Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-06-20

| W~~1S
"What do vou think I ought to do ttth
uouT'
Il was scarcely more than fifteen min
utes after Souri, had bid Mark god.
speed when old Triggs re-entered the
prison grounds, and mounting the fight
Of steps leading to the second story went
into the Jail. No one seemed to be
about the place. He entered his bed.
room and found his wife doing In her
chair by the window. He asked for the
colored girl, and his wife told him that
she had not yet returned with the medi.
cine. He waited, expecting every min.
ute that she would come In. Had he not
noticed an absence Of tho groans to
which the supposed invalid had been
treating him all the evening he might
have waited for Souri without move
ment much longer than he did. As 1t
was, 1t occurred to him that perhaps the
prisoner might be dead.
Taking up q tallow dip he went to the
room where Mark was supposed to be
confined. A figure was lying IN the
corner. The jailer went to 1t, and by
means Of the candle saw what he sup
posed 10 be the prisoner. The face was
to the wall. and he did not at first dis
cover the deception.
"Yank." he said, "air y deadr'
| No answer.
He took hold Of tho figures shoulder
and shook 1t.
Still no reply.
Turning Souri, over he at once recog.
nized the face Of the "mulatto girl"
In an instant he saw through the ruse
that had been practiced. Without stop
ping to interrogate he-, he rushed from
the room past the sentinel ut the door
aud out to the gIardhouse. There he
gave the alarm, ard in moment the
whole guard was In motion.
Souri, hoped that the sentinel ut tho
door would join Ia the chase, In which
event she intended to 60 to Jakey's room,
get him out and attempt to escape. But
the soldier only went as far rs the door
ut the head Of the long staircase. Then,
remembering that he would doubtless DO
punished for letting ono prisoner escape,
and that there were several negroes In
the "black hole" for him to guard, he
went no farther.
In five minutes Souri, heard the bark.
ing Of hounds without.
No word was sent to headquarters re.
garding Marks escape till the hounds
had followed the scent to the river and
there lost u. Then one OF the guards
was sent In to report the whole affair.
Being an infantryman, he was obliged to
walk, which took time. Cavalry was
the only arm Of the service capable VI
following tl,e escaped man with a chance
Of success, and cavalry must be ferried
across the river or ordered from Dallas,
on the other side, ten miles above. The
latter course was chosen, and two squad.
rons were directed to proceed at once,
the one to throw q chain guard across
the neck of MOccasin point, the other to
scour the river bank for a distance Of
several miles below. Had there been
any cavalry nearer, Mark would have
had q very slender chance to get away.
As It was, no barely escaped one Of the
squadrons.
About noon OF the day after Marks
escape the military authorities began
to relax their efforts to recapture him,
as they had other matters Of importance
to attend to, but they induced the coun.
try people, by hope Of q reward, to con.
tinue the search within q radius OF ten
or fifteen miles from Chattanooga. Tho
provost marshal sent for Souri, and
Jakey with view to gaining from them
whatever he might concerning Marks
identity and his mission.
Souri,, whose only clothing was that
left her by Mark, begged Ms. Triggs to
get her more suitable apparel before
being taken out Of the Jail. Had the
old woman any excuse, indeed had 1t
not been for the presence OF the guard
ut the door, there is no telling what she
might have done to Souri,. To have
been thus duped put her In towering
passion. She went into Souri's cell and
berated her with her tongue and shook
her fist In her face, but refrained from
touching her. When Souri, asked for
woman's dress she ut first fatty refused,
but fearing she would incur the dis
pleasure Of tho provost marshal still
further than she had II she should send
q girl to him not properly dressed she
selected IN old calico frock OF her own
and gave II to her.
Souri, and Jakey were led to the mar.
shal's office, followed by a crowd OF
curious people, who were aware that
they had been the means Of the escape
Of q spy. but when they arrived the
crowd were left outside.
Never was man more puzzled what
to do with prisoners than the marshal In
the case Of Souri, and Jakey. He saw o
simple, modest, poor white country girl,
apparently not out of her "teens." and
stupid looking boy. who was not very
Tar into them.
"who are your he asked Of Souri, not
inkindly.
"Missouri Slack"
"Where do you liver
son tho Anderson road, not far from
Jasper"
"And this boy7
"Hes my brother"
"When did you come from homer
"Thrce days ago."
"What brought you, or how did you
know that the prisoner was here and In
jailY'
"Jakey sent me word.'
"This boyy
"Ycs."
"HowY
"He sent me silk hsnksrcher what ]
give t'other un."
"How did you send It, boyr
"Niggers."
"Um."
"wsll, you two are pretty young to
bs engaged In such mischief"
Tho officer looked ut them with inter.
cot and vexation mingled. He had lost
q prisoner for whom he was responsible,
but hs could not but wonder at such
dull looking boy achieving 20 dihicult .
task e. sending the communication, and