The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-02
FOUR YEARS TO SERVE
By JOHN p, ROE,
BY JOHN p. ROE.

No. ia had caught meaning glances
from the convicts as they filed into the
foundry. He knew their meaning; for
weeks revolt had been brewing. and,
strangely enough. this time the guards
had no inkling of it. The secret had
been well kept.
No. ia was In for 20 years. and he
had served 16. At any time now be
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. a boy Of twenty,
serving 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 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. TIA was
being carried along in the press. At
his side, caught also In the crowd Of
men, he saw the boy
He heard whistles blowing, he heard a
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 q white,
pointed beard, was trying to close the
gates. No. TIA 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. TIA 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 began
to work.
Down here!" he gasped, indicating
dry ditch beside the road.
He looked back quickly. They we're In
q little depression which hid them
from the prison. or anyone on
guard there. There was nobody In
sight. No. TIA dropped fiat among
the tangle Of briers, dragging the boy
with him.
We're hidden here" he said.
They'll never look for US 80 near.
And they'll get those other fellows as
sure as q gun"
Sowly out Of the distance came q
freight train. 1t rolled at a slow pace
along the meadow banks. 1t would
cross the road that forked with that
leading to the prison, and that was
only a couple Of hundred PAGES away.
They could make it unobserved by
running along the gully. And there
was ample time.
No. TIA looked at the boy. He looked
like a striped caterpillar In his hide
GUS convict garb. He himself, as q
first.class prisoner, wore the working
garb of any laborer.
Strip, kid" he said.
The boy began suddenly to tear OIL
the stripes. In a few minutes the
transfer had been effected.
You'll make the town by night,
fall" said TIA. They won't catch
you If you jump off before you reach
the yards"
But your stammered the boy.
-Four years MORE" answered TIA,
easily. 81 could do that bit on my
head. Hurry, kid"
No. TIA watched him as he ran.
He saw the train approach, slowing
as 1t went up the incline, saw the boy
scramble under a car. He held his
breath involuntarily. But nobody had
witnessed that sudden flash out of the
gully into the daylight. The train
went on.
NO. TIA sat still in the gully. He
watched the mounted men ride back,
shepherding their captives. AS they
came toward him TIA stepped into
the road. A mounted man dashed at
him.
All, put up your whip" said TIA
Il ran because l was scared. I've
been waiting for YOU
He took his place in the detected
crowd. A few minutes later they
passed through the outer gates, where
an old man with his head in a ban.
dage cursed them volubly.
No. TIA felt his heart leap in mis-
breast. 1t was not murder, then! And
his only offense was against the prison
rules. They could take away his four
years of copper but they could give
MIN no more. You cannot imprison a
man for breaking the prison rules BY
changing clothes, unless you can
prove-but what could be proved?
The boy knocked me down and
took EN- OF me-" muttered No. TIA.
He was back in his cell. Outside
the birds were pouring out their eve.
ming song. He listened and looked at
the calendar upon the wall.