Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-01-13
fell on the platform, back of where

my whole BODY felt numDed and use
less. | could scarcely move my fingers
to unclasp them from the gun barrel,
and every breath / drew was in pain.
Still realized all that happened, dis
tinguished voices, and the shutting of
feet on the puncheon floor. I heard
Fox shouting orders, as the mad hub
bub ceased.
That's enough! That's enough,
men! It's all over with. Here, SER
geant, round up those prisoners; God
knows there are few enough Of the
poor devils left. Guard those able to
walk outside Now, HerZog, carry the
wounded over here. What? Why, of
course, you idiot, we are not savages-
those fellows fought like men, and are
to be treated decently. No distinction,
mind you. Let the dead lie where
they are till daylight, but don't over
look wounded man. Where's Cowan
Does anybody know?"
"Shot, sir; he's here in this pile
somewhere"
See if the fellow is alive. Who is
his lieutenant"
Il am, sir; my names Kelly
well get your damn crew of scoun-
drels out Of here, what's left of them.
Do you hear! This is soldier work,
and 1 want you fellows outside"
"You used us all right when thar
wus fightin' ter do
That's enough, Kelly. l didn't use
you-Moran did; and you can go to
him with your complaints. l know
how you treat prisoners, and would
hang the whole of you, if l had my
way. Now get out, and don't answer
me-those are your orders. Lieuten-
ant Raymond"
HE was here minute ago, sir" a
voice answered from the vestibule
''but he went outside. | think he was
touched a little in one arm.
"Pity is wasn't in the mouth; has
anyone seen a woman?"
No one answered.
mo! That's strange! Here Green
take a couple of men, and feel your
way along the walls; Jasper, make a
light of some kind-Who wants me!
Colonel Moran? Tell him | am the
only officer present, and | can't leave
BY God! The place is a shambles!"
The searching party was to the right
of me, against the black shadow OF
the wall. This was my chance, my one
and only chance to slip away unob
served In five minutes more the
searching party would find me there
and bear me along with the others.
wriggled out from under the weight OF
the body lying across my legs, and
groped about in the dark until my fin
gers encountered the ring embedded
in the floor The light of the sputter
ing torch still left the pulpit platform
in shadow; Fox was at the other end
Of the church, his sharp voice rasping
out orders. | got to my knees, and
lifted the trap barely far enough to
squeeze through. There was a CLEAN
Of light below; sufficient to reveal the
dark outline of the steps leading down
Some eye might distinguish the glim'
mer, yet l thrust my body through the
narrow opening noiselessly, and low
cred the cover to the floor level.
There was no cry, no sound indicat
ing that the movement had been OBJ
served. | waited an instant, crOuched
breathlessly on the upper step, listen.
ing. My eyes surveyed those contract
ID lin vi Ia
a mere fragment, burned dimly in one
corner, revealing what appeared to be
the interior of a huge box, with a
platform built half across it, it's outer
edge protected by low rail A small
wheel ingeniOusly arranged to operate
a lever, occupied one end of the plat
form, and directly across was an open.
ing in the side wall next the floor
barely large enough for mans body
to squeeze into Nothing else was
visible; no evidence left of the two
who had already passed that way.
| slipped down the steps, lowered
my body silently to the damp floor.
entered the hole head first, dragging
to get quickly into the open. Almost
before l realized the possibility my
head and shoulders emerged into the
outer air and | hung suspended over
a rock ledge, staring blindly down in.
to the unknown depths Of a ravine.
The ledge itself was barely wide
enough to afford foothold, yet l sue.
ceeded in creeping out upon it, and
then in standing upright. The shoul.
der of the hill was sufficiently steep
and high to shut out all view of the
log walls of the church, while below
was a black void, out from which
arose the faint splashing of distant
water But the church itself must
have been lit up by this time, for a
reddish glow of light tipped the bank
above, and bridged the dark ravine.
The rock ledge extended to the right,
a fairly smooth path, and | followed it
cautiously, finding no other available
passage. 1t led gradually downward,
until it seemed to merge into beaten