The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-03-09

! SOllu anu SlTHlPnt us lnuL ITSJ UlSCON-
cred, and so, when examined, were the
other two sides provided. Canker's face
was a sturdy, and the board gazed and
was profoundly happy
At last the colonel exploded:
"By Jupiterl They haven't got away
at all, then There isn't flaw in the
sand wall anywhere. They must be
hiding about the middle now Come on.
gentlemen" and around he trotted to
the front door. Sergeant" he cried,
get out all the prisoners-all their
bedding-every blessed thing they've
got. l want to examine that floor"
Most of the guardhousc birds" were
out chopping wood, and Cnnker danced
in among the few remaining loading
them with bedding belonging to their
fellows until every item &C clothngC |
furniture was showed out of the room.
One member of the board and one only
failed to enter with his assoCiates--a
veteran captain who read much war
literature and abhorred Canker. To the
surprise of the sentry he walked de-
liberately over to the fence, climbed II
and presently began pokng about the
wooden curb that ran along the road,
making a low revetment or retaining
wall for the earth, cinders and gravel
that, distributed over the sand, had
been hopefully designated sidewalk
by the owners of the tract. Presently
he came sauntering back, and both sem
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 expediting 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.
"Their tunnel, sir. It's Libby on
small scale over again. They must
have been at work at it at least ten
days" And as he spoke, calmly ignor-
ing Canker and letting his eyes wander
over the floor, the veteran battalion
commander sauntered across the room,
stirred up a slightly projecting bit of
flooring with the toe of his boot and
placidly continued: "If yoI1l 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 slantwise downward in the
direction of the street, a tunnel through
the soft yielding sand, braced and
strengthened here and there with lids
and sides of cracker-boxes. NOW, IL
you don't mind straddling fence, sir,
I'll 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
lot of loose hay from the bales dumped
there three days before, the leader dis
lodged with his sword the top of cloth
ing box that had been thickly covered
with sand and hay-and there was the
outlet. Easy as rolling Off log,
colonel" said old Cobb, with a sar-
castle grin. This could all be done
without a man you've blamed and ar
rested being a whit the wiser. They
the sand out of this tunnel, banked IL
solid against the weather boarding in
side, filed 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
sentries, 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 em. | s'pose you'll
release my sergeant and those sentries
now"
III do nothing OF the kind" an
swered Canker, red with wrath, land
your suggestion is disrespectful to your
commanding officer. When want your
advice I'll ask for it,"
"Well, Mr.. Gray will be relieved to
learn of this anyhow. | suppose | may
tell him." hazarded the junior mem
Der, mischievously,
Mr.. Gray be. Mr.. Gray has
everything to answer fort" shouted the
fingered colonel. ut was he who tele-
phoned for a carriage to meet and run
those rascals off. Mr.. Gray's fate is
sealed. He can thank God l don't slap
him into the guardhouse with his
chosen associates, but he shant es-
cape. Sergeant of the guard, post a
sentry over Lieut.. Gray's tent, with or
ders to allow no one to enter or leave It
without my written authority. Mr..
Gray shall pay for this behind the prison
bars of Alcatraz."