The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-04-30

Nou will, Of course, surmise that
tHhrst thing I had done on being
l& alone in my cell was to examine
e4sy avenue Of possible escape. Ny
rgn was ten by twelve. There was
ins q table, one chair and e pallet Of
stHF. One small iron barred win
dd, looking out on the prison yard
b@ath, furnished what light there
ws The bars were half an inch in
digeter, and firmly set in the
manry. Using all my strength I
coM not bulge them. I was not,
hosNer, Kept long in suspense: Or
thesternoon of the second day I was
taha out, tried, found guilty, and
cosGmned to be shot ct sunrise on
thsay following-that is, within fl
tee1aours.
ny return to the hot, badly
aira cell with the stunning effect OF
myeentence benumoing my brain,
satR Rstlessly down by the table and
ALLEGED my head to rest in the hollow
Of sy hands. Ny attitude of dejec-
tionsappealed to the sergeant who
broght me in, for placing his hand on
my shoulder he asked Il there was
noting he could dc for ME. T shook
my bad. There are some very nice
graNs-i in the market place outside,
he sid persuasively. The sound of the
woratgrapes' recalled to my mind how
parcsed the roof Of my mouth was, so I
thanted him, and said I should enjoy
few I handed him a half eagle,
whia my captors had overlooked
wheE they took everything else Of
value from me. In less than five
minues he was back with basket of
delicpus-looking fruit, which be
PLACED on the table at my elbow, and
ohsr9 me the change. T motioned
him 4 keep it, saying that he could
spen&t to better advantage than I.
He pBketed it with an expression on
his eSantenance intending to denote
conmseration, but he was such O
happy smilin g-faced fellow that the
effect vas rather comical. As he was
putting the change in his pocket one
Of the larger coins slipped through
his fingers and striking the floor on its
edge i circled about the room and
nesting on the straw at my
feet. EActuated by feeling Of deli
cacy The sergeant withdrew without
stoopiag to pick it up, and hardly
noticiig the occurrence I remained
seated at the table. After a short
time Ipulled myself together enough
TO e9tsome grapes, and then COM
men8e to write few lines to my
frienN at home in the hopes that
through the kindness of my iailer,
who hid also furnished me with paper
and pe4ci1, they would some day reach
;he h,uds for whom they were in
tended As I finished writing my
eye casght the glitter Of the coin at my
:eet. Ipicked it up and tossed it onto
;he tale before me. On looking atit
closer Z noticed that it was French
,oin, 18th the head Of Louis XVI.
'tamp9t upon it. This sent me of
nto aAther train of thought, and as
musea I tapped mechanically on the
'oin with the point of my pencil,
hus," aud the major illustrated the
.ction with the fruit knife. "I must
laye str{ck sharp, quick blow right
'ver theletter o, for all of o sudden
Is56s BE- 6sss sss asi3 ssE ses2 Iiag a2a ont
abfe H5th q ling Sound. II =.
my thumb and fnge
;oing to the light could hardly bseg
ny eyes when Isaw that 7 held tiny
lie about an inch and a half in length,
With delicate sawteeth, which were al
most invisible to the naked eye. The
lext moment T was standing on my
tool ct the window, experimenting on
he iron bar. The little instrument
vas made of the hardest steel, and its
my teeth made some impression on
he iron. For half an hour I worked
way persistently, and by that time
had cut into the bar little. Not
much, to be sure, but still enough to
aise my hopes. 1t was only ques-
ion of time and not being interrupted,
nd T should be through that window.
worked away like a beaver. Twelve
lours to saw through two half-inch
,ars. IIhad read Of men who, with
lies mgde with watch-springs, had cut
heir way to liberty through iron bolts
nd bars, or with no other tool than
he blade Of Of penknife had dug
through dozen feet of stone and
Mortar to the daylight beyond; but
hess men had taken weeks and
months to complete their task, while
had Just one short summer. night
The heat was intense, and what with
he exercise and the constant fear Of
Interruption, the, perspiration rolled
n great drops from my brow. I had
,een at work, as it seemed to me,
bout two hours, and had cut
lalf through the first bar, when I was
tartled by the rattle Of key in the
ock behind me. Like an antelope Twas
way from the window, and by the
ime the door swung open I was seated
N my stool at the table with my face
lown and my hands elapsed about my
lead. A soldier entered the cell with
lantern which he held above my
lead. I did not move. He placed
me hand on my back. I could feel
ny heart throbbing like an engine,
nd thought it must send a tremor
through my whole body, which he
ould not help noticing, but he merely
commented upon the perspiration
which. drenched my shirt. I had
aiken off my coat in order to work
more freely. Stretching out my arms
nd yawning, as if 1 had justawakened,
looked up duly. 1t was not the
anne fellow who had gotten me the