The San Francisco call., 1908-09-13

and the other officers, and the keenest
anxiety was felt for him. When Saliva
tore appeared in the midshipmen's
something to Mr.. Porter. In two min
utes it was passed around that Dicky
lay hid in the water butt just outside
the wall A feeling of intense relief
came over his fellow prisoners, from
Captain cambridge down. No one
doubted that Dicky would be recap
tured and punished for his daring at
tempt, but the knowledge that he was
still alive and safe was the best news
possible for his comrades.
Dicky's bright eyes. peering through
the chinks in the top of the water. butt,
roved around the courtyard, while his
active mind and 1.-THE body were ready
for any kind of adventure. Although
an officer, he was still boy. and at
the point when a mature man would
have reasoned out the theory that es-
cape from the courtyard was impossi-
BILE, Dicky was willing, with the mex
.perience of youth, to take any and all
chances, providing only he could get
outside the courtyard gate.
The rain, which had come down in
sheets in the early morning, stopped
about z o'clock, and in half an hour
the world was bathed in the sunshine
of a May morning. 1t was evident
from the motion and movement which
now took place in the courtyard that
it was festal day, and Dicky remem-
bered. having heard day or two before
that this would be the bashaws birth
day. In preparation for it new uni
forms were distributed to the guards
and procession of the clumsy donkey
carts of the east We're passing about,
each containing piles uniforms. One
of the carts stopped in front of the
great arched entrance to the prison
quarters, and number of uniforms
for the sentries on duty were handed
out.
AS soon as their relief appeared the
sentries proceeded to change their
clothes, and Dicky watched with inter
est sentry, who had just been re-
lieved, coolly making his toilet in the
middle of the archway. When finally
attired in his new uniform of baggy
trousers, embroidered jacket and turban
the man rolled his old uniform into
bundle and placed it with the others,
which were to be collected and returned.
Dicky glanced with longing eyes at
the bundles all in row. If only he
Il Oaf of Trip
how easy it would be to slip out into
the town-Dicky's mind did not project
itself further.
Salvatore Desio was continually pass
ing back and forth, but it was difficult
under so many eyes to communicate
with Dicky. At last, however, about 10
o'clock, he had an opportunity of ap-
preaching the water butt and looking
into it, pretending to be looking for
water. Then Dicky said to him in
nervous whisper:
Sally, could you steal one of those
uniforms from the pile for me?"
without answering Salvatore re-
placed the cover, which he had lifted
up, and proceeded to fill his water
jugs from the next water butt. Dicky's
eyes followed him anxiously as he car
ried his jugs back and forth. In half
an hour he came out, struggling un-
der the load of two water jugs. AS
he passed TO the back of the cisterns
he dropped a bundle which he had con-
cealed and then went on to the next
butt to fill his jugs.
Watching his opportunity, with cat
like suppleness Salvatore managed.
when the sentry's back was turned, to
lift the top of the butt and throw
in the bundle of clothes
Dicky with rapturous eyes received
it. There were the baggy trousers the
jacket, the turban, the stockings and
the slippers. And oh, joy. they were
very small sized and not much too big
for a stocky boy of fourteen. Dicky
noiselessly put them on and then,
knowing that a heavy salute would be
fired at IL o'clock, he waited until the
first gun thundered out. Then, as the
first roar of the salute was heard. the
sentries presented arms, while the peo-
pie outside in the streets shouted their