Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-04-01
A HOLE IN THE ROCK
The Story of an Attempted ES-
cape From Gibraltar.
BURRowINe OUT OF PRISON.

Ambrose Realn was undergoing 4
life sentence on the towering rock Of
Gibraltar for scuttlinS his ship FOR the
sake OF the insurance money The
governor told the story OF RcaiT's at
tempt 10 escape:
That fellow led a rowing life-a
daredevil that obeyed every Impulse.
good or bad. And yet for three whole
years found him a model prisoner.
At first be was employed as carpen-
ter. and a little later we put him on
the harbOr works But suddenly 20
this wild nature came an unquencha-
bic thirst for freedom. At that time
Realn was in charge OF al the labor
ers' pick handles and wheelbarrows In
the ROsia quarry. where be was in
stalled In little lean-to shed against
a hollow in the mighty cliff Every
report put before me extOlled the
mans good behavior
well. every afternoon at 4 the work
ing party of convicts would form I'd
and return 10 the prison which. as
you know, contains some Of the tough
est characters OF both east ana west
and an officer would 20 TO Realf~s
shed TO unlock him and bring him
along with the rest.
But this afternoon the door was
opened in vain. Realf was not there.
And yet twenty minutes previously he
had been seen through the little win
dow when visited by the chief warder
lie had even answered To his name as
he stood planning at his bench In q dark
recess. He was gone. how or whsre
not soul knew. CnQuestion bly, the
shed was locked on the outside. and
the lock had not been tempered with
And there appeared no other exit ex-
cept the door. nothing but solid rock.
The little shanty was ransacked. emp
tied. but without result.
Gould the man. I wondered. have
discovered some secret recess? You
know the whole rock is fairly honey
combed with holes, both natural and
artificial. like Gruyere cheese. Alarmed
at the results such an escape would
have on the morale Of my dangerous
gangs. | had torches brought and per-
sonaly examined every nook and cram
ny Of the cliff against which the shed
was built Then my best officers went
over il all with hammer and crowba
But no. nothing but solid rock. Now
for the door. II was level and fairly
smooth. just covered IN places with a
little loose shingle.
Bring me bucket OF water I
cried with sudden Inspiration. When il
came. threw it carefully out. and We
all watched. More and more We
fairly inundated the floor and shouted
with excitement as we saw Il ebb al
most as swiftly as we poured.
Mere absorption was impossible.
The rock was not porous. There must
be cave or tunnel below. The man
hunt was growing hotter now. Relent-
leSSly we traced the ebbing streams 10
4 dark and distant corner. where 7 had
10 get down on all tours 70 crawl IN
der = massive rock shelf Here the
last trickle disappeared.
Like 4 fash our crowbars were 1T
work. and, 10, n big block was pried
up, revealing dark gulf below. ap-
preached it cautiously. Now. Realf.'
cried sternly. its all up. We've got
you"
There was no reply. Ny chief
warder poked a pole down and found
depth Of eight feet He aud two
giant subordinates got out their re-
volvers, seized lanterns and swung
themselves IN - as tlcklish 4 lob as
routing out 4 wounded tiger from his
lair We above waited long and
breathleSsly. suddenly Z faint shout
Travelled up TO Us. followed by sounds
OF n desperate struggle in the cavern.
BY and by back they came with Real Y
securely handcuned. Lowering ropes.
we hauled him UP. battered. but smil-
ing
He faced his disappointment with
rare pluck. dashed 4 smile on me and
said, Better luck next time. colonel
That was the end OF four long and
patient years OF endeavor. I think he
discovered the pit shortly after he
was first put IN the she'd. And he had
not only enlarged IL with 4 Scrap Of
iron and the patience Of another Baron
Trench. bur he had also extended 1t
laterally, no doubt hoping for ultimate
escape to the sea by the subterranean
passage
But even this in any event was only
the first stage. Real6'S provision went
much farther He had actually built
himself Il boat out Of nOndeScript
scraps of canvas. old sacks and odds
and ends Of timber II was 4 marvel
or constructive skill, vet surely none
but 4 desperate man would think OF
committing himself To the Mediter-
ranean or atlantic in such 4 crazy
skiff-a mere tiny coraclc barely capa-
bic Of keeping 4 man afiOat. OF course
he felt sure that once launched he
would soon lee picked up 10y some
passing craft in the crowded strait OF
Gibraltar. and he had a story ready
for his SaviorS as well as provisions
for himself. OF these last he hac
abundance-chieny biscuit and sal
pOrk-laid by bit by bit from his r.
lions and carried out daily from IN.
prison in such small quantities rs I,
elude the search made at every parade
But that the man was able TO labo
in his cave and build and provision
his boat in the teeth of constant ans
systematic supervision seems to me III
tie short of marvellous New Yorl
Tribune
Dough.
Dough Is made out Of wheat. real