y had been constructed of ivory or
gold. The scene must at all times have been grimly grotesque in this
place, for all the trades and professions had their representatives
there, and the lawyers held mock courts, politicians formed caucuses,
gamblers started a square game of faro, and even some ministers of the
gospel gathered together a few of the prisoners each day, who listened
to words of hope and comfort from their lips.

On the eighth of December Glazier made this note in his diary: "Getting
into the hospital is no easy matter, but Tresouthick is becoming more
and more sick, and has good hopes." But

"The best o' plans o' mice and men
Gang aft aglee;"

and all hope of escape for our two worthies was interrupted by the
inconvenient fact that a couple of their comrades anticipated them in
point of time, and by so doing aroused the guards to such a state of
vigilance, that our over-sanguine boys saw there was no chance for them.
Consequently Lieutenant Tresouthick's illness vanished as it had come,
and he was soon pronounced convalescent.

CHAPTER XVII.

PRISON LIFE.

Mournful news.--How a brave man dies.--New Year's Day.--Jolly under
unfavorable circumstances.--Major Turner pays his
respects.--Punishment for singing "villainous Yankee
songs."--Confederate General John Morgan.--Plans for
escape.--Digging their way to freedom.--"Post No. 1, All's
well."--Yankee ingenuity.--The tunnel ready.--Muscle the trump
card.--No respect to rank.--_Sauve qui peut!_--A strategic
movement.--"Guards! guards!"--Absentees from
muster.--Disappointed hopes.--Savage treatment of prisoners.--Was
the prison mined?

The Richmond papers occasionally found their way into the hands of the
prisoners, and the following mournful item of news is transcribed from
one of them. The writer of the ensuing letter was a man about thirty
years of age, who was accused by the rebel authorities of having acted
as a spy on behalf of the Union government. A gloom hung over the prison
for some days after the reading of the article:

Castle Thunder, Richmond, Virginia.

Dear Father:--By permission and through the courtesy of Captain
Alexander, I am enabled to write you a few lines. You, who before
this have heard from me in regard to my situation here, can, I
trust, bear it, when I tell you that my days on earth are soon
ended.