The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-16
(cogriqAi, iSgS)

had now no doubt at all about got.
ting into tho yard, but had very con.
adorable misglvings about how | was
togot out again. It would DO loo humil.
iatinG, attor trying hero aud trying
thore, to have to 90 back to my hole
again In despair, or to DO arrested by
tho guards outside, aud thrown into
these damp underground cells which
arc reserved for prisoners who arc
caught In escaping. l SGT to work,
therefore. TO plan what should do.
have never, as you know, had tho chance
Of showing what could do rs a general.
Sometimes, after glass Or two OF wine,
! have found myself capable OF think
Ing out surprising combinations, and
have felt that II Napoleon had in,rusted
mo with IN army corps. things might
have gone differently with him. But,
however that may DO. there 10 no doubt
that n tho small stratagems OF war,
and in that qulckness OF invention
which Is so necessary Tor an officer OF
light cavalry, l could hold my own
against any one. 1t Was now that ! had
need Of 1t, aud ielt sure that It would
not fail me.
The inner wall which l had to scale
was built OF bricks, twelve feet high,
with row OF spikes, three inches apart,
upon the top. The outer l had only
caught glimpse OF once or twice, when
the cato OF tho exercise yard was opon.
II appeared to DO about the same
height, and was also spiked at tho top.
The space between tho walls was over
twenty feet, and l had reason to believe
that there. were no sentrios there, ex.
cept at tho gates. On tho other hand,
knew that there was line OF soldiers
outside. Behold tho little nut, my
friends. which had to open with no
crackers save these two hands.
One thing upon which | relied was
the height OF my comrade, Beaumont.
have already said that he was very
tall man. ak feet. at least, and it seemed
to me- that II l could mount upon his
shoulders, and get my hands upon the
spikes. | could easily scale the wall.
Could pull my big companion up after
met That was the question. for when
set forth with comrade, even though
1t BIO one for whom bear no affection,
nothing on earth would make me aban.
don him. II l climbed the wall and he
could not follow me, should be com.
PEELED 10 return TO him. He did not
seem to concern himself much about 1t,
however, so I hoped that be had conf.
dence in his own activity.
Then another very important matter
was the choice OF tho sentry who should
be or duty in front OF my window at
the time OF our attempt. They were
changed every two hours to insure their
vigilance. but |. who watched them
closely each night gu: OF my window,
knew that there was n great difference
between them. There were some who
were so keen that rat could nos cross
the yard unseen, while others thought
only OF their own ease, and could sleep
as soundly leaning upon musket as If
they were At home upon a feather bed
There was one especially, fat, heavy
man, who would retire into the shadow
OF the wall and doze so comfortably dur
ing his two hours that l have dropped
pieces OF plaster from my window at his
very fee. without his observing it. By
GOOD luck this fellows watch was due
from - to . upon the night which We
had fixed upon for our enterprise.
As the last day passed was go filled
with nervous agitation tina. could mol
control myself, bu. ran ceaselcssly
about my cell, like mouse in cage
Every moment l thought that the war.
der would detect the looseuess OF the
bar, or that the sentry would observe
the unmortared stone, which could
not conceal outside. as I stood within.
As for my companion. no "a. brooding
upon the end OF his bed, looking at me
in sidelong fashion from time to time,