with lee in virginia-第43章

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

They　had　lowered　themselves　to　the　yard；　and　climbed　over　the

wall　by　means　of　a　rope　which　was　found　in　position　in　the

morning。　　The　rest　of　the　prisoners　professed　an　entire　ignorance

of　the　affair；　and　declare　that　until　they　found　the　beds　unoccupied

in　the　morning　they　knew　nothing　of　the　occurrence。



〃This　is　as　it　may　be；　but　it　is　certain　they　must　have　been　aided　by

traitors　outside　the　prison；　for　the　rope　hung　loose　on　the　outside

of　the　wall；　and　must　have　been　held　by　some　one　there　as　they

climbed　it。　　The　inside　end　was　fastened　to　a　stone　seat；　and　they

were　thus　enabled　to　slide　down　it　on　the　other　side。　　Their

uniforms　were　found　lying　at　the　foot　of　the　wall；　and　their

accomplice　had　doubtless　disguises　ready　for　them。　　The

authorities　of　the　prison　are　unable　to　account　for　the　manner　in

which　the　turn…screw　and　rope　were　passed　in　to　them；　or　how　they

communicated　with　their　friends　outside。〃



Then　followed　the　personal　description　of　each　of　the　fugitives；

and　a　request　that　all　loyal　citizens　would　be　on　the　look…out　for

them；　and　would　at　once　arrest　any　suspicious　character　unable　to

give　a　satisfactory　account　of　himself。　　As　Vincent　sat　smoking　in

the　hall　of　the　hotel　he　heard　several　present　discussing　the　escape

of　the　prisoners。



〃It　does　not　matter　about　them　one　way　or　the　other；〃　one　of　the

speakers　said。　　〃They　seem　to　be　mere　lads；　and　whether　they

escape　or　not　will　not　make　any　difference　to　any　one。　　The　serious

thing　is　that　there　must　be　some　traitors　among　the　prison　officials；

and　that　next　time。perhaps　two　or　three　generals　may　escape；　and

that　would　be　a　really　serious　misfortune。〃



〃We　need　not　reckon　that　out　at　present；〃　another　smoker　said。　

〃We　haven't　got　three　of　the　rebel　generals　yet；　and　as　far　as　things

seem　to　be　going　on；　we　may　have　to　wait　some　time　before　we

have。　　They　are　pretty　well　able　to　take　care　of　themselves；　I

reckon。〃



〃They　are　good　men；　some　of　them；　I　don't　deny；〃　the　first　speaker

said；　〃but　they　might　as　well　give　up　the　game。　　In　the　spring　we

shall　have　an　army　big　enough　to　eat　them　up。〃



〃So　I　have　heard　two　or　three　times　before。　　Scott　was　going　to　eat

them　up；　McClellan　was　going　to　eat　them　up；　then　Pope　was

going　to　make　an　end　of　'em　altogether。　Now　McClellan　is　having

a　try　again；　but　somehow　or　other　the　eating　up　hasn't　come　off　yet。　

It　looks　to　me　rather　the　other　way。〃



There　was　an　angry　growl　from　two　or　three　of　those　sitting　round；

while　others　uttered　a　cordial　〃That's　so。〃



〃It　seems　to　me；　by　the　way　you　put　it；　that　you　don't　wish　to　see

this　business　come　to　an　end。〃



〃That's　where　you　are　wrong　now。　　I　do　wish　to　see　it　come　to　an

end。　　I　don't　want　to　see　tens　of　thousands　of　men　losing　their　lives

because　one　portion　of　these　States　wants　to　ride　roughshod　over

the　other。　　The　sooner　the　North　looks　this　affair　squarely　in　the

face　and　sees　that　it　has　taken　up　a　bigger　job　than　it　can　carry

through；　and　agrees　to　let　those　who　wish　to　leave　it　go　if　they　like；

the　better　for　all　parties。　　That's　what　I　think　about　it。〃



〃I　don't　call　that　Union　talk；〃　the　other　said　angrily。



〃Union　or　not　Union；　I　mean　to　talk　it；　and　I　want　to　know　who　is

going　to　prevent　me？〃



The　two　men　rose　simultaneously　from　their　chairs；　and　in　a

second　the　crack　of　two　revolvers　sounded。　　As　if　they　had　only

been　waiting　for　the　signal；　a　score　of　other　men　leaped　up　and

sprang　at　each　other。　　They　had；　as　the　altercation　grew　hotter；

joined　in　with　exclamations　of　anger　or　approval；　and　Vincent　saw

that　although　the　Unionists　were　the　majority　the　party　of

sympathizers　with　the　South　was　a　strong　one。　　Having　neither

arms　nor　inclination　to　join　in　a　broil　of　this　kind　he　made　his

escape　into　the　street　the　instant　hostilities　began；　and　hurried

away　from　the　sound　of　shouts；　oaths；　the　sharp　cracks　of　pistols；

and　the　breaking　of　glass。　　Ten　minutes　later　he　returned。　　The

hotel　was　shut　up；　but　an　angry　mob　were　assembled　round　the

door　shouting；　〃Down　with　the　rebels！　down　with　the

Secessionists！〃　and　were　keeping　up　a　loud　knocking　at　the　door。　

Presently　a　window　upstairs　opened；　and　the　proprietor　put　out　his

head。



〃Gentlemen；〃　ha　said；　〃I　can　assure　you　that　the　persons　who　were

the　cause　of　this　disturbance　all　left　the　hotel　by　the　back　way　as

soon　as　the　affair　was　over。　　I　have　sent　for　the　police

commissioner；　and　upon　his　arrival　he　will　be　free　to　search　the

house；　and　to　arrest　any　one　concerned　in　this　affair。〃



The　crowd　were　not　satisfied；　and　renewed　their　knocking　at　the

door；　but　two　or　three　minutes　later　an　officer；　with　a　strong　body

of　police；　arrived　on　the　spot。　　In　a　few　words　he　told　the　crowd　to

disperse；　promising　that　the　parties　concerned　in　the　affair　would

be　taken　un　and　duly　deal　with。　　He　than　entered　the　house　with

four　of　his　men；　leaving　the　rest　to　wait。　　Vincent　entered　with　the

constables；　saying　that　he　was　staying　at　the　house。　The　fumes　of

gunpowder　were　still　floating　about　the　hall；　three　bodies　were

lying　on　the　floor；　and　several　men　were　binding　up　their　wounds。　

The　police…officer　inquired　into　the　origin　of　the　broil；　and　all

present　concurred　in　saying　that　it　arose　from　some　Secessionists

speaking　insultingly　of　the　army　of　the　Union。



Search　was　then　made　in　the　hotel；　and　it　was　found　that　eight

persons　were　missing。　　One　of　the　killed　was　a　well…known　citizen

of　the　town；　he　was　the　speaker　on　the　Union　side　of　the　argument。　

The　other　two　were　strangers；　and　no　one　could　say　which　side

they　espoused。　All　those　present　declared　that　they　themselves

were　Union　men；　and　it　was　supposed　that　the　eight　who　were

missing　were　the　party　who　had　taken　the　other　side　of　the

question。　　The　evidence　of　each　was　taken　down　by　the　police…

officer。　　Vincent　was　not　questioned；　as；　having　entered　with　the

constables；　it　was　supposed　he　was　not　present　at　the　affair。



In　the　morning　Vincent　read　in　the　local　paper　a　highly　colored

account　of　the　fray。　　After　giving　a　large　number　of　wholly

fictitious　details　of　the　fray；　it　went　on　to　say：

〃The　victims　were　Cyrus　D。　Jenkins；　a　much…esteemed　citizen　and

a　prominent　Unionist；　the　other　two　were　guests　at　the　hotel；　one

had　registered　as　P。　J。　Moore　of　Vermont；　the　other　James　Harvey

of　Tennessee。　　Nothing　is　as　yet　known　as　to　the　persons　whose

rooms　were　unoccupied；　and　who　had　doubtless　made　their　escape

as　soon　as　the　affray　was　over；　but　the　examination　of　their　effects；

which　will　be　made　by　the　police　in　the　morning；　will　doubless

furnish　a　clew　by　which　they　will　be　brought　to　justice。〃



Having　read　this；　Vincent　looked　for　the　news　as　to　the　escape

from　Elmira；　being　anxious　to　know　whether　his　companions　had

been　as　fortunate　as　himself　in　getting　clear　away。　　He　was　startled

by　reading　the　following　paragraph：　〃We　are　enabled　to　state　that

the　police　have　received　a　letter　stating　that　one　of　the　officers

who　escaped　from　Elmira　prison　has　adopted　the　disguise　of　a

minister；　and　is　traveling　through　the　country　with　a　black　servant。

At　present　the　authorities　are　not　disposed　to　attach　much　credit　to

this　letter；　and　are　inclined　to　believe　that　it　has　been　sent　in　order

to　put　them　on　a　wrong　scent。　　However　a　watch　will　doubtless　be

kept　by　the　police　throughout　the　country　for　a　person　answering　to

this　description。〃



Accustomed　to　rise　early；　Vincent　was　taking　his　breakfast　almost

alone；　only　two　or　three　of　the　other　guests　having　made　their

appearance。　　He　finished　his　meal　hastily；　and　went　out　to　Dan；

who　was　lounging　in　front　of　the　hotel。



〃Dan；　go　upstairs　at　once；　pack　the　bag；　bring　it　down　and　get　out

with　it　immediately。　　I　will　pay　the　bill。　Don't　stop　to　ask　questions

now。〃



Vincent　then　walked　up　to　the　desk　at　the　and　of　the　hall；