The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-07-07

f;t04tne success OF the plan tnar cove.
ma Hunter were loath to 60 ON witt, Il.
Hunter would have backed ont had It
not been for the earnest pleading Of
Mrs. Maxson. Il was all sue could do
to hold him to his purpose. When all
else failed she agreed to double the
amount OF his reward. That decided
him. Nothing remained but to appoint
certain night when Woodruff and
Somers should be ready at the outer
wall and the attempt should he made.
Inc night arranged for was very
dark. q high wind bowling furiously
This was In some respects an advan
tage. Tor the operations Ut the conspir.
ators were less likely to be heard
After midnight Boyle gave Maxson a
suit OF clothes. let him out of his cell
and conducted him to the prison yard
Boyle knew just where guards and
watchmen were stationed and how to
avoid them. lD the yard they found
Hunter. Boyle withdrew the ladder
from its hiding place aud put it up
against the wall.
1t was far too short.
1t looked as II, after all the planning
and pains. the attempt was to be a
failure. There was no possibility of
the prisoner getting on the wall. His
assistants were wild with terror. They
had as much at stake as the man they
were trying to set free To return him
! to his cell would be to incur again the
risk they had taken III getting him
out. They must put him over that
wall.
"For heavens sake. Eunter."- gasped
| Boyle. what shall we do?"
I'll go to the dining room and get a
table" =
''Go quick"
The table was brought aud stood
near the wall. The ladder was placed
on 1t. but it was still too short Max
son climbed it. but could not get his
fingers on the wallis top.
"Steady" called Boyle in loud
whisper. and he and Hunter. who
were both strong men. raised the lad
der the height of their shoulders.
"a little more." called Maxson.
By combined effort they raised 1t
as high as they could reach. and the
prisoner got on to the wall.
Boyle aud Hunter were still in terri
BILE danger of discovery. Until they
had removed the table and the ladder
and had returned to their duties they
were not safe. But they accomplished
1t all. Their work was done. Each
had IA promise of what to him was a
small fortune
Maxson must take jump in the
dark. What WAS below him. how far
1t was to the ground. he did not know.
and he could not see. He might break
his neck: he might break limb The
latter alternative seemed worse to him
than the first. for If he were unable to
walk he would be recaptured, placed
in close confinement and would doubt
less die In prison. He must take the
risk. Hanging by his fingers. he let go
and dropped. He struck soft ground
and. though Jared. was not injured.
What there was about him was not
revealed under the heavy clouds scud-
ding across the Sky. Which direction
to take to reach the outer wall he did
not know: but, placing his back
against the wall he had scaled. he
walked straight forward. He had not
gone fifty PAGES before be brought up
against the second barrier. All he
knew of his friends position was that
they had been instructed to be as near
as possible to the point where he was
to scale the first wall. He CROPPED
about to find a stone to throw over the
wall. but could feel nothing but dirt
Oh. for fash of lightning that he
might see some object that he could
l use.
After spending what seemed to him
half an hour hunting for a stone-it
might have been ten Misunderstanding
that his friends would think the at
tempt had either been postponed or
had failed and would 60 away. he
went to the wall. clutched 1t frantical-
" and for moment gave way to de-
spair. Then it occurred to him to
throw over some loose dirt Scooping
some damp earth In his hands, be
made ball of it and tossed 1t over
the wall He listened. but no sound
came. The stiffness was horrible. He
scooped up another handful and. walk
ing a short distance to his right. threw
that over. Again he listened. Sudden.
~ something fell on the ground near
him. but how near or In which direc-
ton from him he could not tell. He
rushed about him for some time. when
suddenly he encountered rope.
With a stided cry of Joy be pulled
on 1t. He encountered resistance
Walking to the wall. he bore his
weight on the rope. 1t was firm. Then
he began to climb.
1t was all bis strength could accom-
plish to take him to the top. Indeed,
without the incentive he possessed he
could not have done 1t. Once on the
wall be called In q low voice. Wood
ruff answered and told him to drop.
He did 80. aud his friends each grasp.
ed one Of his hands. Then they bur-
| p}aS1 him