Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-11-30

without opposition.
And still without opposition or Interrupt
ton | regained the burned district 1t had
been a miracle, but was now no better off
than before, save that | was armed and
commanded the lives of at least three men
when the attempt should be made to take
me.
| was aware that the wilderness of black
ened walls and charred timber, which
seemed such haven at present, would be
about the first region over which an or
ganized search would be prosecuted. The
very unlikelihood of my returning to the
tavern had made it possible for me to enter,
regain my arms and leave unmolested, while
the darkest holes of the city would be thor
oughly secured, and that at once. To bur-
row into a crevice in this field of desolation
might be possible, but it would end in
starvation and final discovery. To disguise
myself was not possible, nor, had | the
means, would it have availed me much, as
my unusual size would have made disguise
of little more than temporary benefit My
line of flight, which might easily be traced
along the sands of the strip of beach, point
ed plainly toward the region which | was
now traversing, and to remain in it's vicin-
ity was tantamount to placing myself with
in easy reach of my pursuers. had but one
tAPthiCLtJ anu LhdJ " tluit CdDJuIe uHIU
nightfall by placing myself where there was
the least liability of search, and, under
cover of darkness, boldly attempting to force
the lines at a spot remote from the regular
roads of travel.
To this end | bethought me of taking to
water, and by swimming outhank the de-
fenses; but soon realized that the banks of
either river would be doubly guarded by
sentinels and patrol boats, though aside
from the risk, gave over the idea, as the at
tempt would necessitate my complete dis
arming.
Turning northward, therefore, l kept
within the limits of the black desolation un-
til / reached its upper termination Leaving
it behind, l cut through the grounds of
Kings college, walking with apparent care
lessness, then on to the hospital, through it's
confines, and still onward over a garden or
two and field until | had arrived at the
edge of Lispenard's Meadows.
| dared not trust myself to its broad open;
| could have been too easily marked from
distance, so | turned me toward the Hud-
son, keeping the while close to the shrubbery
which defined the meadows limits, and
finally took refuge under chestnut tree,
though ere long was up it and as far toward
its top as durst venture.
Years after | looked in vain for this tree.
but it had fallen under the AK, as fell all
the heavy timber on the island during the
terrible winter of 1880.
/ was now wet through. The cloak /
had continued to wear to prevent easy iden-
tiiication, together with the reekng wealth
er and the showers of water which had
poured from the wet leaves, had saturated
me, and | was anything save comfortable as
| sat astride bough and waited for the day
to end.
1t was something after five o'clock, but as
yet | had discovered no signs of pursuit in
my direction. To beguile the time, reload
ed my rifle and pistols though | laid more
reliance on any strength of arm and hard
ness OF fist to overcome a single guard than
| did on firearms. The great wet meadow
stretched before me like green sea, broken
only by the clump of trees which was to
have been my dueling ground on the NOR
row, and the sluggish brook taking its rise
from the Collect, cutting in twain length
wise and draining the plain which had once
been a dangerous and pestilence- breeding
quagmire. The thunderstorm had passed,
but the sky was yet heavily overcast, prom
Using a dark, wet night (Which suited my
purpose), and by the time the sun set and
| swung myself from my lofty perch the rain
was coming down, not in torrents, but with
a steady drip-drop that told of decided
change of weather.
| had no preparations to make, nor from
the point at which | had been hiding had l
a long distance to 90 before coming to the
line of defenses. This line was not CON
tinuous embankment, but consisted of short
breastworks and redOubts at no great dis
tance apart, every foot of the intervening
spaces being patrolled by sentinels. | had
resolved to strike the line near its center, or
about midway betwiXt the kingsbridgc and
Greenwich roads, and so walked straight
over the meadows crossing the brook and
feeling my way up the rising ground of the
northern boundary of the great field.
1t was not yet dark, but through the
gloom | soon made out that | was exactly
in the rear of redoubt. Retracing my
steps, | worked eastward, then again head
ed north, and this time found myself at the
end OF a slight dip of the ground, with forti-
ications on the heights at either hand. The
way between appeared unobstructed by
military works, though what guard was
there posted | could not guess, and as yet it
was too light to attempt the passage.
Still protecting my primings, [ threw
myself on the sodden ground, and in this
fashion lay waiting, while the minutes
dragged and the half hour seemed length
ened to an age. | say half hour, but it might
have been more or less. There was no
sound save the patter OF the rain, the dismal
chrrup of forlorn tree toad, and an oc-
casional hail of a guard. Finally, the
gloom grew to dusk, the dusk to darkness
and that to pitchiness in the tree-shadowed
passage which lay before me. And now !
grded myself for the attempt, fully CON
scious that my life and death hung finely
balanced.
[ had first thought of crawling through
the line like snake, belly down, but the dis
tance and nature of the ground made such
a course impossible unless | was to take the
whole night to it, and if discovered | would
be taken at Il disadvantage. Rising, there
fore, | stepped behind tree, slung my rife
across my back, and drew my cloak well
about my sword, throwing back the garment
in manner that left my right arm free.
From this cover | slipped to another and
another, and so onward until | found my
self at what | thought to be the edge of a
small clearing beyond, but | could neither
see nor hear aught ahead, fact causing me
some perpleXity. | was debating the
feasibility Of advancing boldly and risEing