THE PLOT
"Whist!" said Dennis. "I'm tellin' ye, lad, we must get out o' this
place."
"That's very easy to say."
"Faith, and it's almost as aisy to do."
"Don't talk so loud, Dennis."
"'T is only whispering I am."
"Yes, but you're whispering like a steam-engine letting off steam."
In the dim light the actions of the young soldiers were not clearly seen
by the good-natured guard. In spite of the easy-going manner of the
Confederate in charge of them, Noel was aware that the utmost care must
be used. The man himself had said that he was one of the sharpshooters,
and that he would quickly act if an attempt to break away was made, he
had no doubt.
"'T is silent entirely I am," said Dennis, for a moment dropping his
voice lower. "But have you noticed what there is in the wall above us?"
"No," replied Noel. "What is it?"
As he spoke he looked quickly in the direction indicated by his
companion, but his action was abruptly ended when Dennis roughly seized
him by the shoulder and said almost savagely, "What are you doin', lad?
Don't look there, whatever else you do! Kape your eyes on the floor.
Now, listen to what I am sayin' to ye. In the ceilin' there's a small
slide, leastwise I think it's a slide, though I'm not sure. It may be a
trapdoor that will lift up or somethin' of that kind."
"Yes! Yes! Go on," said Noel eagerly, as his companion stopped a moment.
"Me own thought," continued Dennis, after he was satisfied that the two
prisoners were not observed by their guard, "is that it won't be long
before we'll have a chance to go up into that loft. We'll push back the
door, or the slide, or whatever it is, and if we can do that without
makin' any disturbance, we'll drop it back into place and hold it so
that nobody can get up there. Probably they won't think we have gone up
above, anyway." Dennis laughed lightly as he spoke.
"Just where is that door, Dennis?" inquired Noel.
"Shure, and it's right above your head."
"How are we going to get through it? I mean how will you open it?"
"That remains to be seen," answered Dennis, "but it's shure I am that it
will be aisy."
"But how will you do it?" demanded Noel once more.
"When the time comes," said Dennis, "I'll inform you, but for a spell
we'll have to be careful not to wake the suspicions of the guard."
Walking abruptly from his companion, Dennis approached the soldier and
said lightly, "Aren't you goin' to feed your prisoners pretty soon? Why,
't is night comin' on and we haven't had a bite of any kind since
mornin'."
"I'll see what can be done when I'm relieved," said the soldier. "Now
don't talk to me any more and be on your good behavior, too. I don't
think it will be wise for you and the other Yank to do much whispering,
either. I'm always afraid of Yanks when they get off in a corner,
especially if it's in the dark."
"All right," laughed Dennis. "I'll put the lad over in the other corner
of the room and I'll stay right here by you."
"I don't care where you stay if you'll only keep still. You mustn't talk
to me, because if you do you are likely to get both of us into trouble.
When we get the room full of Yanks, then we'll enforce a little
different discipline."
It was dark when the guard was relieved, but soon after his place had
been taken by one of his companions he returned with some corn-bread and
some "coffee" made of toast. Humble as the fare was, it was eagerly
received by the young prisoners, and when the scanty meal was ended
Dennis said to the guard, "Shure, and you 're goin' to give us a blanket
or somethin' to sleep on, aren't ye?"
"Don't speak to me!" ordered the soldier.
"All right for yez," said Dennis good-naturedly. "If we have to slape on
the floor, we might as well begin to learn how to do the trick now as
any time. Come on, Noel," he called to his companion.
Convinced that their actions were keenly watched by the guard, Dennis
simply dropped upon the floor and bade his companion take his place
beside him. "'Tis hard slapin' here, Noel," he whispered, "but I'm
thinkin' that it won't be long that we'll have to tarry here. I'll tell
ye a bit more about me plans now."
"Don't let the guard hear you whispering," warned Noel.
"Niver a bit," said Dennis, his voice becoming so piercing that Noel
seized his companion's arm as a warning.
"I'm that still," continued Dennis, "that I can hear the mice holdin' a
pow-wow down under the floor. Now listen to me, lad. We can't do
anything to-night, but if the Johnnies don't put too many men in here
with us, it may be that to-morrow night or the night after that we can
begin our escape."
"How?" inquired Noel eagerly.
"Well, I was tellin' ye about the trapdoor, or the slide. I'm a bit
fearful o' this fellow on guard now, so that we won't try that out
to-night, but lave it to some other time. And I'm hopin' that to-morrow
night will be the darkest ever known. I'll get you to hold me up on your
shoulders, and then if you brace yoursilf against the wall, I'll see if
the door cannot be pushed back. I fancy that will be all we'll be able
to do the first night, but if I find that the thing works, then within a
night or two we can try it over again, and I'll push the door back with
me hands and then I'll climb up and hide in the loft."
"And leave me down in the room below, I suppose?"
"Not a bit of it, lad! Not a bit of it! I'll take hold of your hands and
lift you clear up where I am. Then we'll let down the door, and put it
back in its place and put a bar across it, or hold it with our hands, so
that no one can get up there, though I'm thinkin' no one will ever
suspect us of havin' gone up through the roof."
"What good would it do you to be in that room instead of in this?"
inquired Noel. "You won't be able to get away."
"Indade, an' I will, if the night is dark enough," said Dennis. "Did you
notice the magnolia tree growin' close to the side of the house?"
"Which side?"
"The one toward the barn."
"No. What about it?"
"Well, it's growin' close up, right under the eaves of the house. 'T is
big enough and strong enough to hold a man, and if the night is as dark
as we hope it will be, we'll slide out of the window, for there is a
window right by the tree, and if we are still enough we'll be able to
slip down it without disturbin' anybody."
"I'm afraid the loft will be the first place the men will search after
they find we are gone."
"Don't you belave it!" whispered Dennis positively. "I've got a bit o'
string in me pocket, an' if I can find a small sthick I'll fix the
window in the room here so that the sthick will let down the window an'
in the racket they will think we have gone straight through the bars."
Dubious as Noel was about the outcome of the proposed plan of escape, he
nevertheless was inclined to share in this project of his companion.
Whatever might be the peril, and that it would not be slight he was well
aware, it was to be preferred to being sent to Libby Prison.
Outside the windows were heavy oak bars that could neither be broken nor
removed. If the window was raised, so confident were the soldiers in
charge that their prisoners would not be able to escape, it might be
lowered in such a manner as Dennis had described, and the clatter which
would surely follow might distract the attention of the guard if the
loft once could be gained by the two soldiers.
The "sthick" to which Dennis had referred might be tied by a string that
he would attach to it and then drawn up to the loft before the door was
replaced, and before the guard was fully aware of what had occurred.
The same night two more prisoners were received and were placed in the
room in which Dennis and Noel were confined. The men, however, were
strangers to the boys, and Dennis declared that they could not be
sharers in his project unless the attempt necessarily should be delayed
several days. By that time they might be able to learn more of the
character of their fellow prisoners.
There were thoughts at times in Noel's mind that it might be well for
him or his companion to make the first attempt to escape alone. The
peril was so great and the chance of success so slight that to him it
seemed to be folly to divide the risk. If success should crown the
efforts of one, it would be a small matter for the other to follow. The
thought, however, that it would be impossible for any one without aid to
secure an entrance into the loft caused him to banish the suggestion
from his mind. By common consent the two new prisoners slept on the
opposite side of the room.
Dennis and Noel had retained the place which they at first took for
their resting-place, directly beneath the slide in the ceiling.
"To-night we must make a try of it," whispered Dennis on the evening
which followed the arrival of their companions. "I'll see what can be
done with that door, anyway."
There was no light in the room, but the dull glow that came through the
door opening into the hallway enabled them to see that the guard was
sitting quietly in his chair in a position from which he could, if
necessary, see much that was occurring within the room.
Cautiously withdrawing from the direct line of vision, Dennis and Noel
crawled nearer the wall. Dennis had removed his shoes before either of
the boys had stretched themselves on the floor for the night. Not a word
was spoken. Acting promptly Noel braced himself against the side wall
and assisted his companion to mount to his shoulders.
Dennis, who was a powerful lad, at once scrambled to the position, and,
hesitating only an instant to discover whether or not his action had
been seen, cautiously lifted his hands and tried the slide in the
ceiling directly above him.
In a moment the two young soldiers again took their position upon the
floor, each greatly excited and both relieved when after a few moments
had passed they were convinced that their actions had not been seen by
the guard.
"'T is all right, Noel," whispered Dennis. "The door up there slides
back. I can slide it open without any trouble. Now if we can find a
piece of sthick, we'll rig our trick for to-morrow night."
It was difficult for Noel, throughout the hours of the following day, to
repress the excitement under which he was laboring. His uncertainty at
times and his fears lest the guard should discover their attempts almost
caused him to decide to protest against the adventure. The thought,
however, of what freedom would mean was sufficiently strong to overcome
his fears and every time his decision became stronger.
With Dennis, there was no hesitation. Indeed, it almost appeared as if
the perilous attempt had no danger at all for the young Irish soldier.
He watched the clouds and beamed upon his companion when the guard was
changed, and said, "It looks like we're goin' to have a big rain
to-night. It's too early for the equinox, but I reckon we all will have
to take it when it comes. I reckon, too," he added, "that we all shan't
stay here much longer. We'll be sending you Yanks on to Richmond to join
your friends."
The prophecy of the guard in part was fulfilled as the day drew to its
close, and when the light disappeared the rain was falling heavily.