The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-27
FOUR YEARS TO SERVE
BY JOHN p. ROE.

foundry. He knew their meaning; for |
weeks a revolt had been brewing, and. |
strangely enough, this time the guards |
had no inkling of it. The secret had
been we'll kept.
No. ia was in for 20 years. and he |
had served 16. At any time now he |
might be paroled by the pardons
board. But the spirit for freedom
was strong in him. He had long since
ceased to reason, to be much more
than q dumb brute. He knew the
odds we're fearfully against him. But
outside the sun was shining, and
the birds were building. A mad hun
ger for freedom assailed him.
Only one man in the foundry was
ignorant of what was transpiring.
That was little 1887. boy of twenty.
serving a life sentence for the MUIR
der of the man who had insulted his
sweetheart. He had been there only
six months. No. TIA could read him
like a book. He knew the sudden out
breaks of frenzy, the hopelessness. the
longing to see the girl, the certainty
that she would forget him as life in
creased and memories grew fainter.
Poor little 1887!
! The signal was to be the opening
of the outer gates to admit the pass
age of the TRUSTEES. with their carts
of Stag. No. TIA listened intently.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
A simultaneous yell. The men ran
toward the doors, brandishing their
| red-hOt bars of steel. The warders
shrank away in terror. They were
hopelessly overpowered. No. IA was
! being carried along in the press. AT
his side, caught also in the crowd OF
men, he saw the boy.
He moved like man in dream.
He heard Whistles blowing. he heard
revolver spit spitefully and saw man
near him pitch up his arms and tum-
BILE forward
They were in the outer court. The
gatekeeper, an old man with white,
pointed beard, was trying to close the
gates. No. IA saw a crowbar descend
crashing upon his skull. The gate
keeper fell forward. The men were
in the open and racing down the road.
No IA came to a realization OF
what had happened, because, as the
crowd separated, he was no longer
thrust forward among them. He
! stopped, gasping. At his side was the
boy. His long paralyzed brain begar,
to work.
Down here!" he gasped, indicating
a dry ditch beside the road.
He looked back quickly. They were in
a little depression which hid them
from the prison, or anyone on
guard there. There was nobody In
sight. No. ia dropped fiat. among
the tangle of briers. dragging the boy
with him.
; Were hidden here" he said
They'll never look for us SO near
And they'll get those other fellows al
sure as a gun"
Sowly out Of the distance came
freight train. 1t rolled at a slow pace
along the meadow banks. It w0ult
. cross the road that forked with tina
,, leading to the prison, and that wal
!. only a couple of hundred PAGES away
They could make it unobserved b!
running along the gully. And Their
was ample time.
No. TIA looked at the boy. He looked
. like a striped caterpillar in his hide
GUS convict garb. He himself, as
first.class prisoner, wore the working
= garb Of any laborer.
strip, kid" he said.
The boy began suddenly to tear Of
the stripes. In few minutes tn
J. transfer had been effected.
You'll make the town by nigh
!. fall said TIA. They won't cate
y you If you jump off before you reac
. the yards"
. But your stammered the boy.
. -Four years more. answered III
:. easily. Il could do that bit on m
q head. Hurry, kid"
:, No. TIA watched him as he raj
He saw the train approach. slowin
10 as 1t went up the incline, saw the DO
= scramble under a car. He held hi
a breath involuntarily. But nobody ha
- witnessed that sudden fash out Of th
- gully into the daylight. The trai
:. went on.
= No. TIA sat still in the gully. II
10 watched the mounted men ride bacl
:. shepherding their captives. As the
came toward him TIA stepped int
!, the road. A mounted man dashed 6
n. him.
20 "Ah, put up your whip" said n
y. Il ran because ! was scared. Nv
n been waiting for you"
- He took his place in the dejecte
" crowd. A few minutes later the
n passed through the outer gates, wher
:, an old man with his head in a bal
n dage cursed them volubly.
. No TIA felt his heart leap In n
: breast. 1t was not murder, then! An
his only offense was against the prise
rules. They could take away his fol
years of "copper"" but they could civ
him no more. You cannot imprison
man for breaking the prison rules !
.. changing clothes, unless you ca
Sl prove-but what could be proved?
ne The boy knocked me down an
" took EN- of me-" muttered No. TIA
ie He was back in his cell. Outsit
It the birds were pouring out their ev
n ming song. He listened and looked |
~ the calendar upon the wall.
u -Four years." he muttered. and the
VI he thought of the boy.
o. ':Ill do 1t on my head" he sal