Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-03-14

He found h1?F1eJJ tOOktHJ tHCo ttC Htu%-
zje of q TeU0tcer.
a sheet and tore it into strips, impa.
tientIy thrusting them into the others
hands. The first letter had foretold all
this, and the prisoner knew what was
expected of him. He therefore secure
" bound the guards legs and arms.
With a grim smile the captive nodded
his head toward the revolver, the lam
tern and the keys. His obliging prison
err secured them, as we'll as his own
personal effects, and was ready to de-
part According to instructions, he |
was to go forth, locking the doors be- |
hind him, leaving the man to be dis |
covered the next morning by surprised |
keepers. 1t struck him that there was
something absurd in this part of the
plan. How was this guard to explain
his position with absolutely no sign of
a struggle to bear him out? 1t was
hardly plausible that big, strong fell
low could be so easily OverpOwered
single handed. There was something
wretchedly homogeneous about the but
there came a startling and effective
end to all criticism.
The guard, bound as he was, sudden
" turned and lunged headforemost
against the sharp bedpost. His head
struck with a thud, and he rolled to the
floor as if dead. Uttering an eXclama-
ton of horror, Lorry ran to his side.
Blood was gushing from long cash
across his head, and he was already
unconscious. Sickened by the brave
sacrifice, he picked the man up and
| placed him on the bed. A hasty exam
| ination proved that it was no more
| than a scalp wound and that death was
| too remote to be feared. The guard
| had done his part nobly, and it was
| now the prisoners turn to act as reso-
lutely and as unfinchingly. Sorry to
| leave the poor fellow in what seemed
| an inhuman manner. he strobe into the
| corridor, closed and locked the doors
| clumsily and tgan the descent of the
stairs. He had been instructed to act
unhesftatingly, as the slightest show of
| nervousness would result in discovery.
| With the helmet we'll down over his
| face and the cape we'll up he steadily,
even noisily, made his way to the next
| floor below. There were prisoners on
this floor, while he had been the only
| occupant of the floor above. Straight
| ahead he went, flashing his lantern
here and there, passing down another
stairway and into the main corridor.
Here he met a guard who had just
come in from the outside. The man adj
dressed him in the language of the
country, and his heart almost stopped
beating How was he to answer? Num-
bling something almost inaudlble, he
hurried on to the ground floor, trembling
with fear lest the man should call to
him to halt. He was relieved to hnd
in the end. that his progress was not
TO be impeded In another moment he
was boldly unlocking the door that led
to the visitors hall. Then came the
door to the warden's Office. Here he
found three sleepy guards, none OF
whom paid any attention to him as he
passed through and entered Captain
Dangloss' private room. The grutf Ole
captain sat at a desk writing. The es
Gaping man half paused as if to speai
, to him. sharp cough from the cap
tain and a significant jerk of the heat
told him that there must be no delay
t no words. Opening the door he stepped
out into storm so fierce and wild tina
he shuddered apprehensively.
"a fitting nightr' he muttered as II
Il plunged into the driving rain. forcipi
!, his way across the courtyard toWar
u the main gate. The little light In tn
: gatekeeper's window was his gulde
l. so. blinded by the torrents, blown b.
Z the winds, he soon found himself be
T fore the final barrier. Peering throuS
I the window, he saw the keeper dom
p in his chair. By the light from With
> he selected from the bunch of keys u
Il carried one that had a white strln
10 knotted in it's ring. This was the Ike
'e that was to open the big gate In cas-
L. no one challenged him. In any othe
case he was to give the counterslgl
"Dangloss," and trust fortune to pas
le him through without question.
Fu Luck was with him, and. finding I'll
10 great lock, he softly inserted and turl
ed the key. The wind blew the heav
~ gate open violently. and it required
70 of his strength to keep it from banglr
~ against the wall beyond. The most di
y 6cult task that he had encountert
-, grew from his efforts to close the ga
- against the blast. He was about
- give up in despair when hand W
=; laid on his shoulder and some o.
= Missed in his startled ear:
- Ssh! Not word!''
III His legs almost went from under
= body, so great was the shock and
u fear. Two strong hands Joined
= own in the effort to pull the door in
~ position. and he knew at once that tn
belonged TO the man who was TO me
W him on the corner at the right of
= prison wall. He undoubtedly had tir
*, y, of the delay and, feeling secure in
Ae darkness of the storm. had come
- meet his charge, the escaping prison
ec Their united efforts brought about