The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25

they waited for the lazy guard to find
their cells empty. There was sudden
pause in his measured tread then a star
tied exclamation; 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
II we have escaped from our miserable
cells?"
The chance is" said Ralph, "for re-
turning to our cells, each man to be lock-
ed In and sound asleep when the prison
officers come We must mystify them"
he continued. TT is our only hope"
Hardly had each man returned to his
cell with the barred door locked behind
him and the wire under the cornerstone
again, and all sound asleep @ when a
terrible commotion was heard in the cor
ridors. 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. Find
ing everything secure, and no traces of
the men, jabbering, excited, with noisy
footsteps and clanking swords, they ap-
preached the cells in the search for fur
ther clues of their escaped prisoners. To
their establishment, they found every door
locked, and-mystery of mysteries-each
escaped prisoner was sound asleep on his
hard bunk. Turning 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 minutes before not one of them was In
his CELL
They sneered at him, said he must have
been asleep and dreamed it. Another Of
their number was detailed to the duty of
watching these slippery, strange acting
prisoners for, in spite of the ridicule aim
ed at the old guard, the new one felt
that he had uncanny men to guard.
By a careful search no iron or key of
any sort could be found, yet the first
guard said emphatically that Angel or
devil, some one had opened the cell DOORS"
It was only a matter of few days be-
fore the new guard lost some of his care
fulncss. Ralph again quickly liberated
the boys and 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 going 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, groan-
ing, screeching, 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 how
ever, for the men to scatter and when
the guard looked into the first cell there
was such a shreling and catawauling as
Spanish soldier never heard before. 1t
was not in his programme TO interview
! these terrible ghosts; his only thought
was to make sure of his escape. but they
were all after him. hooting, snarling, jeer-
ing, like so many demons, although they
! could hardly keep from roaring al the
fellows awful fright. 1t was not their
plan to catch him, for as he reached the
stairs, going down four steps at time, he
stumbled, with abject fear, up to the
guard room door The six GHOSTS"
laughing so they could hardly crawl back
to their cells, were locked in again and
finally quoted down enough to attempt a
( little snoring.