Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23

1
| SO until late in the afternoon the question
that agitated the entire range of regiment
| al camps was: How did those fellows
| break away from the prison of the -
teenth?" Then came clue, and then-dis.
| covery.
BY order Of Lieutenant Colonel Canker
| a board Of officers had been convened to
investigate the matter, and, after ques-
| tioning everybody whom "Squeers' had
already badgered with his assertions,
threats and queries, they went to the
ton of the premises. The wooden build
ing stood in the midst Of a waste of sand
blown in from the shore line by the strong
| sea wind. 1t was perched on something
| like a dozen stout posts driven into the
SOFT soil and then the space between the
| floor level and the sand was heavily and
| stoutiy boarded fn-thick planks being
| used. Between the floor and the sand was
| a space of about eighteen inches vertical,
and dozen men could have sprawled
| thereln-lying at full length-but to escape
would have required the connivance of
| one Or more of the sentries surrounding
| the building and the ripping off of one or
| more Of the planks. In his keen anxiety
Canker accompanied the board on its tour
| OF lnveSt1gation--a thing the board did not
at all l1ke-and presently. as was his wont,
began running things his own way. 1t
| had been found useless to question the
soldiers of the guard. Not man could
be found to admit he knew the faintest
| thlnS ABOUT the escape. AS for the pris-
| oners, most of them reckless devil-may-
| care rasca1s, they grfnned or leered sug-
| ges1veiy, but had nothing to tell
| Wen have this boarding ripped off.
| sald Csnker decisiveiy, land see what
| they We got secreted under there
| shouldn't be surprised to find a whisky
| still i'll full blast or a complete gambling
| outnt-oash, dash 'em to dash and da sh-
| nation! Send for a carpenter, sergeant
Inc carpenter came and he and two or
tnree OF the guard laid hold of one end of
the plank after its nails were drawn. and
with little exertion ripped it off the other
posts. Then everybody held his breath a
minute, stared. and small majority swore
90 lar from ITS being open to cats cans
and rubbish, the space on that side was
filled solid with damp heavy sea sand-a
vertical wall extending from floor to ground.
oanker almost ran around to the opposite
slae ana had big plank torn off there
Nltnn was wall as damp, solid and
straight as that first discovered and so
When examined. were the two other sides
provided. Canker's face was a study. and
the board gazed and was profoundly happy
At last the colonel exploded:
by Jupiter! They haven't got away Mt
ALL then! There isn't a flaw in the sand
vail anywhere. They must be hiding about
.ne midaie now. Come on. gentlemen" and
around he trotted to the front door. Ser
seant, he cried. get out all the prisoners
AN their bedding-every blessed thing
Trey We got: want to examine that floor"
Most of the guardhouse birds were out
chopplng wood. and Canker danced in
among the few remaining. loading them
with bedding belonging to their fellows.
uhth every item of clothing and furniture
vas showed out of the room. One member
or the board, and one only, failed to enter
WIN MS associates-a veteran captain who
read much war literature and abhorred
Canker To the surprise of the sentry he
walked deliberately over to the fence
climbed 1t and presently began poking
ABOUT the wooden curb that ran along the
read, making low revetment or retain
iHs wall for the earth, cinders and gravel
tod
hopefully designated a sidewalk bv the
owners OF the tract. Presently he came
sauntering back, and both sentries within
easy range would have sworn he was
chuckhns. Canker greeted him with Gus
tCmary aSperity.
what do You mean. sir. by absenting
ycurseif from this investigation, when YOU
must have known l was with the hoard
and giving it the benefit of the informative
had gathered?'
L was merely expediting matters. col
ohei. Nhl!e You We're looking for where
they went in l was finding where they got
CUT 10y so'
ped Canker snap
y heir tunnel. sir. It's Libby on a small
scale over again. They must have heen at
work at it at least ten DAVIS" And as he
spoke calmly ignoring Canker and letting
LIE eyes wander over the floor, the veteran
battalion commander sauntered across the
room. stirred up a slightly protecting bit of
looring with The toe of his boot and Mac
IDLY continued. IF you'll be good enough
stand. ' u't"ei
And when pried I'D and lifted avay.
snusiy lifting trap door about two feet
siuare-there yawned beneath it. leading
siahtwisc downward in the direction of the
street, a tunnel through the soft Welding
sand, braced and strengthened here and
there with lids and sides of cracker boxes
Now, If you don't mind straddling fence,
sir, IL snow you the other end said the
m npr hal
and Canker. half-dazed, yet wholly in com
mand of his stock Of blasphemy followed.
AT the curb, right in the midst of lot of
loose hay from the bales dumped there
three days before. the leader dislodged with
mis- sword the top Of a clothing box that
mad been thickly covered with sand and
hay-and there was the outlet. Easy as
rolling OF log, colonel" said old Cobb
with a sarcastic grin. This could all be
done without man you've blamed and ar
rested being a whit the wiser They saw
ed panel out Of the floor, scooped the
sand out of this tunnel, banked 1t solid
against the weather boarding inside filled
up the whole space, pretty near, but run
their tunnel under fence and sidewalk
crawed down the gutter to the next block
out of sight of the sentries then walked
away free men. Those three thieves who
got away were old hands. The other men
in the guard house We're only mild Offend
ers, except Morton. Course he was glad
of the chance to go with EN-. 1 s'pose
you'll release my sergeant and those SEN
tries now.
TN do nothing of the kind" answered
Canker red with wrath land your sug-
gest!on is disrespectful to your command
ing officer. When l want your advice I'll
ask for it,
well, Mr.. Gray will be relieved to learn
of this, anyhow. l suppose l may tell him."
hazarded the junior member, mischiev-
ously.
Mr.. Gray be -. Mr.. Gray has every
thing to answer forv' shouted the angered
colonel. at was he who telephoned for a
carriage to meet and run those rascals off.
Mr.. Grays fate is sealed. He can thank
God / don't slap him into the guard house
with his chosen associates but he shan't
escape. Sergeant of the guard. post SEN
try over Lieut.. Grays tent, with orders to
allow nc one to enter or leave it without
my written authority. Mr.. Gray shall pay
for this behind the prison bars of AL
catraz."
(To be continued).