Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-04-26

away, while the lieutenant was out Wis
iting sentries and presently they saw
him coming back along the walk,
stopping to question each sentry as TO
his orders. Then he returned and in
quired if all was quiet amoug the pris.
oners, and then went and put out his
light in the tent reserved for the of.
ticer of the guard, and once more left
his post, briefly informing the sergeant
of the guard he was going to the officer
of the day. Then it was ascertainld
that he had visited half a dozen places
in search of that veteran captain and
appeared much disturbed because he
could not find him. In half an hour he
was back, asking excitedly of the
sentry in rear of the guardhouse if a
carriage had come that way. 1T had,
said the sentry, and was waiting down
the street. Gray hurried in the direc-
ton indicated, was gone perhaps three
minutes and returned, saying that the
sentry must be mistaken, that no car
riage was there. But the sentry reit-
Grated hrs statement that it had been
there and had been waiting for some
time, and must have disappeared while
he was temporarily around at the oppo-
site side of the building. This was
about II p. IN.
Then when Gray appeared at reveiIle
Morton had disappeared.
''It's not the sergeant let them feIlers
out" said the regimental oracies
This is no ten-dollar subscription
business" And so until late in the
afternoon the question that agitated
the entire range of regimental camps
was: How did those fellows break
away from the prison of the -teenth 2"
Then came clew, and then-discovery
BY order of Lieut.. Col. 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
guardhouse and began a thorough in
spection of the premises. The wooden
building 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 dozen stout posts
driven into the soft soil and then the
space between the floor level and the
sand was heavily and stoutly boarded
in-thick planks being used. Between
the floor and the sand was a space of
about IS inches vertical, and a dozen
men could have sprawled therein--ly-
ing at full length-but to escape woulG
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 investigation--a thing the
board did not at all liie-and present
ly, as was his wont, began running
things his own way. 1t had been found
useless to question the soldiers of the
guard. Not a man could be found to
admit he knew the faintest thing about
the escape. AS for the prisoners, most
OF them reckless, devil-may-care ras-
calls, they grinned or leered suggestive
ly, but had nothing to tell.
"We'll have this boarding ripped off"
said Canker, decisively, "and see what
they've got secreted under there.
shouldn't be surprised to find d whisky
still in full blast, or a complete gam
bling outfit-dash, dash em to dash
and destination! Send for a carpenter,
sergeant"
ITO Be Continued