Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-03-29

Together qVe struggled on the houset0p.
could easily reach the thatch between
the rafters, and without momentary
hesitation / plunged my knife into the
mass of reeds. Sharp as a razor, the
small blade cut through the straw at
stroke, with slight rasping noise.
nv blood flowed in strong stream of
excitement. Here surely was road to
the outer air.
But this was venture to be essayed
by night and after my jailers had re-
tired for the evening; consequently
put aside the knife and waited very
impatiently for the fall Of dusk. 1t
was not until 10 o'clock at night that
I dared to make my experiment. By
that time my supper had been cleared,
and the Greeks had been gone for an
hour. The barn was in solid darkness,
which was all the better for my pur-
pose, aud, getting upon my chair, |
set to work at once among the straw
Of the thatch. IF any one should come
in from this point onward my adven-
ture would be hopeless. l should stand
confessed in my task and doubtless be
doomed forthwith to more secure and
less comfortable prison. Therefore the
need of haste was the greater, and
with fingers and knife l sheared
through and tore asunder the thatch
with the utmost CELEBRITY. The job was
none too easy, and sweated at the
work, with my head buried under the
debris of the straw and my throat
choking with the dry and rotten stub
BILE. Yet I had worked hard and fast
enough to have opened a hole two feet
through the thatch in a couple of
hours. Through this the night lower
ed dark and somber upon me.
There was now no necessity for de-
lay. Indeed, the necessity was all for
instant action. / listened at the door
and window for sounds Of the sentry,
but could hear nothing. He might be
asleep. At any rate, he lay upon the
farther side of the barn, and might
hope to escape his notice by breaking
over the stables into the wood. Has
tening back, 1 got upon the chair and,
pulling myself up by the rafters, grad
ually drew to the level Of the hole.
MY head once outside, / breathed deep
" of the purer air. Then, dragging up
the rest of my body, dropped gently
to the ground beyond. 1t was deeper
fall than 1 had anticipated, and came
down with a certain clatter, but, rest
ing moment in the shadows, heard
nothing. No alarm was raised. So,
creeping to the stable, I climbed softly
upon the roof and clambered across
the caves in the direction of the for
est
Suddenly small noise arrested me,
but ere could collect my senses to
determine it dark body crept round
corner of the roof and grappled with
me. / seized it fercely, resolved to do
battle for my liberty with all the
strength at my command, and together
we rolled and struggled on the house
top. Then my opponent gave a shrill
whistle, and the next thing was con
scious Of was the grasp of fresh pair
of arms from behind. After that I
gave it up, more especially as we had
rolled to the edge Of the roof, and re-
newal Of the struggle would send us
over into the yard with broken limbs
and bloody pates.
If some one will take his foot out
of my stomach" said. 7 win descend
into the yard"
At that the tension upon me was re-
Taxed, and was pushed forward
roughly to what appeared to be trap