Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-05-14


Mrs. Maxson. II was all she 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
a certain night when Woodruff and
Somers should be ready at the outer
wall and the attempt should be made.
The night arranged for was very
dark, a high wind bowling furiously.
This waa In some respects an advan-
tage, for the operations Of the conspir-
ators were less likely to be heard
After midnight Boyle gave Maxson
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. In the yard they found
Hunter. Boyle withdrew the ladder
from its hiding place and put 1t up
against the wall.
1t was far too short.
1t looked as IL. after all the planning
and pains, the attempt was to be
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 in getting him
out They must put him over that
wall.
For heavens sake. Hunter" gasped
Boyle. what shall we do?"
IN go to the dining room and get
table"
go quick"
The table was brought and stood
near the wall The ladder was placed
on ii. but 1t WIS still too short. Max
son climbed it. but could not get his
fingers on the wallis top.
Steady called Boyle in a loud
whisper. and he and Hunter, who
were both strong men, raised the lad
der the height of their shoulders.
"A little moreI' called Maxson.
By a combined effort they raised it
as high as they could reach, and the
prisoner got on to the wall.
Boyle and 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
it all. Their work was done. Each
had a promise of what to him was a
small fortune.
Maxson must take a jump In the
1 dark What was below him, how far
it was to the ground, he did not know.
and he could not see. He might break
his neck: be 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. be 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 he 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 stone to throw over the
wall. but could feel nothing but dirt.
Oh, for a fash Of lightning that he
might see some object that he could
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
| bod aff
had failed and would go away. he
went to the wall. clutcbed II frantical-
" and for a moment gave way to de-
SPAR. Then ii occurred to him to
throw over some loose dirt. Scooping
some damp earth in his hands. be
made a ball OF 1t and tossed II 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
ly 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 a rope.
With a stifed cry Of joy he pulled
on IT. He encountered resistance.
Walking to the wall. he bore his
weight on the rope. 1t was firm. Then
he began to climb.
It was all his 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 he called In a low voice. Wood
run answered and told him to drop.
He did SO. and his friends each grasp.
ed one OF his hands. Then they bur
ried him away.
There would be no safety In meeting
his family. When he was missed
their movements would be watched
He was taken to a place some dis
lance from the jail. where carriage
was waiting. and driven twenty miles
to a railway station. His friends had
brought with them materials for a
makeup. and when he alighted at the
station he appeared as an old man.
Maxson was concealed for weeks In
the house of one of his relatives. When
the excitement attending his escape
had worn OF he took passage under an
assumed name for Australia. There be