Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-05-18

toward the tavern a711st ar c,,l.... -
Ny arms were like lead Tie g53I ju ~
pockets and tire bullets ia my pouch la
fifty times their weight az / spIashed tbroug
the mud, but / was protected by 4 diyin
| providence, for no soul saw / going or CON
ing while / was on the great thorouqhIare
| When ] turned into the lane leading I'd til
| tavern some 81 my reason returned 10 me
| and ] slipped over the fence that / nigh
| not approach TOO directly the front door
| There were no horses under the she'd as
! passed it, fact that gave me assurance, an,
| on peering through the bar window,
| marked that the room was unoccupied.
The bar Of the Dove was, like many O
| the tdyerns Of the day, as much refactori
as a bar, and the general assembly room O
the house As / have said, II was deserted
and barren of light as well, the far corners
being 50 immersed in gloom that ] conld
barely make out the tables under the cur
tanned windows Ny advent within brought
an answering sound Of steps, and there en-
tered black man, half waiter and hall
hostler, as / made out by his apfon, the
table knives in his hand, and a general smell
Of the stable he brought with him.
Without ado / asked for food-iood Of any
sort, hot or cold with a bottle Of wine, or,
failing in that, stimulant OF any description.
! thought the fellow was frightened at my
ferceness. and showed him | meant to pay
for all demanded by pulling from my pock-
at d few pieces Of gold and exposing them.
He slipped behind the bar and brought out
bottle II rum, setting it on table in the
darkest corner Of the room, and then hur-
redly went out, saying / should be served
without delay.
Left to myself, / took stiff dram and
looked about me. The room was decidedly
barren in appearance, the only attempt at
ornamentation being in the boughs 'of
green stuff that had been piled into the vast
fireplace The rafters overhead, somber
with age, were black in the increasing dark
ness, and the walls, unwhitened for months
and perhaps years, We're deeply scored with
names and coarse notices craven by sword
points or bayonets, and sputted by
candles held against the rough plaster. The
bar took up a space near the entrance, the
floor was clean and sanded, and the only
turnlture IN the room consisted 81 an i'm
fnense settle in the Corner by the chimney
one long table with a bench betwixt it and
the wall, and four or five smaller tables with
accompanying chairs In strong contrast
with the prevailing dinginess OF the apart
ment were the two windows IN the rear Of
the ROOM their curtains of plain stuff as
white and stiff as erusted snow, and the
panes as sparkling and brilliant as newly
minted coin '"-.sse..
With an eve to future action in case Of
mischance, ! went to the windows and found
them unfastened The view looked east and
showed an infield with a stream on one side,
which / knew must drain the ponds and
swqmps Of the lower Harlem flats il the Vi,
cinity of Mc(iowans Pass, and empty itself
culverted, still runs under the city in the
into the Sound river. This stream, now
neighborhood Of East One Hundred and
Tenth street,
The sight Of its brush-grown banks and
the oncoming night suggested a way of es.
cape, but a boat would have been necessary,
and even with this there were the jaws of
Hell Gate and the river patrols to overcome.
/ think | had plumbed the depths OF
every possible chance to get off the island
and on TO the main, but saw no way ont.
The Hudson was too wide to swim; the
Sound river too boisterous in either run Of
the tide, and even better guarded than was
the land To pass the Harlem was not pos
sble, both banks being sentried by the
enemy, and thus | was held betwixt the
303rries gates" the lower lines, and the two
rivers In time every foot of this ground
would be secured. and the end looked TO be
that would succumb --v--e,.s,--~
But the end was not sci, was well
armed and stronger BY dram lhon when /
came in. | left open the windows, changing
my seat to the long table partly stretching
myself along the bench to render me less
conspicuous. From here | commanded a
view 81 the front door and al within the
room. being myself quite ia the darkness.
Thus ! waited for full quarter OF an hour
with dead silence al about until the black
brought IN my food and a candle, setting the