t. Upon removing the loose boards we found that there was a
ceiling of the same thickness still between us and freedom. The floor and
ceiling were both Norway pine, and very hard, and as we could not work
with our short handled chisel we adopted another plan for that.

We took the large poker which I had used to tear off the wainscoting, and
heating it red hot in the stove, commenced burning holes through the under
ceiling. We had a pail of water for drinking, and when it blazed up too
much, we would dash on a cup full of water. This was slow work, but just
at daylight we had removed the last board and then carefully swept up all
traces of our work, and placing the boards back in their place, carried
the sick men back and laid them over them. Our windows were grated, and
the room below was used as a store room and there were no grates at the
windows there.

Once down in that room after dark, and we could easily make our escape.
Everything went along smoothly that morning. The guard came in to bring
our breakfast and empty our slop pail, without any suspicion that any
thing was wrong, but about ten o'clock the Sergeant came up with a guard,
and commenced looking around as though in search of something.

I knew instinctively what was up, but as he had the stove removed and
commenced poking around the brick platform without saying a word, I could
not restrain my laughter, and asked him if he had lost something; saying
that if he had, perhaps I might tell him where to find it. He did not seem
to take kindly to my offer of assistance, nor feel in a mood to enjoy the
pleasure his frantic efforts to find the lost treasure, appeared to afford
me. In fact he seemed to take it as a piece of Yankee impertinence. After
satisfying himself that there was nothing under the stove, he had us all
take up our blankets and other traps, without deigning to tell us what it
was all for.

We all cheerfully complied with his order except the two sick rebs, who
were too weak to get up. After thoroughly searching every other part of
the room, he had the two sick men removed, and there discovered the loose
boards and seemed satisfied and pleased. Was that what you was looking for
Sergeant? said I. If you had told me what you wanted I could have told you
where to look when you first came up, and saved you all this trouble.
You'ens Yanks think you are d--d cute, don't you? was all the reply I
received. He left the guard in the room while he went a