University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE REDWOOD Quietly sneaking down the side of the fill as the guard ' s attention was at- tracted to the other side of the car by a sudden commotion, his movements fortunately screened by the fog bank momentarily growing denser, Blank noiselessly parted the tules, and pass- ing through, allowed them to close be- hind him. Not wishing to make known his attempt by foolishly endeavoring to w allow through the mud without be- ing able to accurately gauge his direc- tion, he bent the tules over and formed a mattress to hold him, first finding a spot sufficiently hard to bear him up. Having succeeded in eluding the guards, he Avondered how long it would be before his absence would be discov- ered. Would they discover his absence before noon-time? If they did not, he would have some chance of getting away. Acting on this thought, he care- fully worked his way in the direction he thought was away from the fill, us- ing as his compass, the noise made by machinery and the emptying of the rock-cars. The fog was still heavy, though there were indications of its lightening. The smell of the tules and the stagnant water through which he was obliged to crawl, was not very pleasing to Blank as he laboriously made his way towards the shore. ' ' If I could only make that other shore before I am discovered, he mused, ' ' I could get to the railroad and then it would be easy going. If my luck holds out, and the fog does not lighten too much, my absence won ' t be discovered until it will be too late for the guards to catch up with me. Anyway, they won ' t know which way I ' ve gone. With these consoling thoughts, he continued his efforts to make the oppo- site shore, and, still using the clamor of the machinery as his invisible bea- con, at length began to feel the mud, as the tules grew thinner and sparser, give way to harder ground. With re- doubled caution he made his way out of the tules, and lay flat upon the edge of the marsh watching for signs of life. Nothing stirred, to send him scampering back into the marsh. Em- boldened by the lack of danger, he rais- ed himself, and bent over like a jack- knife, half-ran, half-walked away from the marsh. Using extreme caution, he made his way with unerring precision for the railway. The land over which he hur- ried, he knew, was uninhabited, and the probability of meeting anyone was very slight. But his life was in the balance, and the greatest care would not go amiss. He reached the railway at last, and turning, followed it towards the south. After a few minutes ' hurried walk, he made a momentary stop, and straight- ened up from his crouching position. Raising his arms towards the heavens, he took a deep breath, and thanked the Lord for his safe conduct thus far. But it was yet too soon for exultation. It was nearing noon, and a safe place

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Convict Number 3875 Louis L. Gairaud. HE murky fog hung low and dismal erer the dank-smelling marsh. The fine sleet-like parti- jny ■■■ ■ cles of water, whipped y V fi by a chilling breeze, I SJ string the faces of the al j men, and penetrated through their clothes, freezing them as they worked. The reeking smell of tules accompanying the marsh fog clung to one with a tenacity that was impossible to rid oneself of. The work progressed slowly. The road was nearing completion, and the men were loath to hurry. The sooner the work was finished, the sooner they would be back in their dark and drea- ry cells. Much better it was to work out here in the mud and fog, with a measure of freedom, than to be shut up in a gloomy prison cell without an op- portunity of moving about. It was just such thoughts of return- ing to the prison that provoked rebel- lion in the heart of Blank. Sentenced to hard labor, for a crime he claimed he had never committed, he was put on the road-gang, at the time engaged in building a new road through a neigh- boring marsh. His unjust conviction rankled in his mind and he was deter- mined to seek a chance of escaping from the dreadful routine of prison life and the monotony of the labor. At least he could make an attempt to es- cape, and if he was unsuccessful, he would only be brought back to the pris- on and probably put in confinement ; but, on the other hand, if he succeeded, he would have a chance of proving his innocence. With this determination fully resolved upon, he bided his time for an opportunity of putting his plan into action. The work was nearing the solid shore and the fill was ne arly complet- ed. But a few yards remained to be filled in, and the hardest part of the work would be completed, leaving only the finishing touches to be made. Blank, realizing that the impending completion of the work might cause the cutting down of the gang, and that his chances for making his getaway were consequently growing slim, knew that he must act at once or fail. Which would be the easier way? To hide in one of the cars after it was emptied, or to quietly slip off the side of the fill and hide in the tules until he could slip away before the men were marched back to the prison? The latter way appealed to Blank more than the former, and he instantly put it into execution.

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THE REDWOOD to hide must be found before the fog should entirely clear up and reveal him to the gaze of those who might even new be searching for him. Somewhere along this railroad, he re- membered, there was a tunnel. If he could make it before discovery, he could hide in it with practically no chance of discovery. The guards would never think of looking for him in a railway tunnel. But what was that sound? A shot! Blank stood still and listened intently. What did it mean, he thought, ' ' have they discovered my absence al- ready? Ah, no, it cannot be true. He was about to continue his stealthy stride, when another shot rang out, this time much nearer. Several shots rang out almost simultaneously with it. Blank hesitated. Evidently his es- cape had been discovered, and the guards were already on his trail. But hope was not yet dead, the tunnel was still ahead. His moment of hesitation over, he quickened his pace and hurried along the narrow path along the side of the tracks. At length, at a distance, the black, forbidding, gaping mouth of the tunnel appeared through the slowly- lightening fog. But it was not black and forbidding to Blank, in his anxi- ety, it was a haven of refuge. Quickly covering the remaining dis- tance, Blank edged furtively into the darkness of the tunnel which seemed to reach out helping hands to welcome him and enveloped him in a curtain of obscurity. As soon as he was a few yards within the darkness, he turned and throwing himself upon the floor of the tunnel, eagerly listened for sounds of pursuit. Nothing moved; no sound broke the deathly stillness. The fog was gradually lifting, and as the bright rays of the afternoon sun quickly dispersed the remaining banks of fog, the darkness of the tunnel light- ened. Blank quietly drew back farther into the tunnel, but not so far as not to be able to see clearly what was trans- piring without. As the fog lifted, it revealed in the distance several indistinct forms. Blank quickly arose from his crouching position, and screening his eyes, in- tently watched them. They were yet too far distant to make out clearly who they were, but something that thej were carrying in their hands which glistened when the sun shone upon it told him the answer. They must be carrying guns, and if so, who are they? The answer that involuntarily arose in his mind was ' guards ! ' ' Hastily abandoning his position, he scurried deeper into the dark recesses of the tunnel. What if the guards should search the tunnel and find him there? It would be all up with him then. Further and further into the darkness of the tunnel he crept, as the guards gradually drew closer and clos- er. He stopped a moment to watch them.