The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-15
CHAPTER XVIII.
4 DASH FOE LIBERTY.

Beauchampe fell into a dreamless
sleep early in the evening of the fourth
day. How long he slept, he had no
means of knowing.
He was aroused by peculiar sound.
He sat upright, staring in the darkness.
He had forgotten the recent Occurrences.
He though he was in his own bed until
contact with the iron bedstead recalled
his scattered wits. Then he was all
alive to the circumstances and the situa-
tion.
Some one was trying to enter his
window.
A vague, shadowy man was moving in
front of his window.
AS Reauchampe viewed this man with
strained vision, he beheld, first the form
of q mans head There could not be
any mistake. The contour Of human
head was now clearly defined. Next he
beheld shoulder, then an arm was eX-
tended. Finally the upper half uf q
man was family defined.
Beauchampe shuddered. What did it
mean? If murder was their object, 1t
could be attained easily in other ways.
He tried to Danish his fears, but as
the shape at the window shifted, until
at last, as if growing out of ball, q
mans legs were seen on the broad sill,
and a mans arms were stretched out,
feeling the window carefully. Beau
champe shivered with dread. An mex
plicablc, horrible fear suddenly possessed
him.
His life was menaced.
Beauchampe sat like one in stupor.
II L 1f lofn al
He was at the mercy Of Varek and
Hawkins. He fancied he beheld in the
shadow outside of his window q re-
semblance to the monster Hawkins.
Suddenly the figure disappeared.
Beauchampe inclined his ear, listening
intently. Yes; there was sound What
it meant he could not divine. Now, how
ever, he was reminded Of the proximity
Of the large limb of the tree nearest the
house.
He fancied ne could see the great
limb sway. To convince himself, he
rose and stepped noiselessly to his win
dow and looked out.
Beyond doub1 the limb was sway
ing.
Beauchampe, training his vision in
the darkness, Thought he saw huge
vine swaying in the air. The vine was
hanging from the limb. AS he concen-
trated his gaze, standing there in the
darkness, he satisfied himself that the
thing he beheld was not vine but
rope. :
Heavens What if it were his friends!
Certainly that was the explanation
Livingston had at last obtained q clue
He was resolved to free his friend. He
adopted this method rather than lose the
time the law would consume to accom-.
plsh the same purpose.
And now an overpowering desire to
communicate with his rescuers governed
Beauchampe. He struck the window
smartly.
Instantly the sound at the adjoining
window ceased.
Again and again Beauchampe struck
his window, but there was no response.
He waited for hours he thought. then
stole back to his bed and flung himself
upon his face with low moan.
At the end Of an interval that seemed
an age, the sound at the adjoining
window was renewed. Now Beau.
champe was rendered desperate His
friends had made miscalculation. All
their efforts in his behalf would be lost
He advanced to the window and struck
it again with'all his might
The blow made dull sound. Foot.
steps approached his door, and the man
who brought him the wooden dish stood
looking at him angrily over the light he
carried.
"You do that again, I'll put you where
you went make any more noise-at least
none to wake me-for month. Try it
see how it will work"
The door was closed and locked, and
Beauchamre was alone agaiu.
Hours seemingly elapsed before anoth.
er sound was heard. Then Beauchampe
thought he heard a sound as is made by
raising a window that is moved with diff
fculty.
And now he resolved upon desperate
course.
Come what would, the next time his
door was opened he would make dash
for liberty. They could not do more than
recapture him. And he might fall into
the hands Of friends
As if in answer to his inward prayer
for help, the sound was repeated. Ei
was plain to Beauchampe that there was
an effort made by some person or persons
to enter the madhouse, and that the in.
mates were unaware of it
He stood near the entrance to his room
with the resolve of a desperate, despair.
ing man, bent upon one final effort foi
freedom nerving him, when the door was
tered, followed by the attendant whose
cfil In h
Hawkins was saying
at must have been in the next room
-" when Beauchampe suddenly sprang
past the attendant, who turned like
flash and struck at him wickedly.
The blow grazed Beauchampe's shoul.
der.
Beauchampe ran along wide hall to-
ward dim light He hoped he would
find q stairway there, and he was not
disappointed He bounded down the
stairs at headlong speed.
A man fleeing for his life makes little
of, takes no thought of, risks that would
deter the most resolute.
The attendant was close at his heels.
Beauchampe felt . cool draught of air
as he reached the foot of the stairway
where all was darkness. !;
Suddenly he encountered man. The
shock was so great that he fell painting
on the floor. A door was flung wide
open near him at the same instant, and
q flame Of fire illuminated the entrance
one brief instant
Iii Unat instant beaucnampe DeneIo
several figures. Then there was rush
of feet
The next sensation Beauchampe OK
nerienced was a blow on the head az