Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-03
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the guard came hurrying out and |
asked the driver if he was engaged.
"I'm waiting for the major" was the
answer.
well, where can one order a car
riage tonight without going clear to
town." inquired Gray. 81 want-one;
that isl wish to order one at once"
And the driver, who knew very well
there were several places where car
riages could be had, preferred loyalty
to his own particular stable away in
town, and so declared there was none.
"You can telephone there, II yeu
wish, SIR" he added.
'And wait till morning for it to get
here? No! I'll get it-somehow."
And that he did get it somehow was
current rumor on the following day,
for the sentries on the guardhouse side
of camp swore that closed carriage
drove down from McAllister street for
all the world as though it had just
come out of the park and rolled on past
the back of the guardhouse, the driver
loudly whistling Killarney" SO that
it could be heard above the crunching
of the wheels through the rough, loose
rock that covered the road, and that
carriage drew up not hundred yards
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 among the pris-
oners, and then went and put out his
light in the tent reserved for the Of
fcer 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 ascertained
that he had visited half 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 il a
carriage had come that way. It 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
rage was there. But the sentry reit-
Grated his 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. m.
Then when Gray appeared at reveille
Morton had disappeared.
Its not the sergeant let them fellers
out" said the regimental oracles.
"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? r.
Then came clew, and then-discovery.
By order of Lieut.. Col. Canker q
board Of officers had been convened ia
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 q thorough in
spection of the premises. The wooden
building stood in the midst Of waste
Of sand blown in from the shore line by
the strong sea wind. It 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 dozer
men could have sprawled therein-ly
ing at full length-but to escape would
have required the connivance Of one on
more of the sentries surrounding the
building and the ripping of of one OF
more of the planks. In his keen anxiety
Canker accompanied the board on III
tour of Investigations thing the
board did not at all like-and present
ly, as was his wont, began running
things his own way. 1t had been found
useless to question the soldiers of tn,
guard. Not man could be found Il
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 totell.
Wen have this boarding ripped of, ;
said Canker, decisively, ''and SEQ wha