Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-24
CHAPTER xvI.-(contiI

stanchion, and now / filed them with
water and plugged them with a paste
Of earth from beneath my flooring,
threads from my towel and some sohp.
At dawn I was at my window and to
my delight found the stone cracked,
but the iron bar was as firm as ever,
70 I set to drilling my holes deeper.
At the end Of that week Dulcima let
me know that Jack had loosened one
bar Of his window and could take It,
from Its socket whenever I was ready.
Boz worked like a mailman at my bar
and by night was ready to charge the
holes with water.
It YVES now the middle Of March. A
month only remained to US in which
10 a~cooEnpiish liberty II we were
b. escape at. AL. /,
I sent word to Mount that I could
not nov my bar, but that he must not
wait for me II hs could escape from the.
window. Hs answered that he would
not str Z peg unless I could, and the
girl chohed 10 she delivered the mes
BagA. impyocing me to hasten and loosel
The bar.
I could not do It Day after day Il
oiled the cracks and holes. waiting for|
freezing weather. It rained, rained,
ratned
Weeks before Mount had sent the
girl to seek ont Mr.. Foxcroft and tell,
him sof my plight. I also had sent by
her a note to Silver Heels.
The girl returned to report that MI.
Voxcroft had sailed for England early
In November and that nobody there
had e7er heard Of q Miss Warren In
puesn street.
Then Buffers boast came to me, and
sent word to Shemuel, bidding him
search the village Of Lexington for
Miss Warren. I had not yet heard
from him.
Meanwhile Mount communicated
through Dulcima with the Minute
mems club, and already a delegation
headed by MI. Revere had waited on
Governor Gage to demand my release
on grounds Of mistaken identity.
The governor laughed at them, as
sert1ng that I was notorious, but as
the days passed 20 serious became the
demands from Mr. Revere, Mr.. Han
c6cK-.and Mr.. Otis that the governor
sent Walter Butler to assure these
gentlemen that he knew MI. Cardigan
well and that the rogue in prison who
pretended to that name was In fact q
notorious felon named the Weasel.
Meanwhile Mr.. Hancock had COM
inundated with Sir John at Onondaea
and awaited a reply to his message,
urging Sir John to come to Boston and
identify me.
No reply over came. nor did Sir John
stir hand or foot in my behalf. Possi-
bly, he never received tho message. I
prefer to think so.
Matters at this pass when I
finally gave up all hope Of loosening
my window bars and sent word to
Jack Mount that he must use his
sheets FOR q cord and let himself out
that very night. But the frightened
girl returned with an angry message
Of refusal from the chivairous block
head.
Tho next day It was too late. Bish-
ops suspicious somehow had been
aroused, and it took him but a short
time to discover the loosened bars in
Jack Mounts coll.
How the brute did laugh when he
came on the work accomplished. He
searched Mounts cell, discovered the
awl and a nle, shouted with laughter,
summoned masons to make repairs,
and, still laughing, came to visit me.
I had not dared to leave my poison
1iask In the hole under the stone. What
to do with 1t I did not know; but, as I
heard Bishop come ~chuckling toward
my cell, / drove the glass stopper into
the flask firmly as I could, then, wip-
ing II, placed it in my mouth, together
with the small gold ring I had bought
in Albany and which I had so far
managed to conceal.
He found the hole where I had hid
den the flask. The awl lay there, and
he pouched 1t with q chuckle.
When Bishop had gone I drew tho
deadly little flask from my mouth,
trembling and chilled with sweat.
Then ! placed it again in its hiding
place, hid the ring in my shoe and
dressed slowly, brushing my shabby
clothes and returning the pockets and
flaps which Bishop in his careful
search had rihed. he did not search
my cell again.
And now the days began to run very
swiftly. On the 18th Of April, toward
8 o'clock In the evening, a turnkey,
passing my cell. told me that General
Gage was in the prison with a party
Of ladies and that he would doubtless
visit my cell. He added grimiy that
tho deathwatch was to be set over us
In an hour OF two.
Jack" l called hoarsely, 1.-THE death
watch begins tonight"
"Poohy he answered ch%eerfully.
wait a bit; there's time to cheat 4
dozen gibbets 'twixt this and dawn"
YES" / said bitterly, 1--WE can cheat
the hangman with what I have in this
little flask"
At that instant I caught sight OF