Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-01-12
CHAPTER Mi.
FLOATING FOR LIFE.

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She took the candle and led the lrdu TO
the aiming room ADORE.
Mark had very little idea how long
time would elapse before it would be
discovered that Souri, was in his place
and he had escaped. 1t might be a few
minutes, it might be half an hour, it
might possibly be not till morning,
though of this he had little hope. He
believed that within half an hour he
would be pursued, and as he was well
acquainted with the methods in vogue
in the south at the time he knew he
would be traced by bloodhounds.
lie had been about the town enough
to know the direction of the river and
started toward it. During the day he
had thought over what he would do in
case Souri's ruse should be successful,
and made UP his mind that any delay in
getting across the river would be fatal.
He was at home in the water. and de-
ternined that he would not attempt to
find boat, but would plunge in and
swim for his life. The width of the
river at Chattanooga was only about
three-Quarters of a mile, and Mark did
not regard this great distance for a
good swimmer. Once across the dogs
would have to pick up the scent on the
other side, and if he should permit the
current to carry him far down the
stream the difficulty in doing so would
be greatly increased.
Though Mark had been III prison but
a few days the transition from duress
to freedom was very grateful. 1t was
soft summer evening, and the larger
stars had already begun to shine. Cast
ing glance to the right he saw a streak
of light over Missionary ridge and
knew That before long he would be at a
disadvantage from the rising of full
moon, lie walked briskly whenever
any person was i'll sight, and when he
thought that he was unoDserved he ran.
When he first left the jailyard his heart
was in his throat His agitation dimin-
ished as he proceeded, and in five min
utes he had come down like one in a
race to a concentration of all his facul-
ties-a gathering Of ali his forces for the
struggle between life and death before
him. With these well in hand the
dreaded scene Of the morrow acted as a
tremendous and effective stimulant.
No one of the few people who passed
the strappins negro girl, whose face
was hidden within the blue check sun
bonnet, dreamed that Union soldier
was passing; that the scailold WAS being
cheated: that messenger with the Sc
cret of one of the most important moves
any Confederate general had made or
was destined to make during the war
was on his way north in the person Of
the negro woman hurryinG on toward
the river And 1t was fortunate for the
flying soldier they did not, or he would
never even have got half a mile from
the jail.
He sped onward, running and walking
briskly alternately, till he came to Il
place where board fence was capped
by narrow strip. He mounted it and
walked as far as the fence extended,
perhaps hundred yards, hoping by this
means to throw the dogs off the scent
for few minutes, and thus gain little
time. Then he jumped down and hur-
riod forward. a man passed and called
TO him, but he paid no attention to the
rall, and the man stood looking after
him, doubtless suspecting that the girl
was IL runaway slave.
AT last the grateful sight of the river
met his gaze. 1t cheered him and
seemed TO beckon him on to rest upon
its bosom, or, as an alternative with the
dreadful tragedy of the morning, to find
oblivion beneath its surface. Between
the river before him, and the jail, the
dogs and the gibbet, for a time his feel
ings of hope and fear neutralized each
other and left his faculties free TO act
with perfect GOODNESS.
He stood for a moment beneath a low
clump of trees on the bank listening
and looking up and down the river. A
boat was passing, and he feltit necessary
to wait for it to go by. He lost five
minutes, but it seemed half an hour.
; Then taking off his dress and shoes and
bonnet he put the dress and the shoes in
the bonnet and tied the strings around
, his neck. resting the bundle on his back.
Going down 10 the margin, and again
listening moment to make sure he was
not observed, he waded out as far as he
could touch bottom, and then began to
swim.
As il was midsummer he had expected
to find the water warm. His eXpecta-
tons We're realized 10 reasonable de-
, ! cree, and he felt that he could remain