Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-03-31

The morning W.ll be too late"
they've got secreted under there.
shouldn't be surprised TO find Il whisky
still in full blast, or a complete gam
bling outft-dash. dash 'em to dash
and destination! Send for carpenter,
sergeant
The carpenter came, and he and two
or three of the guard laid hold OF one
end of the plank after its nails were
drawn. and with little eXertion ripped
it of the other posts. Then everybody
held Ills breath minute, stared, and a
small majority swOre. So far 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.
CanEer almost ran around to the oppo-
site side and had big plank torn of
there. Within was Il wall as damp,
solid and straight as that first disrtw-
cred, and so, when examined, werN ~
other two sides provided. Canker's face
was sturdy. and the board gazed and
was profoundly happy.
1T last the colonel cXploded:.
"nN ,1upiter They haven't got away
1t all. then, There isn't a flaw in the
eard wall anywhere. They must be
hidinq' about the middle now. Come on,
ecntllmcn." and around he trctted to
the trent door. "Sergeant." he cried
"get OF AL the pli>oners-all their
bedding every blessed thing they've
got. | want to examine that floor"
Most of the quardhouse birds were
Gus cloppin2 wood, and Canker danced
IN among the few remaining, loading
them with bedding belonging TO theil
fellows until every item Of clothing and
furniture was showed out Of the room
! sJ1l1 member of the board and one Only
!uiild to enter with his ass0ciatea--a
veteran captain who read much war
| literature and abhorrcd Canker. 10 the
sltprisp Of the sentry he walked de-
| liternt"is over to the fence, climbed II
ohI presently nae.,,.- ~i.:,>.s ~l-~..t Oh q
wooden curb that ran along the road
| making low reVetnlent or retaining
wall for the earth, cinders and gravel
that, distributed over the sand, had
BEEN hopefully designated a sidewalk
by the owners of the tract. Presently
he came sauntering back, and both SEN
TRIES within easy range would have
sworn he was chuckling. Canker
greeted him with customary asperity.
"What do You mean, sir, by absent
ing yourself from this investigation,
when you must have known | was with
the board and giving it the benefit of
the Information | had gathered?"
81 was merely eXpcditing matters,
colonel. While you were looking for
where they went in was finding where
they got OUT
Went in what? Got out of what ?"
snapped Canker.
"lheir tunnel, sir. It's Libby on a
small scale over again. They must
have been at work at it at least ten
days. And as he spoke, calmly ignor
ing Canher and letting his eyes wander
over the floor. the veteran battalion
commander sauntered across the room,
stirred up "A slightly o.ccting bit of
flooring with the toe of his boot and
placidly continues: IF you'll be good
enough to let the men pry this up you
may understand"
. And when pried up and lifted away
snugly fitting trap door about two
feet square - there yawned beneath
it. leading slantwisc downward in the
direction Of the street, Il tunnel through
the soft yielding sand, braced and
strengthened here and there with lids
and sides of crackerboXcs. "Now, If
you don't mind straddling fence, sir,
iii show you the other end" said the
captain, imperturbably leading the
way, and Canker, half-dazed yet wholly
in command of his stock of blasphemy.
followed, At the curb, in the midst of
Il lot OF loose hay from the bales dumped
there three days before, the leader dis
lodged with his sword the top of u cloth.
ing b..N that had been thickly covered
with sand and hay-and there was the
outlet. Easy as rolling off log,
colonel said old Cobb, with sar-
castle grin. "This could all be done
without a man you've blamed and ar
rested being Il whit the wiser. They
sawed Il panel out of the floor, scoopcd
the sand out Of this tunnel banked it
solid against the weather boarding in
side, filled up the whole space, pretty
near, but ran their tunnel under fence
and sidewalk, crawled down the gut
ter TO the next block out of sight of the
then walked away free men.
Those three thieves who got away were
old hands. The other men in the guard
house were only mild offenders, except |
Morton. Course he was glad of the |
chance to go with EN-. | s'posc you'll |
release my sergeant and those sentries
now"
"Ill do nothing of the kind" an.
3worcd Canker. red with wrath. "and
your suggestion is disrespectful to your
officer. When want your
advice I'll ask for it,"
We'll. Mr.. Gray will be relieved to
earn of this anyhow. ! suppose 1 may
ell him." hazarded the junior men,
Der, mischievously.
"Mr. Gray be-. Mr.. Gray has
TO answer fort" shouted the
fingered colonel. ut was he who tele-
,honed for carriage to meet and run