The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-25

found that he could turn back the bolt
of each clumsy lock. They knew that it
was time for the guard to be returning.
Ralph was ready for him. Let's fool
him boys All follow me- They fol-
lowed him down the corridor, then
around to the tier of cells on the other
side Ralph opened one of the cells and
all entered. Breathlessly they waited
for the lazy guard TO find their cells
empty. There was a sudden pause in
his measured tread, then a startled ex-
clamation; he had found the first cell
empty, then the second and the third.
Alarmed he did not stop to see how
they had escaped, or where they had
gone. but terror-stricken, fed for his
own safety
''Now, boys. is our chance" said
Ralph
Chance" was the answer, what
chance is there of getting out of this
prison. even if We have ESCAPED from
our miserable cells?'
1.-THE chance is" said Ralph, for re-
turning to our cells, each man to be
locked in and sound asleep when the
prison officers come. We must myStlfy
them" he continued. 1T is our only
hope"
Hardly had each man returned to his
cell with the barred door locked behind
him and the wire under the corner
stone again and all sound asleep %
when a terrible commotion was heard
in the corridors. Men were running
here and there, examining windows,
roof even the stone floors, in the vain
endeaVor to find where the Yankees
had made their exit. Finding every
thing secure, and no traces of the men,
jabbering, excited, with noisy footsteps
and clanking swords, they APP
preached the cells in the search for fur
11n~ .1rr 90 ffonir IL rAtsicn
To their establishment, they found
every door locked, and-mystery of
Mysteries escaped prisoner was
sound asleep on his hard bunk. Turn
ing sharply on the guard who had thus
stirred them all up, they demanded an
explanation. The confused fellow, with
every piOuS phrase, crossing his heart
again and again, declared that ten min
utes before not one of them was in his
cell
They sneered at him, said he must
have been asleep and dreamed it. An
other of their number was detailed to
the duty of watching these slippery,
strange acting prisoners, for, in spite
of the ridicule aimed at the old guard,
the new one felt that he had uncanny
men to guard.
By a careful search, no iron key of
any sort could be found, yet the first
guard said emphatically that Angel or
devil. some one had opened the cell
DOORS" 1t was only a matter of a few
days before the new guard lost some of
his carefulness. Ralph again quickly
liberated the boys, and as quickly they
were in the cell on the opposite side of
the corridor.
Now, boys, this time let's scatter
along this corridor. One of you go
down to the end where the guard begins
his beat. He has just left, and is go
ing toward our cells. Watch him from
behind, and as soon as he looks in the
first empty. cell, give the signal, and
from all parts of the gallery here we
will yell like fiends; give him an Indian
war-whoop, then all run back around
to the cells and chase him, groaning,
growing; in fact, act as if
We had suddenly gone crazy. When he
reaches the stairs, all run back to your
cells and be locked in again"
There was but little time, enough, |
however, for the men to scatter, and
when the guard looked into the first |
cell there was such shrieking and cat |
awaiting as Spanish soldier never be- |
fore heard. 1t was not in his pro- |
gramme to interview these terrible |
ghosts; his only thought was to make |
sure of his escape, but they were all |
after him, hooting, snarling, jeering,
like so many demons, although they |
could hardly keep from roaring at the
fellows awful fright. 1t was not their
1lan to catch him, for as he reached
the stairs, going down four steps at a
ime, he stumbled, with abject fear, up
% the guard room door. The six
ghosts laughing so they could hard
y crawl back to their cells, We're locked
n again and finally quieted down long
enough to attempt little snoring.
III.
If there was commotion before among
he guards now there was a panic. 1t
vas some time before a dozen of them
Jared to look into the cells and examine
he door where their prisoners CD We're
to be lodged. Yet for num-
Ter of days they watched the very
Ioors of the lis so closely that no
word could be spoken from one to an
,ther
But Ralph knew that after time the
guard would relax his vigilance over
UGH innocent appearing fellows as
hey now were. AT any rate, their "a
ions were improving in quantity and
quality. There was so much gained.
The third eScapade was as shrewd and
laring as ever prisoner attempted. For
N the third opening of the cell doors,
hey all ran around to the other corri-
or down to the stairs while the guard
vas approaching their cells. Then they
an down to the floor below laughing
nd shouting. Ralph, with his precious
wire, was equal to the lock of the door
nto the courtyard, around which the
rison was built. Once in there, the ,
ailors. unanimously and hilariously
umbled over one another, turning SOM
rsets and handSpringS, cracking the
Whip" and acted like a lot of school
oys in America just turned out for
. vacation after a long written exam
nation.
The instructions were to cut uD all
he antics they could think OF. They
ushed each other over, climbed like
nonkeys to the top of the Spanish flag
,ole and came down TO indulge in
anne of hopscotch. Strange to say, no
ne interfered-or was it strange that
10 one intertered with such daredevil
who, with the death pen
lty UPON them, made the prison yard
playground. The prison windows
ad gradually filled with amazed, and, !
ndeed, scared Spanish officials.
Never did theatre balconies contain
more puzzled, beWiidered audience ]
han filed the windows of that Manila
rison, looking upon the inexplicable
erformaEce of few really desoerate {
zen who were playing the game of !
fe and death on that stage OF a prison /
ourtyard. {
The last act in this tragedy farce f
as for the six men to stand apart, IN c
ne, then in turn each jumped over the S
Their in the good old game of leao /
rom. Laughing, hooting. running, c
d given signal they broke '
anks (leap frog ranks, rushed for the a
DORIS of the PRISON, went up the stairs /
/ a twinkling, then down the corridor
nd into their cells-Ralph again lock- d
IL them in before the Gazzled officials | Y