Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-04

per 1t would be hopeless, but here, you
see, is description of the prison, which
makes our task much easier.
"This is what the girl says:
"'The prison lies in large court.
yard, inclosed by stockade ON three
sides. This courtyard is broad and con-
stantly guarded by armed soldiers, but
the western end of the prison is built
close to the stockade, and the narrow
avenue between is visited only at inter
walls by a single sentry. With the bottle
Of chloroform stupefy the inmates OF
your cell. With the tools loosen a board
in the floor and crawl under the prison,
which is built on piles. Gain the west
ern end, scale the stockade and 90
straight to the Kara river. Destroy this
writing"
'That last injunction is important"
said Maurice "How shall we do it?"
For answer Platoff placed the scrap Of
paper in his mouth, and after chewing
it for q moment swallowed it with a
slight grimace.
"That disposes of that question, he
said, land now we must find a hiding
place for our measures.
This was by no means an easy mat
ter, but after much consideration the
knife and the wedge were driven into
the underside of the platform far back
from the edge, and the bottle was placed
in crack in :thewall and covered with
a piece of dry plastering taken from an
other locality. dust at this point the
candle exhausted its last drop of tallow
and went out, and at the same time the
tramp of the guard was heard in the
corridor.
"No more talking now," whispered
Platoff, 'or we will be suspected. To
morrow night we will make the at
tempt. Keep up your courage and spir-
its"
Morning came, a cold, dreary day,
with the snow still falling at intervals,
and the convicts started as usual for
the mines. The boys found it a difficult
matter to conceal their feelings under
the watchful eyes of the overseers, but
they managed to pass through the Or
deal remarkably we'll, and nothing oc-
CURED to arouse the suspicious of their
companions or of the guards They as.
sumed dull, istless expression at work
and deHoured their lunch with an ap-
parent greed which they were far from
feeling.
As for Platoff, be kept purposely
away from them all day and Joined the
other gang ON the return march at night.
The evening verifcation was another
dreaded ordeal, but it passed without
incident, and five minutes later Mau-
rice and his six companions were eating
supper in their cell. The chosen time
was at hand.
The dishes were taken away by one
of the guards, and the door was bolted
on the outside. Platoff waited until all
were stretched on the platform, and
then he blew out the candle, leaving the
room in apparent darkness. 1t was not
entirely 80, however, for "a dim glare
shone through the window from the
fires in the courty ard, which the guards
had built to warm themselves, and
when their eyes became accustomed to
1t the boys could see plainly every ob-
ject in the room.
They remained quietly on their backs
until it became evident that their fel.
low prisoners were asleep. Platoff gave
the signal for action by rising cautious
ly and moving Oh tiptoe to the end of
the platform. Satisfied with the inspec-
tion, he came back and whispered to the
boys, "Lie very still and don { make
sound"
Then crossing the room, be took the
bottle from its hiding place in the wall
and approached the slecping.men. Mac
rice saw him tear a strip of cloth from
his coat and apply it to the bottle two
or three times, and Immediately Pc
cUliar odor was perceptible in the room.
Platoff rapidly and cleverly applied
the chloroform to three of the sleeping
men and then turned to the fourth, a
tall, repulsive rutfian Of the name Of
Jocka, who was lying on his side with
his arms over his face.
The saturated rag was within three
inches of his nose, when he suddenly
rose to an upright position. and, facing
Platotf, said in loud whisper: "Not so
fast, my friend! thought something
was up, and have kept all eye on your
movements If you are going to leave,
I intend to 60 with you. Oh, don't get
angry! You can't help yourself, you see.
Be reasonable or I shall call in the
guard. How would you like that?'
The boys, trembling with fear at this
unexpected interruption, awaited Pla-
toff s answer. They were little prepared
for what followed. For brief moment
Platoff faced the ruffiun, who was smil-
ing with the insolence of power, and
then with fierce leap he clutched him
by the neck with one hand and with
the other forced the wet rag against his
nose.
For few seconds the fellow strug-
gled furiously with arms and legs; then,
suddenly relaxing in Plaeoff's grasp, he
dropped Imply on the platform just as
Maurice and Phil hurried to the spot to
render assistance.
HIt's all right" said PlatOff in q