Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-06-06

iN<l shelf Of rock Or stone bench,
but a cot bed In the corner, q
fable and wooden chair. The living
spring issued from the living rock in
corner Of the room. When the jailer
and his assistant had retired and
showed In the outside bolts Jack lit
1 his candle and a cigarette, feeling al.
most happy. He surveyed the prem
ises now with more care. The bed
4 was of iron and fastened to the floor.
/ On the top of it was a mattress,
4 pillow and a pair of blankets. At its
/ head a little triangular shelf of rock
had been left in the corner, and on
this reposed a basin Of tin, while
coarse piece Of sacking took the place
! of a towel. Jack threw off his over
coat and flung it on the bed, intent on
a satisfactory wash. He heard some
thing Jingle in the pockets and, forget
ting for the moment what It could
/ possibly be, thrust his hand in and
pulled out glass stoppered bottle OF
ozak. He held it out at arms length
and stared at it for some moments Ike
man hypnotized.
sHoly st. Peters' he cried. ITO think
that should have forgotten thisp'
1 He flied the tin basin with water
and placed it on the table. Again he
dissolved a minute portion Of the
chemical and again filed the syringe.
IT must leave no marks on the wall
that may arouse attention" he said,
and, taking the full syringe to the arch
/ over the torrent and placing the candle
on the floor beside him. he gently push
ed in the piston. The spray struck the
rock, and the rock dissolved slightly
but perceptibly. Coming back to the
table, he stood for few minutes in
deep thought. Although the cot bed
4 was fixed to the floor, and although it
4 was possible that the shelf in the next
cell conceded with its position, the
risk of discovery was too great to cut
passage between the two cells there.
The obvious spot to attack was the in
terror of the tunnel through which the
streamlet ran, but Jack, testing the
temperature of the water with his
hand, doubted his physical ability to
remain in that ice cold current more
than d few minutes at a time, and If
he worked in the tunnel he would be
all but submerged. He feared he would
1 perish with cold and cramp before he
had made any impression on the rock.
To the edge of the stream he drew
the table, and, mounting it, examined
the upper orifice through which the
water escaped when the cell was full.
He found he could stand on the table
and work in comfort until he had ex-
cavated sufficient rock to allow him to
Chamber into the upper tunnel and SO
continue his operations. The water
he used would flow through the tun-
mel and down to the main stream in
the next cell All he had to do was to
dissolve semicircular hole in the rock
that would bend around the end of
/ those steel bars and enter the tunnel
again on fhe other side. Eager to be
at work, he took the full basin, showed
1t far along the tunnel until it was
stopped by the bars; then, placing his
candle beside 1t and standing on the
/ table, he began operations.
The limestone under the influence of
the spray dissolved very slowly, and
| by the time the basin of water was ex-
hausted all the effect visible under the
light of the candle was an exceedingly
slight circular impression which was
barely visible to the naked eye.
Il must make the solution stronger,
| think" he said, grieyously disappoint-
ed at the outcome of his labors, and as
he looked at it he heard the clank of
the withdrawing bolts. Blowing out
the candle, he sprang to the floor of the
cell. picked up the table, set it down
in the center of the room, CROPPED for
the chair and sat down. his heart pal
pitating wildly at the fear of discov-
cry.
Followed as usual by the man with
the lantern, the jailer came IN, carrying
| q bowl Of hot, steaming soup, which he
/ placed on the table; then he took from
his pocket spoon, a small hunk of
black bread and piece Of cheese. In
the light Of the lantern Lermontoff
consulted his watch and found it was
| 6 o'clock. The jailer took the lantern
from his assistant, held it high and
looked round the room, while Lennon
| toR gazed at him in anxiety. wonder
| ing whether that brutal looking Off
cial suspected anything. Apparently
he did not but merely wished to sat.
isfy himself that everything was IN
order, for he said more mildly than be
! had hitherto spoken:
1T Is a long time since any one oc-
cupied this CELL
Then his eye rested on the vacant
corner shelf
"Ah, excellency,' he continued. par.
don me. have forgotten. must
| bring you basin.n
sd rather you brought me q can
de- said Lernontof nonchalantly. al.
though his lips were dry, and be mois-
tened them as be spoke. Then. to learn