Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-02-20

handles put to a pair of steel boot
hooks to use as picklocks l bought
map of the country, through a friend
in the town, who was not a detenu,
and some provisions, which we con
cealed in the dogs kennel, and then
all We needed was rope. We bought
skipping-lines from the soldiers boys
in small quantities, and hacked the
bell-rope by night, so that it broke
the first time it was used, and a new
stout one had to be supplied, giving
US altogether about thirty-six feet.
Il never could describe to you the
excitement Of that last day in prison,
as we waited for the sun to so down.
Twice before we had fixed our start,
and been baked of it; once from
Marston being taken ilI-he wanted
us to go without him, but that, Of
course, I would not listen to-and
once from the night being so calm
must inevitably have been heard and
seen. The delay was more trying
than anything to me, and | felt al
most frantic with impotence, when,
on the third observation-disclosures always
said third times were lucky, | remem-
bered, tell her-by eleven o'clock we
were ready to start, armed only with
Clasp-knives, and bags of pepper to
throw in the eyes of any assailants
and give us a chance of fight. 1t was
the 14th of October, a day we will al
ways keep as a festival together, |
trust.
"The secret of our, plans had been
SO we'll kept between us four, that
when we awakened the messmates in
our room to bid them goodbye, aud
told them that in ten days we hoped
to be in England, they declared il was
mpOsSible--that we were mad to
make the attempt, and urged us to
wait at least for spring weather. But
| would allow no discussion or con
sIderatiOn, being by common consent
in command of the party; and, &C.
cOrding to our arrangement, bennett
and [ started first, to fix the ropes
and open the doors. The other two
were to follow us in q quarter of an
hour, giving them a chance of escape
II we were shot or taken.
My plan was to march as straight
as we could to the seaside, and range
the coast until we could get afoat.
Luckily for us it was blowing hard,
and was so dark and cloudy that not
q ctar could ho coop. CT, 1o11IIiOc wool
len socks over our shoes to muffie our
footsteps, we climbed the wall of the
yard and bank, lying fiat as the senti-
nels approached, until we had reached
the first gateway. This was the high
est part of the citadel, where there
was most danger Of our being discov-
cred; but fortunately the sentinels
had taken refuge in their boxes from
the bitter wind, SO we let ourselves
down in turn by the rope on to the
drawbridge, more easily and quickly
than l had expected to. In the pro
cess | dislodged brick, and for the
moment thought it was all over with
us; but | caught it between my knees
as it rebounded, before it could strike
the wall, and carried it down with me
noiselessly.
1--WE hurried on to the heavy door,
and attacked it with our picklocks,
but for some reason they would not
work AS the stones were fortified
with iron bars, it was impossible to
move them, and for moment it ap-
peared a complete checkmate to all
our efforts. We had just resolved to
try and float across the ditch on our
backs as last resource, when it
flashed across me we might under
mine the gate. 1t seemed a forlorn
hope, with only pocket-knives for
tools. but we worked with all our
might and main, till suddenly we
heard footsteps echoing in the arched
passage, which seemed to be those OF
a body of men, and we made sure we
had been discovered and pursued.
determined not to be taken like rat
in hole, and had grasped my knife
firm, to repulse any attack, when we
heard a whisper of Frank, and
there were Marston and White, SO we
all set to and shook hands as If we
we're already embarked for England.
SIN about an hour we got up the
first stone between us; the second, OF
course. was easier, and when that was
out of the way, we managed to
squeeze through-priHon fare does not
make one fat-and got under the door
way and across the bridge, which by
the greatest good fortune was down.
We climbed the parapet, cut a stake
from the solitary tree that grew on
the ramparts, and with that and our
roDe dropped down on to the glacis,
ana thence gained the h1gh-road after
four hours hard work.
eve got some water to drink out OF
the ditch, and then ran on as fast as
our legs could carry us, Marston
frightened out of his life by the
flashes of lightning, which nothing
would persuade him were not the
alarm guns to give the signal for our
capture. Coming to a turn1p-held,
we RECALLED sumptuousiy, and soon
after, to our delight, reached small