with lee in virginia-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



his　mind　to　slip　across　the　lines　and　make　his　way　as　a　runaway　to

Alexandria；　where　you　will；　of　course；　be　taken　in　the　first　place。　

He　says　he's　got　some　money　of　yours；　but　I　have　insisted　on　his

taking　another　fifty　dollars；　which　you　can　repay　me　when　we　next

meet。　　As　he　will　not　have　to　ask　for　work；　he　may　escape　the

usual　lot　of　runaways；　who　are　generally　pounced　upon　and　set　to

work　on　the　fortifications　of　Alexandria　and　Washington。



〃He　intends　to　find　out　what　prison　you　are　taken　to；　and　to　follow

you；　with　some　vague　idea　of　being　able　to　aid　you　to　escape。　　As

he　cannot　write；　he　has　asked　me　to　write　this　letter　to　you；　telling

you　what　his　idea　is。　He　will　give　it　to　you　when　he　finds　an

opportunity；　and　he　wishes　you　to　give　him　an　answer；　making　any

suggestion　that　may　occur　to　you　as　to　the　best　way　of　his　setting

about　it。　　He　says　that　he　shall　make　acquaintances　among　the

negroes　North；　and　will　find　some　one　who　will　read　your　note　to

him　and　write　you　an　answer。　　I　have　told　him　that　if　he　is　caught

at　the　game　he　is　likely　to　be　inside　a　prison　a　bit　longer　than　you

are；　even　if　worse　doesn't　befall　him。　　However；　he　makes　light　of

this；　and　is　bent　upon　carrying　out　his　plans；　and　I　can　only　hope

he　will　succeed。



〃I　have　just　heard　that　we　shall　fall　back　across　the　Rappahannock

to…morrow；　and　I　imagine　there　will　not　be　much　hard　fighting

again　until　spring；　long　before　which　I　hope　you　will　be　in　your

place　among　us　again。　　We　lost　twenty…three　men　and　two　officers

（Ketler　and　Sumner）　yesterday。　　Good…by；　old　fellow！　I　need　not

say　keep　up　your　spirits；　for　that　you　are　pretty　sure　to　do。



〃Yours　truly；



〃JAMES　SINCLAIR。〃



After　the　first　start　at　seeing　Dan；　Vincent　was　scarcely　surprised；

for　he　had　often　thought　over　what　the　boy　would　do；　and　had

fancied　that　while；　if　he　supposed　him　dead；　he　would　go　straight

back　to　the　Orangery；　it　was　quite　possible　that；　should　he　hear　that

he　was　a　prisoner；　Dan　might　take　it　into　his　head　to　endeavor　to

join　him。　As　to　his　making　his　escape；　that　did　not　appear　to　be　a

very　difficult　undertaking　now　that　he　had　a　friend　outside。　　The

watch　kept　up　was　not　a　very　vigilant　one；　for　such　numbers　of

prisoners　were　taken　on　both　sides　that　they　were　not　regarded　as

of　very　great　importance；　and；　indeed；　the　difficulty　lay　rather　in

making　across　the　country　to　the　Southern　border　than　in　escaping

from　prison；　for　with　a　friend　outside；　with　a　disguise　in　readiness；

that　matter　was　comparatively　easy。　　All　that　was　required　for　the

adventure　was　a　long　rope；　a　sharp　file；　and　a　dark　night。



The　chief　difficulty　that　occurred　to　Vincent　arose　from　the　fact

that　there　were　some　twenty　other　prisoners　in　the　same　ward。　　He

could　hardly　file　through　the　bars　of　the　window　unnoticed　by

them；　and　they　would　naturally　wish　to　share　in　his　flight；　but

where　one　person　might　succeed　in　evading　the　vigilance　of　the

guard；　it　was　unlikely　in　the　extreme　that　twenty　would　do　so；　and

the　alarm　once　given　all　would　be　recaptured。　　He　was　spared　the

trouble　of　making　up　his　mind　as　to　his　plans；　for　by　the　time　he

had　finished　his　letter　the　hour　that　the　hucksters　were　allowed　to

sell　their　goods　was　passed；　and　the　gates　were　shut　and　all　was

quiet。



After　some　thought　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　only　plan

would　be　to　conceal　himself　somewhere　in　the　prison　just　before

the　hour　at　which　they　were　locked　up　in　their　wards。　　The　alarm

would　be　given；　for　the　list　of　names　was　called　over　before

lock…up；　and　a　search　would　of　course　be　made。　　Still；　if　lie　could

find　a　good　place　for　concealment；　it　might　succeed；　since　the

search　after　dark　would　not　be　so　close　and　minute　as　that　which

would　he　made　next　morning。　　The　only　disadvantage　would　be

that　the　sentries　would　be　especially　on　the　alert；　as；　unless　the

fugitive　had　succeeded　in　some　way　in　passing　out　of　the　gates　in

disguise；　he　must　still　be　within　the　walls；　and　might　attempt　to

scale　them　through　the　night。　　This　certainty　largely　increased　the

danger；　and　Vincent　went　to　bed　that　night　without　finally

determining　what　had　better　be　done。



The　next　morning　while　walking　in　the　grounds　he　quite

determined　as　to　the　place　he　would　choose　for　his　concealment　if

he　adopted　the　plan　he　had　thought　of　the　evening　before。　　The

lower　rooms　upon　one　side　of　the　building　were　inhabited　by　the

governor　and　officers　of　the　prison；　and　if　he　were　to　spring

through　an　open　window　unnoticed　just　as　it　became　dusk；　and

hide　himself　in　a　cupboard　or　under　a　bed　there　he　would　be　safe

for　a　time；　as；　however　close　the　search　might　be　in　other　parts　of

the　building；　it　would　be　scarcely　suspected；　at　any　rate　on　the　first

alarm；　that　he　had　concealed　himself　in　the　officers'　quarters。　

There　would；　of　course；　be　the　chance　of　his　being　detected　as　he

got　out　of　the　window　again　at　night；　but　this　would　not　be　a　great

risk。　　It　was　the　vigilance　of　the　sentries　that　he　most　feared；　and

the　possibility　that；　as　soon　us　the　fact　of　his　being　missing　was

known；　a　cordon　of　guards　might　be　stationed　outside　the　wall　in

addition　to　those　in　the　yard。　　The　danger　appeared　to　him　to　be　so

great　that　he　was　half　inclined　to　abandon　the　enterprise。　　It　would

certainly　be　weary　work　to　be　shut　up　there　for　perhaps　a　year

while　his　friends　were　fighting　the　battles　of　his　country；　but　it

would　be　better　after　ell　to　put　up　with　that　than　to　run　any

extreme　risk　of　being　shot。



When　he　had　arrived　at　this　conclusion　be　went　upstairs　to　his

room　to　write　a　line　to　Dan。　　The　day　was　a　fine　one；　and　he　found

that　the　whole　of　the　occupants　of　the　room　had　gone　below。　　This

was　an　unexpected　bit　of　good　fortune；　and　he　at　once　went　to　the

window　and　examined　the　bars。　　They　were　thick　and　of　new　iron；

but　had　been　hastily　put　up。　　The　building　had　originally　been　a

large　warehouse；　and　when　it　had　been　converted　into　a　prison　for

the　Confederate　prisoners　the　bars　had　been　added　to　the　windows。　

Instead；　therefore；　of　being　built　into　solid　stone　and　fastened　in　by

lead；　they　were　merely　screwed　on　to　the　wooden　framework　of

the　windows；　and　by　a　strong　turn…screw　a　bar　could　be　removed　in

five　minutes。　This　altogether　altered　the　position。　　He　had　only　to

wait　until　the　rest　of　the　occupants　of　the　room　were　asleep　and

then　to　remove　the　bar　and　let　himself　down。



He　at　once　wrote：



〃I　want　twenty　yards　of　strong　string；　and　the　same　length　of　rope

that　will　bear　my　weight；　also　a　strong　turn…screw。　　When　I　have

got　this　I　will　let　you　know　night　and　hour。　　Shall　want　disguise

ready　to　put　on。〃



He　folded　the　note　up　into　a　small　compass；　and　at　the　hour　at

which　Dan　would　be　about　to　enter　he　sauntered　down　to　the　gate。　

In　a　short　time　the　venders　entered；　and　were　soon　busy　selling

their　wares。　　Dan　had；　as　before；　a　basket　of　melons。　　Vincent

made　his　way　up　to　him。



〃I　want　another　melon；〃　he　said；　〃as　good　as　that　you　me　last

night。〃



〃Dey　all　de　same；　sah。　　First…rate　melyons　dose；　just　melt　away　in

your　mouf　like　honey。〃



He　held　up　one　of　the　melons；　and　Vincent　placed　in　his　hands　the

coppers　in　payment。　　Between　two　of　them　he　bad　placed　the　little

note。　　Dan's　bands　closed　quickly　on　the　coins；　and　dropping　them

into　his　pocket　he　addressed　the　next　customer；　while　Vincent

sauntered　away　again。　This　time　the　melon　was　a　whole　one；　and

Vincent　divided　it　with　a　couple　of　other　prisoners　for　the　fruit　was

too　large　for　one　person　to　consume；　being　quite　as　large　as　a

man's　head。



The　next　day　another　melon　was　bought；　but　this　time　Vincent　did

not　open　it　in　public。　　Examining　it　closely；　he　perceived　that　it

had　been　cut　through　the　middle；　and　no　doubt　contained　a　portion

of　the　rope。　　He　hesitated　as　to　his　next　step。　　If　he　took　the　melon

up　to　his　room　he　would　be　sure　to　find　some　men　there；　and

would　be　naturally　called　upon　to　divide　the　fruit；　and　yet　there

was　nowhere　else　he　could　hide　it。　For　a　long　time　he　sat　with　his

back　to　the　wall　and　the　melon　beside　him；　abusing　himself　for　his

folly　in　not　having　told　Dan　to　send　the　rope　in　small　lengths　that

he　could　hide　about　him。　　The　place　where　he　had　sat　down　was

one　of　the　quietest　in　the　yard；　but　men　were　constantly　strolling

up　and　down。　　He　determined　at　last　that　the　only　possible　plan

was　in　the　first　place　to　throw　his　coat　over　his　melon；　to　tuck　it　up

underneath　it；　then　to　get　hold　of　one　end　of　the　ball　of　rope　that　it

doubtless　contained　and　to　endeavor　to　wind　it　round　his　body

without　being　observed。　　It　was　a　risky　business；　and　he　would

gladly　have　tossed　the　melon　over　the　wall　had　he　dared　to　do　so；

for　if　he　were　detected；　not　only　would　he　be　punished　with　much

more　severe　imprisonment；　but　Dan　might　be　arrested　and

punished　most　severely。



Unfortunately　the　weather　was　by　no　m