with lee in virginia-第41章

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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　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