The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-06-25

At the extreme end of the corridor
we pause at last. One Of the heavy
Oaken doors is opened. | enter a cell
which has che air o? a charnel house.
The door shuts behind me with a
groan, the key is turned in the pom
derous lock, and / am alone.
CHAPTER TX.
Yerack Plans.
| look around me and SILVER. This
cell conveys the impression of a burial
vault. The solid masonry of the walls
is oozing with damp which envelops
me, enters my lungs, and literally
permeates my being, drowning my
spirits, lowering my vitality. and X
tinguishing hope in my breast.
Anon I think of Yerack, and strain
my ear to listen for a sound in the
corridor, which comes not. My eyes
remain glued on the closed trap IN the
door for a face that never appears.
Has 1erack failed? More likely he
has not made the effort and repent
ing him of his generous impulse has
left me to my fate" l inwardly groan.
God only knows how it is. but this I
know, that am here, and nothing
has been done and now the morning
has come"
After this a blank-whether spent
in vacant, senseless waking or Sleep
ing. | know not: until once more the
yellow. murky lamplight is dimly il
Illuminating my cell instead of the dull,
gray daylight.
The clock in the chapel tower of
the prison tolls the hour of midnight.
| count the strokes mechanically, sit
ting on the stool with my head against
the humid wall. The final stroke is
still quivering in the air when / hear
a faint click"
Am dreaming, or is there really a
pair of cleaning eyes looking at me
through the trap in the door? Is that
in very truth a hand holding some
thing toward me? | stagger to my
feet, staring with all my might.
The hand beckons impatiently.
In two strides l am at the opening.
i grasp cold rough iron! 1t is a file!
A face is advanced so that l can see
a long dropping mustache. as black as
jet. and a pair Of red lips which pro-
nounce one word, "Work" And the
trap is closed.
clutch it l hug 1.-THE little in
strument that is to give me liberty!
The reaction from the deepest depths
of despair to sudden, full-ledged hope
for a momen overpowers me. /
sink on the edge of the bed and find
relief in a succession Of gasping sobs.
Then l get the mastery of my emo
ticns. and rise with compressed lips.
burning to commence my task. First
| deliberately put out the Light to OBJ
viate the possibility Of my being OBJ
served either from without or within:
after which l mount the stool and
work! BY all the saints, | work!
Steadily, persistently; hour after hour:
blowing away the filings as they fall.
Even when the dawn begins to glimmer
l dare to continue it. until every
bar is sawn through top and bottom,
leaving only a thin. unified surface to
the inside; so that a single thrust will
cause the entire grating to give way.
| am examining my handiworh with
comparative composure, for | have
grown confident during my undis-
turbel labors. when the unexpected
click Of the opening trap makes my
heart stand still with sudden dismay,
while the sweat turns icy cold on my
brow. l have, however: the presence
Of mind to let the file slip up my
sleeve ere l turn my eyes to the door
TO breathe again. l dimly descry
the points of the Cossack's black mus
tache thrust through the aperture. l
noiselessly speed toward him. and he
signs to me to incline my ear.
How much have you done:?" he
whispers.
FINISHED. " J. whisper in reply.
Good. Give me the fle."
p! hand it to him and he thrusts it
into the breast of his uniform. Again
he bends to me and murmurs the n
word: 'To-night.''
l go over to the bed and fling my
self on it with a sigh OF supreme sat-
isfactlon. 1T is done-my task Is
finished: With a single thrust OF nv
hand I eau make for myself an outlet
from the foul den to liberty. A few