Part 52 (2/2)

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CHAPTER xxxIII

THE TUNNEL

I

The adverse decision of the Board of Pardons teral means Had the Board refused to coument, another atterant a rehearing, the crafty stratagem to circumvent even the presentation of my case, reveals the duplicity of the previous proality of my multiplied sentences The authorities are determined that I should remain in the prison, confident that it will provethis firesThere is no hope of surviving my term At best, even with the full benefit of the coranted ement--I still have over nine years to serve But existence is beco confinement and the solitary have drained my vitality To endure the nine years is almost a physical iy and efforts upon escape

My position as rangee I have access to every part of the cell-house, excepting the ”crank row” The incident of feeding the insane has put an eo uponbeen assigned to care for the deranged But within e are the recent arrivals and the sane solitaries; the division of my duties with the new man merely facilitatesfor liberty constantly besetsvarious projects The idea of escape daily strengthens into the determination born of despair It possessesevery action By degrees I curtail correspondence withto the developround tunnel masters my mind with the boldness of its conception, its tremendous possibilities But the execution! Why do ard the matter so indifferently? Their tepidity irritatesfailed to impress my comrades with the feasibility of the plan, to fire them with the enthusiasm of activity My _sub rosa_ route is sporadic and uncertain Repeatedly I have hinted toindifference; but nored I cannot believe that conditions in the estion

These things have been accomplished in Russia Why not in Aandistic effect True, the project will require considerable outlay, and the work of skilled and trustworthy men Have we no such in our ranks? In Parsons and Luenius of America not equal to a Hartman?[48] The tacit skepticism of my correspondents pain me, and rousesseparated” fro The consciousness of naws atmy days with bitterness But I will persevere: I will compel their attention and their activity; aye, their enthusiasineered the tunnel beneath the Moscow railway, undermined in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Alexander II, in 1880

With utmost zeal I cultivate the acquaintance of Tony The months of frequent correspondence and occasional personal ood will I exert enuity to create opportunities for stolen interviews and closer coh the aid of a friendly officer, I procure for Tony the privilege of assisting his range hie Gradually we become intimate, and I learn the story of his life, rich in adventure and experience An Alsatian, small and wiry, Tony is a man of quick ith a considerable dash of the French--the very man to carry out my plan

For days I debate in my mind the momentous question: shall I confide the project to Tony? It would be placingthe sole hope of my life Yet it is the only way; I hts are sleepless, excruciating with the agony of indecision Butcompletion

We shall need tih consideration of every detail At last I resolve to take the decisive step, and next day I reveal the secret to Tony

His manner allays apprehension Serene and self-possessed, he listens gravely to my plan, smiles with apparent satisfaction, and briefly announces that it shall be done Only the shi+ning eyes of my reticent comrade betray his elation at the bold scheme, and his joy in the adventure He is confident that the idea is feasible, suggesting the careful elaboration of details, and the invention of a cipher to insure greater safety for our correspondence The precaution is necessary; it will prove of inestireat circuram is prepared, based on a discarded system of German shorthand, but somewhat altered, and further involved by the use of words of our own coinage The cipher, thus perfected, will defy the skill of the most expert

But developes in the project

The building operations near the bathhouse destroy the serviceability of the latter for my purpose We consider several new routes, but soon realize that lack of faas and sewer syste the necessary information: Tony is confined to the shop, while I am never permitted out of the cell-house In vain I strive to solve the difficulty; weeks pass without bringing light

My Providence coht in the yard

The coe One of the a third ter his previous confinement, he had filled the position of fire of the sewers He is thoroughly fa of the yard, but his reputation aed with the odor of sycophancy He is, however, the only ently set hten his solitary by nu him with little extras procured frolad of an opportunity to converse, and I devote every propitious reat jobs” he had accouns” horeat hauls” he had made and ”blowed in with th'

fellers” I suffer his chatter patiently, encouraging the recital of his prison experiences, and leading him on to dwell upon his last ”bit” He becomes reraves of soood chu subject gives ”Mac” a new start, and he waxes enthusiastic over the ingenuity of Patty, while I express surprise that he himself had never attempted to take French leave ”What!” he bristles up, ”think I'reat detail he discloses his plan, ”'way in th' 80's” to swih the sewer I scoff at his folly, ”You must have been a chump, Mac, to think it could be done,” I re, eh? Now, letup his library slate, he draws a coe In the extreround alley

”What's this?” I ask, in surprise

”Nev'r knew _that_, did yer? It's a little tunn'l, connectin' th'

cellar with th' feoodtiram I had noticed a little trap door at the very point in the yard indicated in the drawing, and I had often wondered what purpose it ht serve My heart dances with joy at the happy solution of reatly facilitate our work It is within fifteen feet, or twenty at most, of the southwestern wall Its situation is very favorable: there are no shops in the vicinity; the place is never visited by guards or prisoners

The happy discovery quickly matures the details of my plan: a house is to be rented opposite the southern wall, on Sterling Street Preferably it is to be situated very near to the point where the wall adjoins the cell-house building Dug in a direct line across the street, and underneath the south wall, the tunnel will connect with the ”blind alley” I shall e the rest