Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-12-08

| 49, " ~ ttSP NdOUI, WAtIGOH
could unlock and remove my fetters.
was then to dress in the uniform of
one OF them, and endsayor to pass the
sentries and make my way to the bat.
terry whose perpendicular wall went
down into the water. On reaching the
battery ] should see the cannons, which
were close to eeoh other and placed In
the position Of triangle. I was to
make for the point, and let myself
down the wall by means of the cord,
and my rescuers would be on the look
out for mo and receive me into their
boat, and take me to ship In the har-
Dor, where I could remain hidden utl-
til the search for me would be aban-
doned. In case / could not induce the
soldiers to take the drugged wine, I
was to use the dagger and endeavor to
get hold of the keys after killing them.
Well, now the whole plan for my
escape was disclosed to me, was I
really any better off? What were the
chances of my being able to carry 1t
out? Could I induce both of the
soldiers who guarded me to take the
wine2 And if I succeeded in this,
how could pass the two sentries and
get to the spot from which I was to
lower myself to the boat? These
were points which almost dismayed
me, but to make a desperate attempt
was my only chance. If there were
but one chance in twenty of success,
I must do my utmost to accomplish it.
l could only now pass the remaining
days in gaining the confidence of the
soldiers who were on duty by night.
How far were they, alas, from think
ing that my apparent meek submission
to my fate, and speaking as one who
had only two or three days to live,
were in reality but a subtle snare for
securing their death and saving my
life
The night soon came which was to
settle the question. I had a hard
task to perform, and we'll I knew that
one false step would spoil the whole.
With that trepidation did I calculate
my chances.
L duly received the two bottles of
wine and the two cakes. found the
dagger in one Of the cakes and the
silk cord in the other, aud noted the
mark of the bottle containing the
drugged wine. About ten O'Clock,
when everything was quiet, Il was
time for me to try my chances.
I produced my cake and wine, OF
which I began to partake, and as the
conversation with my watchers pro
ceeded, 1 offered them both. I asked
as o privilege for this the last night Of
my life that they would take the fet-
ters off my hands, SO that might
partake of my last refreshment with
more comfort. The soldier that had
the keys readily assented, and re-
moved my mahaoles. 7 then begged
that he would give me some ease to
to my feet, by removing the chain.
This was at once refused, as he re-
piled: "People don't eat with their
feet" I proceeded to entertain my
two friends to the best Of my power,
regaling them with cake and wine with
the utmost unconcern. One Of them
partook freely Of both cake and wine,
but the other would not touch the
wine. This was the one that had the
keys. I therefore watched my OPP
portunity to see how 1 could dispose
of him with the dagger. suddenly
seized him with my left hand, and
dragged him towards me, while at the
same moment 1 caught the dagger,
upon which / had been sitting, with
my right hand, and as drew his head
down, l thrust tho dagger into the
back of his neck. It went in with all
the force / could muster, right be-
tween the bones Of the vertebral
column. 1 can hear that dagger CRATE
now between those bones, as L drove
it in with all my might. The other
soldier was already under the infu-
ence Of the drugged wine.
Up to this moment I had accom-
plished perhaps the most difficult part
Of my programme. I Immediately
got hold of the keys, and unlocked
my fetters and threw them off. 1
then, in the quickest time possible,
dressed myself in the uniform Of one
Of the soldiers, and went out of my
dungeon toward lhe beat of the first
sentry had to pass. / shouldered
the musket Of the man had killed,
and then wore the appearance of a
sentinel. I had barely got inside the
first door, when an officer came along.
I challenged him once: "Who goes
there?" He answered by giving me
the password. He then passed on
without suspecting that anything was
wrong.
now reconnoitred as well as I
could, in the darkness of the night,
and after q short time made out the
three oannons, at which point [ was
instructed to let myself down to the
boat But what was my dismay when
I discovered that there were two or
three soldiers sitting near by the
spot, apparently having chat. I de-
cided that had better make my way
60 the opposite corner of the battery,
passed the next sentry without trou-
bic, on giving the password. But l
had now terrible alternative. One
was to let myself down into the water,
and be probably devoured by the
sharks, and the other was to give my