5
The prison pen was still as death, the
only sound the dull beat of feet before
the guard-house door, the more hollow
tramp of the stockade sentry almost
overhead. For what seemed many
hours, the waiting men heard this senti-
mel tramp almost to their window, his
feet dying almost away as he turned
and walked back, up his post.
At last came the relief, the sergeant
of the guard looking in, only to find four
worn, sleeping men stretched in their
hunks. And their snoring punctunted
his caution to the new sentry to keep
his eyes about him and look out for
grand rounds.
As the order came and the tramp OF
the relief died away, Evan rose eau
tiously, but nimbly, and motioned to his
nearest neighbor. As though drilled a
zouave, the man clambered on the up
per bunk, bracing himself against the
wall, the boy climbing to his shoulders
without a sound, the file saw in his
teeth. oiling that and the bar freely,
the boy waited until the stockade sentry
turned; then he began to saw. The
tempered steel, cooled to soundlessness
by constant drops of oil, cut fast into
the soft iron; but the bar was thick
and each time the sentry turned, the
worker paused to listen. So for long
while. Then the man below-faint, ex-
hausted, with great beads upon his
brow, spite of the cold-whispered for
rest. A second took his place. Again
the boy mounted his human ladder,
working on, cautious, but tireless, with
sweat pouring from him, with blistered
hands, but heart high upheld by hope.
One side was sawed through. Sud-
denly, the tramp of men approaching
the second relief.
Again the feet before the door were