The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
THE ESCAPE.
BY HYNE.
Copyright. 1897. the S. s. Mcclure Co.

ETouCn NONtTnmtnb " luo mGIo rpoTb VI INT
thing"
II was told said Carnegie, w%carily, "thn,
you were q man that feared nothing on tho
earth, or I would not have asked you to call
upon me-.
'Yon Jwero told right" said Kettle. But
chose that spoke about me should have added
that I'm not q man who'll take n ticketto land
myself in an ugly moss unless some one pays my
trnin fare, and gives mo something to spend at
the other end. I'm n sailor, sir, by trade or
profession, whichever you like TO name IL, and
on a steamboat when Il row has been started I'll
not say but what I've seen 1t through moro than
once out OF sheer delight in wrestling with an
ugly scrape. Yes, sir, that's the kind Of brute
I am at sea. But what you propose is different.
It's out OF my line. It's jail.breaking. no less,
with asspell OF sovcn years in the jug II I don't
succeed, and no kind Of credit to wear or dollars
TO Jingle II / do carry IL through as you wish.
And may I ask, SIR, why 1 should interest my
self in this Mr.. Claroi Inevor heard of him till
I came in this room half an hour ago in answer
to your advertisement"
fs unjustly condo mned, +" Carnegie repeat
cd, as though he were quoting from n lesson.
rho IL suffering Imprisonment in this pestilen.
tial pla~ce-cr-Chyenne for n fault which some
one else has committed, and unless he is res
cued he will die there horribly. am appealing
TO your humanity. Captaini Would you see a
fellow countryman wrongedl'
Il have only to look In the glass for that, re.
torted Kettle. Most peoples kicks come to me
when i am anywhere within hail. And you'll
kindly observe, sir, that I've nothing but -our
bare word to go on for MIR. Clare's Innocence.
The French courts and the French people by
your own admitting took q very different view
of the matter. They said with clearness that he
did sell those plans of fortrcsses to the Germans
and knowing their way of looking at such a mat
ter, 1t only surprises me that he wasn't guillo-
tined out of hand"
ut is my daughter who is sure OF his guilt
lessnvss in the matter said Carnegie, with n
Hush. And" he added, Il may say that she is
the chief person who wishes for his escape"
Capt. Kettle bowed, and fingered the tar
nished badge on his cap. He had n chivalrous
respect for the other Sex.
And 1t was she who made me advertise
vaRuoly for q seafaring man who had got daring
and tho skill to carry out so delicate a matter.
We had 200 answers in four posts. Can you
credit such a thing2"
Easily" said Kettle. 81 am not the only
Door devil Of q skipper who's out of a job. But
G100 is not enough and that's the beginning and
the end Of it. There's two ways OF doing this
business, l guess. and one of them's fighting
and the others bribery. Well, sir, n man can't
collect much OF an army for 25-pun' notes. and
as for bribery, why, it's hardly enough to buy
. deputy customs inspector jim the ordinary
way of business, let alone q whole squad of
Cayenne warders. with n big idea of their own
value and Importance. Then there's getting
put to Franch Guiana, and getting back, and
steamer fare for the pair of us would come to
inore than a couple OF postage stamps. And then
whore do l come int You say l can pocket the
balance. But I'm hanged il I sec where the bal
Aunn fu frnfnu to In gr,nnnol frar, ~. IL
{e1O0 isl mere foolishness, and the kindcst thing
Yp,an 10 is to go away without further talk. BY
|j6uneS, sir, / can say that II you'd given me
this precious scheme RS your own, there's a
man in this room who would have had a
SMASHED face for his impudcnce, but as you tell
me there's n lady in the case, Ill say no more"
Capt. Kettle stood up, thrust out his chin ag.
Rresslvely, and swung on his cap. Then he
took 1t Off again, and ooughod with politencss.
The door opened and the girl they had been
speaking about came into the room. She
stepped quickly across and took his hand.
Capt. Kettle" she said. 81 could not leave you
alone with my father any longer. l just had to
come in and thank you for myself. knew you
would be the man to help us in our trouble. l
know it from your letter."
Tho little sailor coughed again and Redeemed
slightly under the tan. I'm afraid, miss" he
said. Il am useless. AS l was explaining to
your-to Mr.. Carnegie, before you came in. the
job Is a bit outside my weight. You see, when
] answered. that advertisement, 1 thought 1t was
something with n steamboat that was wanted,
and for that sort of thing, with any kind of crew
that signs on. I am fitted, and no man better.
But this"
80, do not say it is beyond you. Other pris.
oners have escaped from the French penal set
Elements. 1t only requires a strong, determined
man 10 Arrange matferS from the autaidn md
the thing is done"
Kettle idgetted with the badge on his cap.
"With respect, miss" said he. what any other
man could do / would not shy Mt, but tho thing
you've got here's impossible, and the gentle
man will just have to stay where he is and serve
out the time he's earned"
"But. SIR" the girl broke out passionately,
"he has not earned it. He was accused unjust
I. He was condemned as a scapegoat to shield
others. They were powcrful-he was without
intcrest-and all France was shrieking for a vic
tim. Mr.. Glare was n subordinate in q Gov
eminent Office through which these plans OF
fortrcsscs had passed. He was by birth half an
Englishman. and 30 it was easy 10 raise suspi-
eiOn against him. They forged great sheaves
OF evidence; they drew off attention from
the real thieves; they shamed him horribly.
and then they sent him off to those awful
Isles de Salut for life. Yes, for life, till ago
or the disonsc9 OF the place should free him by
death. Can you think of anything moro fright
Mr.. Clare is fortunate in having such a
"A friend" she repeated. Has not my
father told your i am his promised wife. Fan
cy the irony OF 1t. "c were to have been mar
ried the very day he was condemned. 1t was
my money and ,my fathers which defended
him at the trial, and it nearly b~eggared us.
,nndb nov ~ y. ! T Sim spend Iss avt the last penny can
Capt, Kettle. coughea once more. 1T was
upon the question OF money that Mr.. Carnegie
and ! split, miss. J. said 10 him u hundred
Pounds would not work it. and there's the naked
truth"
But it must, :" she cried. 'it must. You think
us mean, niggardly. But 1t is not that. We
can raise no more. We are at the end of our
funds, Look around at this room. Does this
Il did not. They were in a grimv Newcastle
lodging, on the third floor, and Mt one side of
the room tho flank of a bedstead showed Itself in
outline against n curtain. The paper was torn
and the carpet was absent. and from the shaft of
the stairway came that mingled scent of clothes
and fried onion which Is native to this type Of
dwelling.
Carnegie himself was a faded man of so. His
nannhfar carried the recent fra nx nf bnnptu