Yet still our anxiety grew with the work. We knew that if suspicion ever fell on any “shebang” it would fall on this one. We, therefore, determined to push a sap to an inner cabin, and pass all the earth through to the less suspicious building. A wet morning gave us a pretext for digging a trench. The trench was speedily roofed and covered with earth. When fully completed, one end of it entered the shaft, and the other opened in the second “shebang.” The operation then was this: a workman in the tunnel filled a small box with earth; a second one in the shaft drew out the box, and lifted it into the “baby-jumper” (as the sap was called); a third drew it through, and emptied it in the second “shebang.”
Yet all this precaution was deemed insufficient. The “baby-jumper” was enlarged so that a man could crawl through; the box was removed, and the shaft was covered over entirely. On the very day that this was completed, the gate suddenly opened, and Colonel Allen came in. He walked rapidly to the Hawk-eye (whither he had never gone before), and contrary to his invariable custom, entered it unasked and unannounced. He saw only a bare earth floor.
It was plainly desirable that information of the projected movement should be sent to our army, and accordingly a message to that effect was duly forwarded to our lines by the Confederate authorities in the following letter:
“Letters came yesterday for some of• us•, and it will please J—— to know that hers did not _escape_ this time. About a dozen of us have had letters containing news to 15th ult. There were two from mother, and one dated April 7th from C—— for me. On the whole _we_ will not complain of our luck. I am even willing to scatter them more equally amongst the prisoners, and indeed to let others have a few of mine.
“We feel certain the blockaders at• Sabine• and Galveston keep ours. Maj. Hyllested assures us, he sent a flag off with them at least three times. Let F—— look out• for them. Some were sent in September, others in October, November and December, I think, but will not be sure as to all of these months. Those which go _by Shreveport_ and Red River seem to get through and reach their destination in _some_ cases.