with lee in virginia-第40章

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baskets　in　front　of　them　containing　tobacco；　pipes；　fruit；　cakes；

needles　and　thread；　buttons；　and　a　variety　of　other　articles　in

demand；　while　a　number　of　prisoners　were　bargaining　and　joking

with　them。　　Presently　his　eye　fell　upon　a　negro　before　whom　was　a

great　pile　of　watermelons。　　He　started　as　he　did　so；　for　he　at　once

recognized　the　well…known　face　of　Dan。　　As　soon　as　the　negro　saw

that　his　master's　eye　had　fallen　upon　him　he　began　loudly　praising

the　quality　of　his　fruit。



〃Here；　massa　officer；　here　berry　fine　melyons；　ripe　and　sweet；　no

green　trash；　dis　un　good　right　through。　　Five　cents　each；　sah。　　Berry

cheap　dese。〃



〃I　expect　they　cost　you　nothing；　Sambo；〃　one　of　the　Confederate

soldiers　said　as　he　bought　a　melon。　　〃Got　a　neighbor's　patch　handy；

eh？〃



Dan　grinned　at　the　joke；　and　then　selecting　another　from　the

bottom　of　his　pile　in　the　basket；　offered　it　to　Vincent。



〃Dis　fine　fruit；　sah。　　Me　sure　you　please　with　him！〃



Vincent　took　the　melon　and　banded　Dan　five　cents。　　A　momentary

glance　was　exchanged；　and　then　he　walked　away　and　sat　down　in　a

quiet　corner　of　the　yard　and　cut　open　the　melon。　　As　he　expected；

he　found　a　note　rolled　up　in　the　center。　　A　small　piece　of　the　rind

had　been　cut　out　and　the　pulp　removed　for　its　reception。　　The　bit　of

rind　had　then　been　carefully　replaced　so　that　the　out　would　not　be

noticed　without　close　inspection。　　It　was　from　one　of　his

fellow…officers；　and　was　dated　the　day　after　his　capture。　　He　read

as　follows：



〃My　DEAR　WINGFIELD。…We　are　all　delighted　this　afternoon　to

hear　that　instead；　as　we　had　believed；　of　your　being　knocked　on　the

head　you　are　a　prisoner　among　the　Yanks。　　Several　of　us　noticed

you　fall　just　as　we　halted　at　the　river；　and　we　all　thought　that　from

the　way　in　which　you　fell　you　had　been　shot　through　the　head　or

heart。　However；　there　was　no　time　to　inquire　in　that　terrific　storm

of　shot　and　shell。　　In　the　morning　when　the　burying　parties　went

down　we　could　find　no　signs　of　you；　although　we　knew　almost　to　a

foot　where　you　had　fallen。



〃We　could　only　conclude　at　last　that　you　had　been　carried　off　in

the　night　by　the　Yanks；　and　as　they　would　hardly　take　the　trouble

of　carrying　off　a　dead　body；　it　occurred　to　us　that　you　might　after

all　be　alive。　　So　the　colonel　went　to　Lee；　who　at　once　sent　a

trumpeter　with　a　flag　down　to　the　river　to　inquire；　and　we　were　all

mightily　pleased；　as　you　may　imagine；　when　he　came　back　with

the　news　that　you　were　not　only　a　prisoner；　but　unwounded；　having

been　only　stunned　in　some　way。　　From　the　way　you　fell　we

suppose　a　round　shot　must　have　grazed　your　head；　at　least　that　is

the　only　way　we　can　account　for　it。



〃Your　horse　came　back　unhurt　to　the　troop；　and　will　be　well　cared

for　until　you　rejoin　us；　which　we　hope　will　not　be　long。　　Your　boy

kept　the　camp　awake　last　night　with　his　howlings；　and　is　at　present

almost　out　of　his　mind　with　delight。　　He　tells　me　he　has　made　up

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　vigilan