The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-08-05

tnroush Wnlcn WenBer had dtsap-
peared.
An old man-Blackie Lunn--sidied
over to varge.
You'll let me In on II, won't your
Blackie pleaded feverishly. you'll
let an old man in on IL, won't you
Don't say no! You amt been here
long enough to have your heart all
dried up. Twisty says l amt got the
sand. You speak to him-you tell
him have. have got sand. oh,
let me in on tits killing me in
here-I got to get out or ri die.
know what's going on. The tunnels
done and they're at the brick now
and
Wenser had crept up on them.
"Tunnei" snarled the guard.
what about a tunnei7" ~
He seized Biackie's arm ana
twisted It viciously. The old man
screamed In agony.
It lasted the bare fraction OF a sec.
ond. vargas INST whipped to Wen
gers Jaw-and Wenger stretched his
length upon the door. stunned, q full
ten feet away.
He had not done It mpulsively-,n.
stantaneously almost az was the act.
quick as was the rush Of anger At
Wengers coward deed. he had struck
tne olow with cool. sober elaboration.
he had known the onseQuences-an
assault upon q guard was the iast ACT
ne could hope to commit with i'm
punity. 1t was the offence heinous,
ana It's punishment was-the LASH
the lash. strapped to the Triangular
black horse" that he had seen one
DAY In the corridor of the under
ground cells. There was no excuse
Tor an assault upon q guard-none-
1t was the lash.
They took him then to the warden,s
liar. told his story. guarding himseS
At every point.
He q bad egs:" wenser stated to
the warden. He's In thick, as rye
TOLD you before. with the worst of
them: Why. there Amt day goes by
that ] don't have to warn him.
Would 1t come some day to that,
-wnen human endurance would be
at an end. when his brain would
stasser and reel with mad drunken
ness; and Wenger's blood be on hi,
He watched thoss keen, steel. era,
eyes, watched the warden's face. hs
remembered. trying to read in them
MS sentence. Six iashes ?-twelye--
eighteen Twenty -four?
And then Warden Rand spoke.
TWO days In solitary confinement.
no lash! He could have sobbed
win RELIEF. He had been given len.
iency. Whyf He did not know.
"A week later he stood at work in
the SHOP. his mind bitter and hone
iess. MS train OF thought was rudely
interrupted. and with a shock he was
brought back to his Immediate snra
roundings. A convict, with face like
cha!k, his eyes staring, came racing
madIy from the k-room-and then
the words poured from him In 4 hirh-
pitched. tumbled torrent.
Wenger's seen him!" he voIIed
ITS all up. Four months diEgin'
down to the bri-k, q handful al a
time. an It's all up! He's seen scottv
comm out from beneath the Lumbar
pile. It's all up. Twisty-an' us down
to the sewer with only few bricks
to kick loose!"
ship.
Den beat 1t noDi" he screamed
ITS our only chance. Youse guys
Knows what to do. Croak Wenger
frst an beat It! Spud, you an de
Mouser get de rest Nv dem bricks
loose an'"-
The words were drowned In Wild
confusion-Varge was already racing
toward the stock room door-over his
shoulder he saw an attendant crumple
up and wriggle to the floor from a
blow over the head from q billet of
wood In the Butchers hands Twisty,
Spud. the Mouser. q dozen more, were
close at his heels The heavy face Of
Wenger. his hand locked In the collar
OF q convict he was showing before
him, doomed In the doorway.
"Croak I'm! Croak I'm! tho't
yousc were all right" shrilled Twisty,
In the belief that Varse was but lead
Ing the rush. '"T'ree-sevens gets the
foist crack at fm!"
Mad with the lust for blood. mad
with the lust for freedom they were.
There was no thought now Of per.
sonal wrongs In Vargas mind--hound
and cur though Wenger was, he was
at least q human being-they would
tear him In pieces like wild beasts.
And freedom-they were guilty mem
criminals prey on soctety-what
right had they to freedom!
Wenger's face had gone from red
to gray. fear was In It. then came q
british look Of animal courage. lie
at his pocket for his re-
volver, but the convict in his grasp
suddenly and fung his
arms around him.
A bull-like roar and an oath camA
from WenBer a Varge neared him.
'I'u get you. anyway" ne beloved.
Flight, Wenger! Get free from that
man! Fight for It II you want to
hve!" Varge flashed at him-and
turned to face the oncoming rush.
1t was upon him like an avalanche.
A little crouched, he met It. II
seemed to culver and part and break
and go scattering backward as a
tempest's wave breaks In futile fury
against the rocky cliff.
Excavations. a torrent OF bias
phemy, curses and yells was Its echo;
two forms were stretched upon the
floor.
And then they came on again, a
sea of them. the stamp Of hell In the
starved white faces and glittering
eyes--and leading them now. mot
Twisty, not the Butcher. was the
poor, bent, disease racked form of
old Blackie Lunn.
II got sand!" the old man shrieked.
II got"-
The words died in a gurgle and he
pitched forward on mis- face. Blackie
Lunn had won his freedom. Wenger.
freed from Scotty for an instant, had
fred.
Varge was shoulder to shoulder
with Wenger now and the guards