g now no fear of
detection, went at once to an hotel, and taking up a newspaper, one of
the first paragraphs that met his eye was headed:

"ESCAPE OF THREE CONFEDERATE OFFICERS FROM ELMIRA.

"Great excitement was caused on Wednesday at Elmira by the discovery
that three Confederate officers had, during the night, effected their
escape from prison. One of the bars of the window of the ward on the
first floor in which they were, with fifteen other Confederate officers,
confined, had been removed; the screws having been taken out by a large
screw-driver which they left behind them. They had lowered themselves
to the yard, and climbed over the wall by means of a rope which was
found in position in the morning. The rest of the prisoners professed an
entire ignorance of the affair, and declared that, until they found the
beds unoccupied in the morning, they knew nothing of the occurrence.

"This is as it may be, but it is certain they must have been aided by
traitors outside the prison, for the rope hung loose on the outside of
the wall, and must have been held by someone there as they climbed it.
The inside end was fastened to a stone seat, and they were thus enabled
to slide down it on the other side. Their uniforms were found lying at
the foot of the wall, and their accomplice had doubtless had disguises
ready for them. The authorities of the prison are unable to account for
the manner in which the screw-driver and rope were passed in to them, or
how they communicated with their friends outside."

* * * * *

Then followed the personal description of each of the fugitives, and a
request that all loyal citizens would be on the lookout for them, and
would at once arrest any suspicious character unable to give a
satisfactory account of himself. As Vincent sat smoking in the hall of
the hotel he heard several present discussing the escape of the
prisoners.

"It does not matter about them one way or the other," one of the
speakers said. "They seem to be mere boys, and whether they escape or
not will not make any difference to anyone. The serious thing is that
there must be some traitors among the prison officials, and that next
time perhaps two or three generals may escape, and that would be a
really serious misfortune."

"We need not reckon that out at present," another smoker said. "We
haven't got three of the rebel generals yet, and as far as things seem
to be going on, we may have to wa