Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-12-08
CHAPTER Y.

-Lvr-QV
tbs la .anars from making a noise but
be prls0no arr liberal Interpretation upon
aPn5 put d va and 50 long the the prison,
be CLAUSE I'd If from shouting, yelling and
=, ,i fet,' he did not disturb them:
f!ltlnS 81 coming in from the upper air,
TO Ons wonId have seemed in pitchy
The place. Init the convict eye, accus-
darkness +bn sinister twilight, was en-
toned ~ L discern surrounding objects
l5ld ., 10 J distinctness. The prison
With io,TL fifty feet long and fifty feet
Fas aDo nd ran the full height of the
vide a 1,aks The barricade was loop
t1ssn1 Ssrs and there, and the planks
hol'u nI somn places wide enough to adj
we're II rnsket barrel. On the aft side,
oil % tn' soldiers berths, was a trap
1A' III Ito fine stoke-hole of a furnace.
t,os g., +As sight this appeared to be con-
IL n,'f for tbe humane purpose OF ven
ll' ~. " INIT 4 second glance dispelled
l il. .aok conclusion. The opening was
as % T,rao enough to admit the muzzle
N , - howitzer, secured on the deck
@ In case of a mutiny, the SOL
, ,:, oonId sweep the prison from end
l'L I'd with grapeshot. Such fresh air
' 'ba,o was, filtered through the loop
3D. and came. in somewhat larger
lU.' .,+r through a wind-sail passed in
lllI bo nriso0 from the hatchway. But
y. rind.sai being necessarily at one
u. .i onIr Of the place, the air it brought
y. nro+tv well absorbed by the twenty
"'t tbirtv lucky fellows near it, and the
.,s. hundred and fifty did not come so
~.n of The scuttles were open, but
y, tba row of hunks had been built
',,nSt them, the air they brought was
10 mcmillan property of such men as
,,,rnia5 tbp berths into which they pen
str,tal These berths were twenty
,i,bt in number, each containing six
mon They ran in a double tier round
,b,sa sides of the prison. twenty at each
,ao and eight affixed to that portion
& # tbp forward barricade opposite the
tor Each berth was presumed to be
fra feet six inches square, but the ne
a,sitips of stowage had deprived them
# Fy inches. and even under that pres
.rp twelve men were compelled to sleep
8 % deck.
When Frere had come down, an hour
5pforp the prisoners were all snugly
ptWpen their blankets. They were not
I 80 now; though, at the first clink of the
Dlts they would be back again in their
: al positions, to all appearances sound
a,Iqep Groups Of men, in all imagin-
3ble attitudes. were lying, standing, sit
tng or pacing up and down.
Old men, young men and boys, stall
rart burglars and highway robbers, slept
side by side with Wizened pickpockets
Of cunnng-featured area sneaks. The
toger occupied the same berth with the
boy snatcher The man of education
learned strange secrets of house break
ers craft. and the vulgar ruffian took
ssonS of seIf-control from the keener
Intellect of the professional swindRr.
The fraudulent clerk and the flash
uacksman' interchanged experiences.
The smuggIer's stories of lucky adven-
HreS and successful runs were capped
BY the f0otpad'S "reminiscences of fOggy
nights and stolen watches. The poacher,
Tmly thinking of his sick wife and or
1hanel children, would start as the
lighthouse ruttian clapped him on the
shoulder and bid him to take good heart
and BE a man. The shop boy, whose
owe of fine company and high living
lad brought him to this pass, had shak-
a off the first shame that was on him.
and listened eagerly to the narratives
successful vice that fell so glibly from
he lips Of his older companions. To
De transported seemed no such uncom-
mon tate The old fellows laughed. and
%Ssel their gray heads with all the
'Fe OF past experience, and listening
,oal Ionged for the time when it might
~ likewise. Society was the common
" ana magistrates. jailers and parsons
WY Tue natural prey of all noteworthy
'D"AIll' Only fools were honest, only
,,aEuS kissed the rod. and failed to
~s4.late revenge on that world of re-
p 2'y"oiity which had wronged them.
'.I newcomer was one more recruit
,, "' ranks OF ruttianism, and not
Eau pennei in that reeking den of in
,,3 ~ OUT became sworn hater of law,
M a1u 'treemen." What he might
Raw . oVe1 before mattered not. He was
na,. prisoner, and he lost his self-re
i'm 1 'Iu became what his jailers took
rD1,. !" oe-a wild beast to be locked
i,,,. ooIIS and bars. lest he should
I'm VO' ana tear them. The conversa-
IL IN upon the sudden departure of
rsr 1oaF' What could they want with
~. +, at that hour?
l Tell You there's something I'M on
I'm ..S SayS one to the grou pnearest
I'D rolling" ''' '''' '""' "hiOiins
.s, T. a. did they lower boats for? 1
s ~G Ie dip o the oars"
.,r4 q cove to get no sleep?" cried
tim Nm. T,,, Ny blood, if | have to
.sls 't tg-l l II knock some of your empty
d nav, ,,Sl'fd that the speaker was a man
w., 'or the noise ceased instantly.
Inca, - l4e matter?" roared the ST.
t,s5 , VI Iae riot, jumping from his
aaD,Tio ,r scattering the Crow and his
he Man '" % there came groan from
wall IN Il, the opposite bunk.
'Rerfs III Blessed" said the giant.
dickens pretty go. All the blessed
a,es .4S ma got the Group, Sentry.