Castle School - Drawbridge Yearbook (Tarrytown, NY)

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Wlzzfe Tlze Cafe Ward Cfasezz' Porter Allan had been extremely bored all day. He had been bored the day before and for a week or more before that, principallybecause he had a great aversion to sightseeing by the wholesale, as he termed it. He preferred to sample first, and then continue acquaintance if the thing pleased him. But, in a particularly good, and thoughtless humor, he had been so unfortunate as to make one of a party of about a dozen of his friends who were planning to tour Mexico. They were all good company and the party would have been ideal, if only Porter had en- joyed seeing how much of a place they could do in a day. They had been on the move for the past month, and Porter was weary of trains and hotels, museums and statues. He was considering how he could, with the least difficulty and the most logical explanations, withdraw from the party and con- duct his own tour,gin his own leisurely manner. Since morning they had been visiting places of interest, and toward the close of an almost endless day Porter was following the guide, along with his friends, through the mazes of a prison, while revolv- ing in his mind the project of escape from the party. So far the only impression that Porter had received from the prison was one of unending, half dark corridors and equally interminable stairs. He won- dered vaguely why they continued to go up and up. A few random phrases from the guide gave him the information that the top of the watch tower was their goal, from whence a panorama of the city and surrounding country could be obtained. Porter was weary of views, so it was with a feel- ing of relief that he found, on coming out on top of the tower in the golden sunlight of the late after- noon, that the view was really worth seeing. The guide at once launched into a description of some point of interest which could be seen from the tower, and Porter, not being interested, retired unnoticed to a corner of the tower, where the guide's voice could not be heard, and looked down upon the city. The white, flat-roofed houses were 'no longer glar- ing, but 'tinged with rose, the tangle of narrow streets were no longer dusty looking, but filled with the yellow light of the setting sun. Beyond the city the fields and hills were yellow and purple in the evening light. It was the most restful scene Porter had seen for days and he became absorbed in it. The sun seemed to stop for a moment on the sky- line of the hills, then dropped with amazing swift- ness below the edge. The church bells began to chime just as the sun disappeared, and the yellow light began to be blotted out by the growing shad- ows. It grew darker. Suddenly Porter realized it was very quiet on the tower, with a start he discovered he was alone. He descended the stairs with all speed. At the bottom he encountered a guard who evidently knew noth- ing of English, for Porter's words produced noim- pression. After a few moments of fruitless talking he turned and motioned Porter to follow him. They went down several corridors and into the courtyard of the prison, but saw no signs of his friends. The inner gate was closed and through it he could see that the outer one was also closed. His conductor motioned him into a doorway across the COLH-tj. HC entered and found himself ina large room, evidently the ofhce of the commanding officer. At a desk sat il young man in uniform, who was the command- ante.', His English proved to be almost perfect, so Porter's explanation of his presence and inquir-

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THE DR-AWBRIDGEIIG ' Nineteen-Twen O71 REV8ddZ'7Zg Mz'lr07z 'I'hese mountains! Did they tower here unseen VVhen I passed by? How was I unaware Of their majestic presence, and their mien Gf ceaseless vigil and embodied prayer? Blind to the sea nymphs' wicked sparkling hair, I ike shattered sunlight where the drowsy band, W7armed by the sun, lies flung upon the sand? I slipped through shadowed vistas dim and still Yet lusty lVIorris-dancers stamp and roar Beneath the golden oaks upon the hill. And sweet and chill the shepherd pipes outpour Melodious lament, that rouseth more Of grief than broken speech may e'er unfold, Than time may still or fragile hearts may hold. Ecfzo From 1918 I'm always in a hurry, And I'm very often lateg I just can't seem to get there, Though for me they cannot wait. I hurry and I scurry, And I rush around like madg I cannot find my tie or wrap- It really seems too bad! I really start for breakfast With lots of time to spare, But somehow I am late again. Coulributed by IW. fl. K. !Warrundy, '17 It really isn't fair! t f '7 F - ' ' -f -:QR 5. -1 f .ff W IA Q Nw ,dag

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THE DRAWBRIDGE Nineteen-Twenty ies for his friends were this time not useless. While he spoke the officer listened politely, show- ing his white teeth in a pleasant smile, but when Porter ceased speaking, he stated that, inasmuch as it was an unalterable rule that the prison gates could not be opened after sunset, the Senor would be oblig- ed to pass the night inside the prison walls. Porter protested, the officer was sympathetic, but firm. The general alone could cause the gates to be opened, and the general was away, in the barracks. At this point a guard entered and a quite lengthy conversation followed between him and the officer, who gestured and raised his shoulders, thus indicat- ing his helplessness in the matter. Porter's impati- ence began to give way to amusement as he waited. The situation was at least a change from sight-see- ing, and a night in prison would at least be a novel experience. When the guard had gone the officer ex- plained that Porterfs friends had returned, looking for him, but that he had told the guard to tell them the circumstances, and assure them that he would be allowed to leave at sunrise the next morning. lvfean- While it would be his pleasure to entertain his unex- pected guest, and endeavor to make the time pass as agreeably as possible. Porter accepted his host's of- fer with interest, wondering what kind of entertain- ment was to be found in a prison. He followed the officer through several corridors, into a large room in the centre of which stood a table, already set for the evening meal. fn a kind of al- cove a game of cards was in progress-evidently an interesting one, for there was a great deal of talking and laughing among the officers who stood around the table, following the progress of the game. They came forward, abandoning the card table as soon as they saw the officer and Porter. He was greeted most politely and ceremoniously by the other officers, but the constraint of the first few minutes soon wore off. They sat down to dinner and soon the officers were laughing heartily at the enforced visit of their guest. As for Porter, the whole affair seemed a bit unreal to him, the dap- per officers in their red and blue uniforms seemed to have stepped out of a musical comedy. Most of them were quite young, he wondered if they had ever seen any service outside of the city, or any real fighting. The dinner was excellent, and before the meal was over he found that, irresponsilble and young as they seemed, most of the officers had seen quite a large share of active service. The command- ing officer proved to be a very interesting and like- able chap. Everyone hates to be on prison duty, it's so dull,', he told Porter. Therels not much to do, and be- sides, it's uncomfortable. ft's like living on the edge of a volcano, one never knows when the prisoners are going to revolt. Every so often they do, he continued philosophically. Where do they obtain their arms ?,' asked Porter. We do not know, replied his host with a shrug. Somewhere they get them, but we have always put down any such attempts with little trouble. We are hampered by never having sufficient force of troops stationed here at the prisonf, After dinner they went up on the tower where Porter had been left by his friends. They sat on the parapet, the dark sky set with brilliant stars above them, and the yellow lights of the town spread out gleaming below them, and smoked and talked. Aboutieleven o'cloek they went down-stairs and were just about to separate for the night, when a noise as of men running was heard. Almost im- mediately as they listened there came shouts and a heavy crash. A guard dashed into the room, and talked rapidly and excitedly to the commandante, who nodded comprehension, gave some orders in a calm voice to his men, and shouted a command to the guards in the corridors. ' f-fis smiling and easy-going manner had quite van- ished when he turned to Porterg he looked serious, but alert and calm. ft is as l feared, he said, the prisoners have mutinied. lt has come sooner than f expected. The guards received sufficient warning to enable them to close the wooden gates leading to the rear court-