CHAPTER VII.

The escape.

“What did I tell you!” shouted Hal, when the old negro had taken his departure.  “Didn’t I tell you old Uncle Billy wouldn’t leave us in the lurch?”

“What do you suppose his plan is?” asked Chester.

“I haven’t any idea, but you can depend upon its being a good one.”

Captain Derevaux and Lieutenant Anderson were examining the revolvers Uncle Billy had laid on the table.

“Loaded, all right,” remarked the latter.

“At least they won’t stand us up against a wall without a fight,” declared the captain.

“I don’t know what Uncle Billy’s plan of escape is,” said Hal, “but I am sure it will be successful.  I have a lot of confidence in these old-time negroes.”

“And I, too,” declared Chester.

“Well,” interrupted the Frenchman, “all we can do now is to wait and hope for the best.”

“We at least have a fighting chance,” spoke up the lieutenant, “and that’s more than I ever expected to have again.”

“It’s a long time between now and nine o’clock,” said Chester.  “I think we all had better get some sleep.  We are likely to need it before we get through.”

“Right,” replied the lieutenant.  “I guess we had better turn in.”

The four lay down upon the dirty mattresses, and with their minds more at ease were soon asleep.

It was after six o’clock when Uncle Billy once more entered the cell with their “dinner,” which consisted of another vessel of water and a second loaf of bread.

Hal made a grimace.

“Is that what you call dinner, Uncle Billy?” he demanded.  “Why, I’m so hungry I could eat a fence rail.”

Uncle Billy grinned widely.

“Yo’al will git a shore ’nuff dinnah ’fore long,” he replied.

“Is everything all right?” asked Chester.

“Yassah, yassah.  Everyt’ing am all right.  Yo’al jes’ do like I tell you,” and the old darky hastened from the cell.

The four prisoners fell upon the single loaf of bread and devoured it hungrily.  Thirstily they gulped down the water, and then sat down to wait.

The long hours passed slowly.

“Great Scott!” exclaimed Chester finally.  “Won’t nine o’clock ever come?”

“Hold your horses and don’t get excited,” ordered Lieutenant Anderson.  “Impatience won’t get us anything.”

Chester subsided, and for a time the four sat in silence.

Suddenly the stillness was broken by the faint sound of a distant bell.

The young lieutenant pulled his watch from his pocket.  Then he closed the case with a snap and rose to his feet.

“Nine o’clock!” he said briefly.  “Time to be moving!”

Cautiously the four approached the cell door.  Hal pressed his weight against it, and slowly the huge door swung outward.  Poking out his head, Hal glanced up and down the corridor.