THE ESCAPE
"Well," said Anselmo to his comrade as the latter returned, "how do
things stand?"
Benedetto did not answer at first, but seated himself on a block of wood
and looked steadfastly before him.
"Well, has the million been stolen?" asked Anselmo, growing impatient.
"No, the million is safe for us," replied Benedetto.
"So much the better. This mistral is very favorable to us. It helps our
escape."
"Really? Anselmo, we must be free in two hours."
"I shall look out for that--but what will happen then? Have you a plan?"
"Yes. Do you know the village of Beaussuet?"
"Yes. It is near the gorge of Oliolles."
"Right. We must reach this village to-night, even though we run the
danger of being caught and brought back, if we escape by daylight."
"What are you talking about? There is no daylight to-day. One can hardly
see one's hand now, and in two hours it will be night."
"But suppose we should be locked up in the pontoons?"
"That is what I desire. We must flee by way of the pontoons."
"And our chains?"
"Have you forgotten our little Rat King?"
"You are talking nonsense again."
"Listen, Benedetto. When a million is involved, I never joke. The saw
our necessary carries will cut our chains in ten minutes. And now to
work. Here comes the overseer."
The convicts grasped one of the heavy logs and pretended to be working
hard peeling off the rind. As Anselmo had rightly predicted, one could
not see one's own hand, and no one observed Anselmo and his companion
glide toward the pontoon, which was empty.
"Lie flat on the ground," Anselmo ordered, "and feel about with your
hands."
Benedetto did as he was told. Suddenly he uttered a low cry as his hand
came in contact with a dark object, which flitted about.
"What a noise you make," grumbled Anselmo. "You have disturbed our poor
little Rat King from his work."
"Ah, now I feel a split, too. Has the rat gnawed it through?" whispered
Benedetto, gleefully.
"Certainly. The courageous animal has been working to free us for over a
month. As you might have noticed, I smeared the floor of our pontoon
with grease, in consequence of which our shrewd rat has spent all his
spare moments here, and now his business is ended. The boards are gnawed
through."
"Ah! then we are to escape by swimming?" asked Benedetto, surprised.
"Have you finally found out? You are not afraid, are you?"
"No, no!" exclaimed Benedetto hastily. "Freedom at any price."
"Now you please me! Let us go now and take up our work again before our
absence is noticed."
"One word more! Have you thought of our clothes?"
"I have thought of everything. Trust in me."
The convicts returned to their work, but soon after the weather became
so bad that the jailers stopped work and formed the prisoners in columns
to return them to the pontoons. The storm broke with such fury that the
masts snapped and the sails flew about. A piece of a mast knocked a
convict overboard, and when he was fished up his skull was found to be
fractured. A cry of terror ran through the lines and the jailers
hastened to bring the columns to the pontoons. Benedetto and Anselmo
cowered in their corners and listened to the roar of the mistral. The
louder it became, the more their hearts beat with joy.
"Are you ready?" whispered Anselmo to his comrade.
"Yes."
"Then forward! It is a question of life or death."
They both lay flat on the ground and Anselmo drew from a hole a package
wrapped in sail cloth. "Here, take this package," the ex-priest told his
companion, "and give it to me as soon as I am in the water. Do you see
the plank which our little pet gnawed through? Well, it can be shoved
aside, and by that way we come to a cave where instruments and nails are
kept. In this cave is a door, to which I have the key which locks it.
Now pay attention; I am turning the key. Forward, in the devil's name!"
Through the open door Anselmo carefully glided into the water, which
surged and roared. Benedetto handed him the package and glided likewise
into the river, and while the pontoon creaked and groaned, torn by the
force of the storm, the two convicts disappeared in the darkness.