The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-08
NINETEEN

Janet looked at Cliff. Can l
change my mind?" she asked.
What about?"
eff you're going to try an es-
cape, l want to come with YOU
Obviously her talk with Vicente
hadn't worked. You're a little
hard to keep track Of" he said.
"But l can Gomez
at would be wiser if you
stayed"
"I'd be afraid after you LETT. I'd
much rather go with you. Please"
ct may be rough going. Do you
think you can take it,"
81 can take it."
Cliff sighed. The guard was
leaning comfortably back against
his tree rolling a cigarette, but his
eyes never left them.
.That owl gets on my nerves.
Let's 90 inside" Cliff helped Janet
=, TO her feet.
Safe from the eternal scrutiny
of their jailer, he asked do you
= suppose you could get me a
knife?''
81 asked for one when they gave
ME the frijoles. They only let me
have a spoon"
st need something to cut with. >
He unscrewed the lens of his flash
light, but the casing was too thick
and blunt. 'Have you any metal
about?" he asked.
"Metal?"
mot so loud. I mean. do you
happen to be wearing any garter
things?"
"You don't know much about
women's Clothes" she said. with
shorts and socks, you don't wear
garter things" Then she touched
the sketching case that hung from
her shoulder. would this do?"
He opened it and felt the metal
edge-not very sharp, but it might
serve. Hold this blanket tight
with both hands," he told her. "Tll
try to cut it."
Saving the tough. native wool
with the edge OF Janet's sketching
case was no easy task, and they
worked for nearly an hour. Bend
ing over her in the darkness he
could hear her soft, quiet breath
ing, his head SO close he caught
the faint perfume of her hair, and
even as he worked, Cliff found time
tc be grateful that she showed no
sign Of filters. They were in more
actual danger than at any time
since he had known her. yet she
seemed to have conquered all her
earlier fears. It might be the quiet
OF desperation, but at least it
wasn't panic. He reminded him
self that the real testing lay ahead.
Laboriously he cut three long
strips from the blanket and laid
them side by side near the door,
then flexed his cramped, raw fin
gers. "Now," he whispered, well
have to wait until the camp quiets
down"
Two hours dragged by. Once
Cliff thought Janet had fallen
asleep, but at his slight movement
She lifted her head. 'tReady?" she
asked.
I'll take a look" He crept
TO the door.
No movement out there now. In
front of their shack someone had
replenished the fire; the rest of the
clearing was dark. The camp had
turned in for the night-all but
their lone guard. Apparently IN
firing, he sat facing them, the
heavy knife in his lap. while for
ten interminable minutes Cliff
watched him. There was something
maddeniag in that dull. everlast-
ing vigilance.
At last Cliff placed his mouth
close to Janet's ear. I've got TO
make that fellow take his eyes off
the door He felt about over the
hard mud floor hoping to find a
stone or clod of earth, but the floor
was packed smooth and tight, and
az last, picking up Janet's sketch
ing case, he looked at it doubtfully.
We'll try this" he whispered. 'if
1t works. be ready with those
strips"
On hands and knees he crawled
TO the entrance. Their jailer had
not budged-he seemed imrnovable
and utterly uatiring. Coolly, me-
medically measuring the distance
Cliff drew back his hand, threw
the s%ketching case high in the air
and heard it fall with a soft thud
gust behind the guard. The man
whirled.
1t was just that scant second
CIl1 needed. A leap, a single blow,