with lee in virginia-第42章

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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　given；　and　they　find

out　how　we　got　away；　and　send　out　search…parties。　　If　the　train　is

anything　like　punctual　we　shall　be　off　long　before　they　get　to　the

station。〃



〃Besides；　sab；　dar　are　not　many　people　knows　your　face；　and　it　not

likely　de　bery　man　dat　know　you　come　to　the　station。　　Lots　of　oder

places　to　search；　and　day　most　sure　to　tink　you　go　right　away…not

tink　you　venture　to　stop　in　town　till　the　morning。〃



〃That　is　so；　Dan；　and　I　think　your　plan　is　a　capital　one。〃



Dan's　suggestion　was　carried　out；　and　at　seven　o'clock　next

morning　they　ware　standing　on　the　platform　among　a　number　of

other　parsons　waiting　for　the　train。　　Just　as　the　locomotive's　whistle

was　heard　the　sound　of　a　cannon　boomed　out　from　the　direction　of

the　prison。



〃That　means　some　of　the　prisoners　have　escaped；〃　one　of　the

porters　on　the　platform　said。　　〃There　have　been　five　or　six　of　them

got　away　in　the　last　two　months；　but　most　of　them　have　been

caught　again　before　they　have　gone　far。　　You　see；　to　have　a　chance

at　all；　they　have　got　to　get　rid　of　their　uniforms；　and　as　we　are　all

Unionists　about　here　that　ain't　an　easy　job　for　'am　to　manage。〃



Every　one　on　the　platform　joined　in　the　conversation；　asking　which

way　the　fugitive　would　be　likely　to　go；　whether　there　ware　any

cavalry　to　send　after　him；　what　would　be　done　to　him　if　he　were

captured；　and　other　questions　of　the　same　kind；　Vincent　joining　in

the　talk。　　It　was　a　relief　to　him　when　the　train　drew　up；　and　he　and

Dan　took　their　place　in　it；　traveling；　however；　in　different　cars。　

Once　fairly　away；　Vincent　had　no　fear　whatever　of　being　detected；

and　could　travel　where　he　liked；　for　outside　the　prison　there　were

not　ten　people　who　knew　his　face　throughout　the　Northern　States。　

It　would　be　difficult　for　him　to　mako　his　way　down　into　Virginia

from　the　North　as　the　whole　line　of　frontier　there　was　occupied　by

troops；　and　patrols　were　on　the　watch　night　and　day　to　prevent

persons　from　going　through　the　lines。　　He　therefore　determined　to

go　west　to　St。　Louis；　and　from　there　work　his　way　down　through

Missouri。　　After　two　days'　railway　traveling　they　reached　St。　Louis；

a　city　having　a　large　trade　with　the　South；　and　containing　many

sympathizers　with　the　Confederate　cause。　　Vincent；　having　now　no

fear　of　detection；　went　at　once　to　an　hotel；　and　taking　up　the

newspaper；　one　of　the　first　paragraphs　that　mat　his　eye　was

headed：



〃Escape　of　three　Confederate　officers　from　Elmira。　Great

excitement　was　caused　on　Wednesday　at　Elmira　by　the　discovery

that　three　Confederate　officers　had；　during　the　night；　effected　their

escape　from　prison。　　One　of　the　bars　of　the　window　of　the　ward　on

the　first　floor　in　which　they　were；　with　fifteen　other　Confederate

officers；　confined；　had　been　removed；　the　screws　having　been

taken　out　by　a　large　screw…driver　which　they　left　behind　them。　

They　had　lowered　themselves　to　the　ya