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Show Page 70 These arrangements made, Orson and Clark were given permission to remain with the prisoners and enjoy a holiday meal with them; the Fourth of July "dawned upon (them) with hope and expectation." To the sound of guns and bands playing in the public square, the little group in the jailhouse whimsically tore up a shirt and constructed a banner, emblazoned it with the word "Liberty," and suspended it from their cell window. This occasioned as much laughter as blasphemy from the frontier crowd gathered for the celebration. "Liberty! What have the Mormons to do with celebrating liberty in a damned old prison?" At length, after sharing some food Orson brought, the two visiting brothers made a great show of farewells to the prisoners - all of it intended to lull the jailers. Orson then saddled the horses and went quietly off to the thicket, a half-mile from the prison, to await darkness. As the dinner hour came on, the old jailer climbed the steps to pass his charges a pot of hot coffee through an opening in the door. The prisoners cried out that the pot was burning their fingers and that it would be more convenient to unlock the door and pass it in. The instant the key was turned, King Follett snatched the handle back and Phelps leaped on the jailer, wrestling him headlong to the bottom of the stairs. Gibbs, the old apostate who, of course, had not been apprised of uh(i plan, simply laughed with amazement as the keeper and his wife struggled and screamed. Commotion now filled the town. Columbia came alive with riflemen, boys and dogs, shouting and running in all directions, while the three escapees made rapidly for the forest. Orson bounded into the clearing to help Parley, who was nearly breathless from the sprint, and fairly shoved him onto a horse. Parley headed deep into the thicket with horsemen rushing all around him, and one of them laid a rifle nearly to Parley's head. Darkness and confusion sheltered him, however, and soon |