Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-11-15
CHAPTER XXI.
"
THE OLD SUGAR HOUSE. &

Half conscious as 1 soon became, 1
knew only that l was being carried
away, hen put into a cart that jolted
horribly, and after an interminable
time carried into a building and
dumped upon the floor of a room
whether at night or in the daytime l
could not Aave told, as there was lit
tie or no ligh: then or during the
whole time l was there. Sc lay on
the floor, which seemed wet, for a
time; and then finding my conscious
ness thoroughly l began to take cog
niZanCe Of what lay near me.
A shiver OF horror-that same dread
rushed over me instantly as L felt,
in stretching out my hand, the body
Of a man. With a kline of spasmodic
stroke Of reason l felt at his heart,
the dread growing rs | could not find
it beating, and in another m I
turned over and found him dead and
cold. With the sort of movement
which an insane man makes as he
cTouChes away from something, I
pushed myself across tine ioor cycling
the body, then whirled about in spite
Of the wound, for / touched something
on the other side. Twas another body.
No! for it spoke.
Have you a daughter, friend?" it
asked.
NO." l whispered.
Then take her and cut her throat,
If o would keep her n Virgin!"
"Wha mean you?" | asked, in
strange awe, and, my eyes becoming
accustomed to the darkness, l saw u
haggard fgure-naught burt bones with
the dried skin drawn tight owe them
sitting Turk fashion and looking at
me with wild eyes.
AYE, cut her throat that. she may
live!"
Where am II" / asked TO the air,
for l became aware of a foul odor and
siCkening heavy atmosphere that, as
1t grew, made me try to stop breath
ing till 1t should pass; but that it did
never.
Don't min 'im," said a grufr voice
behind my head. "E's got 'em! Els
lifted, ere! Els got a w'eel tue in
is upper deck"
l sat up quickly, holding my clothes
now dried to the wound to keep from
tearing them away from my side, and
saw dimly a long narrow room with
walls of stone and little Sits for win
dows, with every inch Of floor COW
cred by standing or sitting men, so
close together that in NAM instances
they lay across n another. l had
for the moment more room than the
others.
Where am II"
I'm hell! In hell" cried the lunatic.
And she is not here. Will you cut her
throat, friend?" l crawled away from
him, fascinated by his u~nwinking eyes,
till l touched the dead man.
Give that un a wide berth, mate"
said the sailor. "E just coughed up
is last breath, and 'e's got the typhus."
Where am II" l cried again, shrink
ing from the body.
The lunatic's about right" said the
sailor, in his monotonouS voice. "Ye're
in ell. Dyer mean to say yer don't
know the old Sugar 'Ouse?'
God knows l did! And l hid my face
in my n to cover my grief. Did
| know the Sugar House prison, where
my comrades of II had lain so long,
some only leaving to go as l had seen
them in the dead cars but a few hours
before? Did 1 know that foul prison?
Aye, well! And was like to know 1t
better.
What day is it," asked a quiet voice
at my feet. l turned a little aid heard
a long cough come from a young man
pale with the signs of death on his
white brow, lying there on his side, his
quiet face resting on his arm, his eyes
looking at me with a bravery in them
that was pitiful, pitiful beyond meas
ure!
Thursday" said some voice out OF
the foul darkness.
Wednesday," said /, as 1 Instructive
ly turned towards the wasted figure.
What month. If you please" he
asked, without taking his eyes from
face.
THE 18th of October, friend" said L