The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-15

wreathls.g my. legs around the rope,
/ loosed my left hand and caught with
it again some six inches lower. And
so down / went.
Minute followed minute and left me
still descending. six inches at q time,
ard looking neither above nor below,
but always at the gray wall that
seemed sliding up i'll front of ME
The first dizziness was over. but q
horrible aching of the arIns had taken
the place Of it. Twas growing in
tolerable. when suddenly my legs, that
sought to close round the rope, found
space only. l had come to the end.
l looked down. A yard below my
feet the beam of the gallows cleaned
palely out Of the darkness. Here was
my chance. l left my hands slip
down the last foot or so Of rope. hung
for a moment, then dropped for the
beam.
My feet missed it. as intended they
should; but ! flung both arms out
and caught it, bringing myself up with
a jerk. While yet l hung clawing. l
heard a footstep coming through the
gateway between the two wards.
Here was 4 fix. With ali speed and
silence 1 drew myself up to the beam,
found q hold with one knee upon IT.,
got astride and lay down at length,
1attening my body down against the
timber. Yet all the while / felt sure
1 must have been heard.
The footsteps drew nearer and
passed almost under the galloWs.
Twas an officer, for, as be passed, he
called out:
Sergeant Downs! Sergeant Downs"
A voice from the %guardroom in the
barbican answered him through the
darkness.
why is not the watch set:"
I'm a minute, sir; it wants a minute
to six"
Il thought the Colonel ordered it at
half past fve?"
In the silence that followed the bar
bican clock began to strike, and half
q dozen troopers tumbled out from
the guardroom. some laughing, some
crumbling at the GOODNESS of the night.
The officer returned to the inner ward
rs they dispersed to their posts; and
soon there was silence again, save for
the tramp-tramp of q sentry cross
ing and recrossing the pavement be-
low me.
All this while I lay flattened along
the beam, scarce daring to breathe.
But at length, when the man mad
passed below for the sixth time, l
found heart to wiggie myself toward
the doorway over which the GalloWs
p%rotruded. By slow degrees, and paus-
ing whenever the fellow drew near, l
crept close up to the wall, then, wait
ing the proper moment, cast my legs
over, dangled for a second OF TWO
swinging myself toward the sill, flung
myself off, and, touching the ledge
with one toe, pitched forward in the
room.
The effect of this was to give me a
sound crack as l struck the flooring,
which lay about a foot below the
level of the sill. I picked myself up
and listen'd. Outside the regular
tramp of the sentry prov'd he had not
heard me, and l drew a long breath,
for l knew that without a lantern he
would V spy, in the darkness, the
telltale rope dangling from the tower.
In the room where / stood all was
But the flooring was uneven
to the foot. and scatter'd with small
pieces of masonry. Twas n of the
many chambers in the castle that had
dropp'd into disrepair. Cropping my
way with both hands, and barking my
shins on the loose stones, / found a
low yaulted passage that led me into
4 second chamber, empty as the first.
To my delight, the door to this was
ajar, with a glimmer of light slanting
through the crack. ! made straight
toward it, and pull'd the door softly.
1t open'd, and show'd q lantern dimiy
burning, and the staircase of the Keep
winding past me, up into darkness.
MY chance was, of course, to de-
sccnd. which l did OH tiptoe, hearing
no sound. The stairs twisted down
and down, and ended by a stout door
with another lamp shining above it.
After listening a moment l decided
to be bold, and lifted the latch. A
faint cry saluted me.
l stood face to face with the Jailers
daughter.
The room was a small one, well lit
and lind about the walls with cups
and bottles. Twas as | guessed, a tap
room for the soldiers, and the girl had
been securing one of the pewter mugs
when my entrance startled her. She
stood up, white as if painted, and
"Quick-luick! Down here behind
the counter for your life'
CTo be continued.)