St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-01-19

will know that Is the place to turn.
Then follow the path from the
outhouss up te. the dwelling, but be
careful 10 walk Oh the gravel and not
in the grass. There is back kitchen
with side door and common latch.
It will be open. There viii be hot
fire burning in tho large kitchen stove.
You are to lock the door and divest
yourselfof every bit of clothing and
burn 1t there before doing anything
else and see that all the shreds are de-
stroyed. When that is done, go to the
second story, front room, where you
will find the disguise you are to wear.
In the breast pocket of the blouse are
three photographs of the man who has
been wearing it. You are to be care
fnl about the wig and mustachc. You
ought to be IN the, upper room not later
than four. The alarm will be given
about five-thirty. That viii give you
at1 hour md d half 10 complete the dis
guise and the sim will be up At that
moment you will take d paint pot and
brush which are in the room and get
upon the ladder in front of the house
and proceed to paint the siding at the
place where the job is left unfinished.
You are to speak very little English.
You will be fifteen feet above the
street. You are to answer all ques-
tions in cultural and unintelligible
manner. The main eptrance of the
prison is nearly opposite that house.
The men In the prison Office are already
familiar wiz; Eour figure on the ladder
and regard YOU as q stupid Alsntiaf1
who has hired the place and Is fitting
itup as a saloon. At fve-thifty exa
est hamlet Fifteen miles east) that aH
escaped prisoner has passed through
on horse You will be able from
your perch if You arc quick-witted, to
discern by the movements at the prison
entrance If the chase is taken up in
that direction. If it is. you will have
twenty-four hours start, for they will
not catch my man inside of that time,
nnd when they do, they will be unable
to identify him. IN the blouse will be a
small pocket compass and little map.
At exactly twc1vc-fiftcen, when all the
farm hands afc ut dinner. you will take
4 basket OH Sotif arm and set out 1ciss
ureiy across the stubb1e-fic1d, south OF
the house. You are to follow the path
across the field in q southwestef1y di-
rection. When you reach the stile at
the stone wall. two paths are seen on
the other side; take the path that goes
down to the wood. The moment you
are in the dcnsest part of the grove, you
are to make the most speed you can, fol-
lowing the path by the broolSside until
you conc to an old and ruined mill
mile west. You will sit down on the
old mill stone in the grass and wait
till You hear some one singing Home
Sweet Home" It's the signal that all
is safe and it will be Woman's voice.
You are instantly to enter the old mill
md follow exactly the directions OF
in mind only this, that wornan NUS
not mans sensc of time, and You Will
be missed and inquired for some time
tiuring the afternoon and everything
will then depend on your speed OF
movement utter you lsave the mill.
The arrangements from that point urc
perfect Delay alone may make them
fniscarfy. Can you repeat all these
points to me?"
CHAPTER ".
! Laport marve1cd at the particular
ity with which the escape had been
I planned and at the address of Kent In
hoodwinking the governor while con-
spring to free his prisoner. Without
reasoning upon the matter deeply he
set about following out the pro-
grammc laid down for him and his
methodical training enabled him to do
/ it carefully Laport was over fifty
/ five but he was made of tough vital
material and the prospect OF liberty
! stirred all his old sagaeity; Kent saw
him for the last time in prison on Fri
day morning; gave him his additional
/ instructions and tools and left osten-
! sibly for New York at noon, much TO
the regret of the Ixtels
Kcnts provision had been unerring
with regard to Laport, but he made
one or two miscalculations about his
own movements, and as the gov
ernor's special efforts were directed to
/ his capture, stimulated no doubt by the
chagrin on having been SO successfully
duped (he having learned that his
] guest was unauthorized and unknown
in the New York newspaper office),
i one of the best detectives in the coun-
try got upon his track and followed
him to Louisville, KY, when the trail
was d week old From this point he
/ traced him into western Tennessee
and there the pursuit ended. Kent
had disappeared from the surface OF
I the earth. What is remarkable about
this part of the hunt is that nothing
occurred publicly to awaken the sus,
i pfcion that Bench and Kent were the
same person.
Laport's escape from the prison was
! effected with but slight variations as
it had been planned for him, and there
was nothing in his methodical execn
ton of the plan but a grim and sln
eventful determination accompanied
by silent apprehension, until he ar
rived as arranged at the old mill, ant
there the whole character of the pro
cecdings changed as if by magic ant
began to wear the aspect of sixteenth
century romance.
.E While yet some fifty feet away from
the mill and hidden in the brush, h
listened and distinctly heard femal'
voices of merriment coming from tn
other side. His heart sank. Some pic
, niclxing party had taken possession o
the secluded retreat and cut off hi
last chance. There had been no pro