The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-12-16
solutely black. A thirty-tw,o,

soiutely black. A n thjrty-two
pound shot on a four-foot chain,
with an ordinary spring lock cuff
at the other end, was fastened
around my ankle and | was
marched to the trapdoor. When
it was opened and | started down
the ladder a horrible, loathsome
odor from the fetid atmosphere
below almost caused me to fall,
but. gripping the chain in one
hand and the rungs of the ladder
with the other, | was carefully
feeling my way down with my
long russet shoes when the old,
familiar challenge of who comes
there?" sounded in the darkness
below. There was devil-may-
care tone in the voice that
prompted me to answer: "a
friend without the countersign. :"
Advance, friend! The rattle
of that chain is countersign
enough" he answered back.
Are you DOWN." the guard
called 20 me from above.
Don't know, but / am at the
end of the ladder" l replied.
When the ladder was drawn up
and the door closed, l saw there
was a faint, Pickering ray of
light near my feet that l dis
covered came from the open door
of a small stove. whats your
game, and what barrack are you
from?" asked the voice that had
challenged me. / told him, and
he in turn informed me that he
twaso-the unfartunate2 prisoner
who, a short trno-AI -f~ro,-~i..-
| tight with a comrade had killed
him by striking him in the head
with the footboard of his bunk.
The Yankees had taken him out
of prison and given him the
choice of either Joining the Yam
kee army or be hung for murder,
and he had told them to hang
and be id" so they put HIM
in the dungeon to give him time
to reconsider.
| By his side on the edge of the
ray of light / thought l saw
something move, and | inquired
: | if he was alone. 20, no; yo,
5 are in select company dow
| here" he replied. There ar
e two Yankee deserters condemns
e to be shot and a crazy nigge
:, that stands a good chance Q
d going the same way" He the
j. told me the negro had gone sue
d denly crazy while on post, an
d when the relief guard cam
d around had fired into the squat
l mortally wounding one of then
E. He was in the dungeon waitin
le the decision of a court-martla
e. We had heard of the incident
lg prison at the time it occurre
in and there are doubtless many Q
I'd Rock Islanders yet living WI
c. will recall it, although we 9
1g tached no Importance to 1T at t
he time. But it came back to r
ny then with a shudder of horrt
he for when very small child | n
ne been bar frightened by har
ow less irfh che, and ever att
,g- wards the only argument my
to nurse needed to make me 81
no missive and obedient was
Md threaten me with "a crazy mar
lth 1t was childish fear, but
red I've never outgroWn, and tot
the / am more afraid Of luna
and than anything living. 1t
my but small comfort to me w
.rd- nv friend told me the negro
ex- his "bodyguard," and that
no was big enough and str
ade enough to whip the two des
,ath ers with one hand. The
as a vestige of nerve was oozlng
ably of me in a cold pc apiration
ight realized the sitdation: cha
ade, land in a twelve-foot dung
con. with a powerful, crazy negro
gh a dropped my ball, and the II
the of the chain emphasized the
the ror of my situation. My k
Ifted began to shake beneath me,
the as soon as / could speak wit
the betraying my fear | told
door friend that I would sit d
and that | was rather tired fron
s abb mornings experience. SO