Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-04-06

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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 l 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 fight, which might easily be traced
along the sands of the strip of beach, point
ed plainly toward the region which 1 was
now traversing, and to remain in its vicin-
ity was tantamount to placing myself with
in easy reach of my pursuers. / had but one
expedient, and that to elude capture until
nightfall by placing myself where there was
the least liability of search, and, under
cover of darkness, boldly attempting to force
the lines at spot remote from the regular
roads of travel.
To this end bethought me of taking to
water, and by swimming outfank the de-
lenses; but I 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, 1 kept
within the limits of the black desolation I'M
n.
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 garden or
two and a field until had arrived at the
edge of Lispenard's Meadows.
l dared not trust myself to its broad open;
l could have been too easily marked from q
distance, l turned me toward the Hud-
son, keeping the while close to the shrubbery
vrh off od fho
finally took refuge under a chestnut tree,
though ere long 1 was up it and as far toward
its top as burst venture.
Years after l 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 I
had continued to wear to prevent easy iden-
tification, together with the reeking wealth
er and the showers of water which had
poured from the wet leaves, had saturated
me, and / was anything save comfortable as
l sat astride bough and waited for the day
to end.
It was something after five o'clock, but as
yet l had discovered no signs of pursuit in
my direction. To beguile the time, l reload
ed my rifle and pistols, though laid more
reliance on my strength of arm and hard
ness of fist to overcome a single guard than
stretched before me like a 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 it's 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
ising dark, wet night (which suited my
hu ho coto
l 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.
l had no preparations to make, nor from
the point at which had been hiding had l
long distance to go before coming to the
line of defenses. This line was not a con-
tinuous embankment, but consisted of short
breastworks and redoubts at no great dis
lance apart, every foot of the intervening
spaces being patrolled by sentinels. / had
resolved to strike the line near it's center, or
about midway betwixt the Kingsbridge 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. q
1t was not yet dark, but through the
gloom l 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 slight dip of the ground, with forti-
fications 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, l 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. l say half hour, but it might
| have been more or less. There was NO
sound save the patter of the rain, the dismal
chirrup of forlorn tree toad, and an oc-
easional hail of 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
| girded 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
lance 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 q disadvantage. Rising, there
| fore, / stepped behind a tree, slung my rife
across my back, and drew my cloak vel
| about my sword, throwing back the garment
| in a manner that left my right arm free
From this cover I slipped to another anG
another, and SO onward until / found my
self at what l thought to be the edge of &
small clearing beyond, but could neither
see nor hear aught ahead, a fact causing MI
| some perplexity. I was debating the
: feasibility of advancing boldly and riskint
an encounter, or staying until could locat,
the sentinel knew must be near, when t.
| my right caught the shadow of a man walk
ing across my line of progress. Ae he cam,
close heard him humming a tune below hi
breath, and hoped he would pass on that
might step over his beat unnoticed. Their,
was nothing white about me but my face
and bent it low that it might not betra,
| me- On he came until he reached the tire,