Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-12-28
The prisoners, GUARD house was q

|
roy sat, brooding listlessly over his own
destruction of his only possible chance
for escape. Still uncertain, he sprang
to his feet as Fitzhugh entered, staring
at 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 they
| turned full upon Evan and he said,
coldly:
Il 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
1T 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"
pSI1CSIAys CAAS IVY
again replied. 81 suppose l an 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
than-I think you will
He turned, opening the door. AS the
sentry faced. for his exit, he added:
You arc such boy, here's something
for You. 1t may taste better, coming
from Gen. Baldwin's breakfast table. -
Drawing from his pocket a crisp,
brown bun, he handed it to Evan, who
caught his meaning look that accom-
panied the next words:
Don't bolt it a,hole;; it might disagree
with you. Anyway, you will be obliged
to divide with these other rebs, sup
pose. Good-day."
He was gone: the bolt shot, and Evan
Fauntleroy, with whirling brain-fun
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. am Fauntelroy, L troop,
til Virginia cavalry"
The trio gave the information; when
the boy cried with a load laugh:
well. pards, let's divide Gen. Bald
wins bun
But his finger vent to his lip. as he
| listened iotently for the sentry's tramp,
till it faded slowly from the door. Then
he carefully broke the small locf, taking
from it thin, tempered hle-sau, fiat
phial OF oil, and a strong, thin Irvine,
closely wrapped around scrap Of
written card. These he quickly con-
cealed in his shirt; and when the new
relief looked in at the door Eve minutes
| later all four men were munciling the
naky 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 loEv whisper:
! just after the midnight relief drop
the twinc from the window. Saw the
bar first. Pull up the rope very cau-
tiously. Stociade sentry walks to edge
of guard house just by window. Watch
his back. l will be below. / will force
You into the guard house. It is the only
hope
Never had hours crawled with feet SO
| leaden as those between noon and
nightfall, for those iberty-hungry
creatures, watching the creeping sun
light along the prison wall. But at last
| came tattoo; then-after a seeming age
taps.
! 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 punctuated
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 reighbor. 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 lie So" III MS
/ 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 Gil, cut fast into
| the soft iron; but the bar was thick,
and each time the sentry turned, the
worker paused to listen. So for q 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 secont, relief.
Again the feet before the door were
still; again the sergeant and the new
sentry put in their heads, seeing four
men sleeping heavily and with stertor-
Gus breathing. Then again, with pre-
cision as though drilled to it, the human
ladder posed, and Evan went at the bar
| afresh.
! At last! The iron yielded, shook; and
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