The daily Alaskan., 1917-06-21
MY PRISONER
By JAMES BARNARD


 saw a rowboat approaching. l was coming from the penitenttary on the other bank and half mas upstream. Whoever was in t was pulling as foE dear life. As soon as hs came near enough to me recognized the stripes of a convict.
 stood under oveHhanging trees, and be could not see me. He ran hts boat ashore just below wher0 I was and without stopping to make fast jumped out and climbed the, bank. There he saw a woman within . few feet of him, shall never forget the agoniEed look on his face, and on seeing me is changed to despair.
 "For Gods sake, help mer' he cried. ''I have just escaped from over there, and they'll be after mo right away. I was put in for a crime never commit ted. Either Kill me or give me q chance. If you tell them which way I e from here they will overtakS ms and take me back to what Is worBs than hSIl to one reared as l waB.0
 I looked up into the dense foliage of tree above where We stood. He took the hint and, giving jump, caught c lower limb, pulled himBeS up Rn6 Gis- appeared among the topmoSt branches.
 Meanwhile his boat had hoatOd down with the current 1 saw another boat shoot out from the penitenttary. It came dashing alonE. scattering spray with its oars and making directly for the spot where l was. Some CNo must have seen the convict land aad have marked the location. The boats occupants jumped ashore directly where l stood. ...., .
 Now, I was not quite up to tNltng 8 deliberate lie, but was willing to look one, especially for a poor fellow hSclng from prison. Before the men had climbed the bank had turned and was looking southwsrd as if intensely in- terested in something. When they Rp- peared behind me I tuned toward them. They asked me which way a man in stripes had gone. I did not reply. But l had indicated she route he had taken by dumb show, and they set off in that direction. |, .. ..
 Soon after they had gone the mEn in the tree called to me to ask fl they were out of sight When told him that they were he came down and, taking my hand, covered 1t with kisses, He was too much moved to say word.
 "Go back" l said, 'and keep in hid- ing. I will get you some clothing"
 He went back Into the tree, and l went home, caught up some of my brothers old clothes and ran back with them. The prisoner. descended and took them In among some bushes, put them on and, rolling hIs striped suit about a stone, threw 1t Into the river. Then. seizing my hand, he looked 6 world of gratitude, then went oG in q direction opposite the one his purSuers had taken. .......,.-- --a --. About a year after this, while locking over newspaper, I saw mention of the arrest Of an employee of bank for embezzlement of the banks funds. The item went on to say that the same bank had suffered in the same way, Q few years before. An employee had been convicted of the crime and had been sent to the penitentiAry, but had escaped and had not been found. Fhe person now arrested had confessed to having committed both crimes. -... =. I certainly had not forgotten the young man in whose escape 1 had as- sisted. Indeed, I had thought a great deal about him.
 One afternoon was sitting on the porch reading when a motorcar was driven up to the door and R well dressed young man RlIghted and cans up on to the porch. 1 recognized him at once as my escaped prisoner. To my surprise, be did not appear to rseog' nize me. He looked at me as though trying to discover if he had seen me ] before.
 whom do you wish to seer" asked him.
 A young lady who assisted a pris' oner to escape from the penltenttary.'
 Tt does not seem that she made much of an impression on you"
 'That was because I was 80 absorbed in my flight. All my faculties were riveted on making good my escape"
 q can understand that Well, an that girl you are looking for"
 His manner changed at once. Re looked at me as though, to use a para doxical expression, he was obhviouB tc me. He was trying to remember the girl to whom he owed so much.
 "I have learned that you have been YlndiCated," l said.
 ''Yes, thank GOdr'
 'I confess I was much pleased when I saw an account of 1t in a newspaper
 My main object fin life now 10 tc show my appreciation, my gratitude tc you for keeping me from being cent back to prison. l owe you moro than my life" ..
 q did not tell lie for you"
 "You acted what made me a frot |