Hyder weekly herald., 1934-11-03
Far Fields By LEETE STONE
e. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
 WNU Service

THEY were companions. and they spoke to each other: each in his fashion: from their separate cages. One was a ,trusty In a penitentiary and the other was golden canary. The Hitting song of the bird and the crisp whistle of the man exchanged daily greetings across the struggling space that separated them.
 This was one of the first days Of spring to capture glorious geniality from the gently warm sun and faintly stirring air--nature's farewell to dragging. bitter winter.
 Number 991 pressed his cheekbones against the bars of his open window. Even the metal felt less cold and un- yielding than usual. Zephyrs stirred his sandy hair which had become much thinner during the ten years of incarceration. This morning out Of the ruts of resignation which had claimed his spirit from the first rose . consuming desire for the far fields Of freedom and the nomad life that had once been his.
 Eyes bent on his little chum whose cage hung in another open window over the way this wondrous April day. Number 901 indulged his whimsicality of guarded conversation: "Can we stick another winter here, little one?' he whispered.
 Notes of song trilled over to him as if In direct answer.
 ''Meaning 'Cheerio' and Carry on and all the rest Of the uplft stuff." Number 991 muttered with a wry mouth. Nevertheless his shoulders strengthened and he responded with a clear whistle.
 About to turn away from the win dow. his gaze-which had been rivet- ed on the cage-was caught by the sight Of child scrambling onto chair which stood beneath 1t. The child was small. and had trouble mak. ing the grade; hut finally stood on the chair and commenced fussing with the tiny door of the birds prison. At once . woman appeared on the scene, re- moved the child with apparent scold. ings. and pushed the chair away.
 The significance of this ordinary in- cident flooded the mans mind with the conviction that some day the child would succeed with its mischief and his little companion would escape to those far fields of freedom that nagged their hearts perpetually.
 Thus the idea of escape was born in Number 99l on this day of lovely promise which had suddenly new meaning for him. Amazed, and some what bewildered, he for the first time realized how many opportunities he had missed; wrapped as he had been during the years In the dull Inertia of confinement and prison shop labor. The check-up of tools was often lax. It would be simple to confiscate and conceal files and oil. Nights were long in which to softly sever his bars.
 He felt that escape for the little pal was destined. Why not for him, tool
 The chance to secure tools came soon and Number 901 became a differ ent man. He stepped out of the prison rnt of resignation Into the province of iOVc 0I lire. Bf0uSduu SteepicSS nights had taught him where the night guard of his cell-block would he at any given moment. No detail of se- crecy eluded him. Night by night the four little rifts in two of his bars grew imperceptibly deeper.
 Intimacy. also. progressed between the bird and the man. Never a morn- ing that they did not exchange buoy sancies:
 "Hew you coming, frIendT" Carolled over.
 "Fine! How bout you, little one?" WhIstled back.
 And often the misehlevous child stretched Its arms high for the cage. reinforcing Number 991's premonition that freed0m for them both was cer- tainty.
 The morning came when all but the last few strokes of the file had been taken. A few more delft moments work would spell separation of the