with lee in virginia-第37节

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punished　most　severely。



Unfortunately　the　weather　was　by　no　means　hot；　and　it　would　look

strange　to　take　off　his　coat；　besides；　if　he　did　so；　how　could　he　coil

the　rope　round　him　without　being　observed？　　So　that　idea　was

abandoned。　　He　got　up　and　walked　to　an　angle　in　the　wall；　and

there　sat　down　again；　concealng　the　melon　as　well　as　he　could

between　him　and　the　wall　when　any　one　happened　to　come　near

him。　　He　pulled　the　halves　apart　and　found；　as　he　had　suspected；　it

was　but　a　shell；　the　whole　of　the　fruit　having　been　scooped　out。　

But　he　gave　an　exclamation　of　pleasure　on　seeing　that　instead；　as

be　feared；　of　a　large　ball　of　rope　being　inside；　the　interior　was

filled　with　neatly…made　hanks；　each　containing　several　yards　of

thin　but　strong　rope；　together　with　a　bank　of　strong　string。



Unbuttoning　his　coat；　he　thrust　them　in；　then　he　took　the　melon

rind　and　broke　it　into　very　small　pieces　and　threw　them　about。　　He

then　went　up　to　his　room　and　thrust　the　hanks；　unobserved；　one　by

one　among　the　straw　which；　covered　by　an　army　blanket；

constituted　his　bed。　To…morrow；　no　doubt；　Dan　would　supply　him

somehow　with　a　turn…screw。　　On　going　down　to　the　gate　next　day

he　found　that　the　negro　bad　changed　his　commodity；　and　that　this

time　his　basket　contained　very　large　and　fine　cucumbers。　　These

were　selling　briskly；　and　Vincent　saw　that　Dan　was　looking　round

anxiously；　and　that　an　expression　of　relief　came　over　his　face　as　he

perceived　him。　　He　had；　indeed；　but　eight　or　ten　cucumbers　left。



〃Cucumbers　to…day；　sah？　Berry　fine　cucumbers…first…rate

cucumbers　dese。〃



〃They　look　rather　over…ripe；〃　Vincent　said。



〃Not　a　bit；　sah；　dey　just　ripe。　　Dis　berry　fine　one…ten　cents　dis。〃



〃You　are　putting　up　your　prices；　darkey；　and　are　making　a　fortune

out　of　us；〃　Vincent　said　as　he　took　the　cucumber；　which　was　a　very

large　and　straight　one。　　He　had　no　difficulty　with　this；　as　with　the

melon；　a　sharp　twist　broke　it　in　two　as　be　reached　the　corner　he

had　used　the　day　previously。　　It　had　been　out　in　half；　one　end　hal

been　scooped　out　for　the　reception　of　the　handle　of　the　turn…screw；

and　the　metal　been　driven　in　to　the　head　in　the　other　half。　Hiding　it

under　his　jacket；　he　felt　that　he　was　now　prepared　for　escape。



He　now　asked　himself　whether　be　should　go　alone　or　take　one　or

more　of　his　comrades　into　his　confidence；　and　finally　determined

to　give　a　young　Virginian　officer　named　Geary；　with　whom　he　had

been　specially　friendly　during　his　imprisonment；　and　Jackson；　a

chance　of　escape。　　He　did　not　like　the　latter；　but　be　thought　that

after　the　reconciliation　that　had　taken　place　between　them　it　was

only　right　to　take　him　rather　than　a　stranger。　　Drawing　them　aside；

then；　he　told　them　that　he　had　arranged　a　mode　of　escape；　it　was

impossible　that　all　could　avail　themselves　of　it；　but　that　they　were

welcome　to　accompany　him。　　They　thanked　him　heartily　for　the

offer；　and；　when　he　explained　the　manner　in　which　be　intended　to

make　off；　agreed　to　try　their　fortune　with　him。



〃I　propose；〃　he　said；　〃as　soon　as　we　are　fairly　beyond　the　prison；

we　separate；　and　each　try　to　gain　the　frontier　as　best　he　can。　The

fact　that　three　prisoners　have　escaped　will　soon　be　known　all　over

the　country；　and　there　would　be　no　chance　whatever　for　us　if　we

kept　together。　　I　will　tell　my　boy　to　have　three　disguises　ready；　and

when　we　once　put　aside　our　uniforms　I　see　no　reason　why；

traveling　separately；　suspicion　should　fall　upon　us；　we　ought　to

have　no　difficulty　until　at　any　rate　we　arrive　near　the　border；　and

there　must　be　plenty　of　points　where　we　can　cross　without　going

anywhere　near　the　Federal　camps。〃　The　others　at　once　agreed　that

the　chances　of　making　their　way　separately　were　much　greater

than　if　together。　　This　being　arranged；　Vincent　passed　a　note　next

day　to　Dan；　telling　him　to　have　three　disguises　in　readiness；　and　to

be　at　the　foot　of　the　western　wall；　halfway　along；　at　twelve　o'clock

on　the　first　wet　night。　　A　string　would　be　thrown　over；　with　a　knife

fastened　to　it。　　He　was　to　pull　on　the　string　till　the　rope　came　into

his　band；　and　to　hold　that　tight　until　they　were　over。　　Vincent　chose

this　spot　because　it　was　equally　removed　from　the　sentry…boxes　at

the　corners　of　the　yard；　and　because　there　was　a　stone　seat　in　the

yard　to　which　one　end　of　the　rope　could　be　attached。



That　night　was　fine；　but　the　next　was　thick　and　misty。　At　nine

o'clock　all　were　in　bed；　and　he　lay　listening　to　the　clocks　in　the

distance。　　Ten　struck；　and　eleven；　and　when　he　thought　it　was

approaching　twelve　he　got　up　and　crept　to　the　window。　　He　was

joined　immediately　by　the　others；　the　turn…screw　was　set　to　work；

and；　as　he　expected；　Vincent　found　no　trouble　whatever　with　the

screws；　which　were　not　yet　rusted　in　the　wood；　and　turned

immediately　when　the　powerful　screw…driver　was　applied　to　them。

When　all　were　out　the　bar　was　carefully　lifted　from　its　place　and

laid　upon　the　floor。



The　rope　was　then　put　round　one　of　the　other　bars　and　drawn

through　it　until　the　two　ends　came　together。　　These　were　then

dropped　to　the　ground　below。　　Geary　went　first；　Jackson　followed；

and　Vincent　was　soon　standing　beside　them。　　Taking　one　end　of

the　rope；　he　pulled　it　until　the　other　passed　round　the　bar　and　fell

at　their　feet。　　All　three　were　barefooted；　and　they　stole　noiselessly

across　the　yard　to　the　seat；　which　was　nearly　opposite　their

window。　　Vincent　had　already　fastened　his　clasp…knife　to　the　end

of　the　string；　and　he　now　threw　it　over　the　wall；　which　was　about

twenty　feet　high。



He　had　tied　a　knot　at　forty　feet　from　the　end；　and；　standing　close　to

the　wall；　he　drew　in　the　string　until　the　knot　was　in　his　hand。　

Another　two　yards；　and　he　knew　that　the　knife　was　hanging　a　yard

from　the　ground　against　the　wall。　　He　now　drew　it　up　and　down；

hoping　that　the　slight　noise　the　knife　made　against　the　wall　might

aid　Dan　in　finding　it。　　In　two　or　three　minutes　he　felt　a　jerk；　and

knew　that　Dan　had　got　it。　　He　fastened　the　end　of　the　string　to　the

rope　and　waited。　　The　rope　was　gradually　drawn　up；　when　it

neared　the　end　he　fastened　it　to　the　stone　seat。



〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃up　you　go；　Geary。〃



The　order　in　which　they　were　to　ascend　had　been　settled　by　lot；　as

Geary　insisted　that　Vincent；　who　had　contrived　the　whole　affair；

should　be　the　first　to　escape；　but　Vincent　declined　to　accept　the

advantage；　and　the　three　had　accordingly　tossed　up　for　precedence。



Geary　was　quickly　over；　and　lowered　himself　on　the　opposite　side。　

The　others　followed　safely；　but　not　without　a　good　deal　of　scraping

against　the　wall；　for　the　smallness　of　the　rope　added　to　the

difficulty　of　climbing　it。　However；　the　noise　was　so　slight　that　they

had　little　fear　of　attracting　attention；　especially　as　the　sentries

would　be　standing　in　their　boxes；　for　the　rain　was　now　coming

down　pretty　briskly。　　As　soon　as　they　were　down　Vincent　seized

Dan　by　the　hand。



〃My　brave　lad；〃　he　said；　〃I　owe　you　my　freedom；　and　I　sha'n't

forget　it。　　Now；　where　are　the　clothes？〃



〃Here　day　are；　sah。　　One　is　a　rough　suit；　like　a　workingman's；

another　is　a　black…and…white　sort　of　suit…a　check…suit；　de　oder　one

is　for　you…a　clargy's　suit；　sir。　You　make　very　nice　young　minister；

for　sure。〃



〃All　right；　Dan！〃　Vincent　said　laughing；　〃give　me　the　minister's

suit。〃



〃Then　I　will　be　the　countryman；〃　Geary　said。



There　was　a　litte　suppressed　laughter　as　they　changed　their　clothes

in　the　dark；　and　then；　leaving　their　uniforms　by　the　wall；　they

shook　hands　and　started　at　once　in　different　directions；　lest　they

might　come　across　some　one　who　would；　when　the　escape　was

known；　remember　four　men　having　passed　him　in　the　dark。



〃Now；　Dan；　what　is　the　next　move？〃　Vincent　asked　as　they　walked

off。　　〃Have　you　fixed　upon　any　plan？〃



〃No　special　plan；　sah；　but　I　have　brought　a　bag；　you　see　I　have　him

in　my　hand。〃



〃I　suppose　that's　what　you　carried　the　clothes　in？〃



〃No；　sir；　I　carried　dam　in　a　bundle。　　Dis　bag　has　got　linen；　and

boots；　and　oder　tings　for　you；　sah。　　What　I　tink　am　de　best　way　is

dis。　　Dar　am　a　train　pass　tron　here　at　two　o'clock　and　stop　at　dis

station。　　Some　people　always　get　out。　　Dar　is　an　hotel　just　opposite

the　station；　and　some　of　de　passengers　most　always　go　there。　　I

thought　the　best　way　for　you　would　be　to　go　outside　the　station。

Just　when　the　train　come　in　we　walk　across　de　road　wid　the　others

and　go　to　hotel。　　You　say　you　want　bedroom　for　yo'self；　and　that

your　sarvant　can　sleep　in　do　ball。　Den　in　de　morning　you　get　up

and　breakfast；　and　go　off　by　do　fust　train。〃



〃But　then　they　may　send　down　to　look　at　the　passengers　starting；

and　I　should　be　taken　at　once。〃



〃De　train　go　out　at　seven　o'clock；　sah。　　I　don't　expect　day　find　dat

you　have　got　away　before　dat。〃



〃No；　Dan。　　We　all　turn　out　at　seven；　and　I　shall　be　missed　then；　but

it　will　be　some　little　time　before　the　alarm　is　give