Having made this discovery, it was determined that nothing more should be done until night, and having filled up the apertures which they had made, with one thing or another, they proceeded to consult, with more deliberate composure, on the future progress.  It was arranged that the night should be permitted to set in fairly—­that Lucy should retire early, having first taken care that Munro and her aunt, with whom she more exclusively consorted—­Rivers having kept very much out of sight since her removal—­should see her at the evening meal, without any departure from her usual habits.  Bunce undertook to officiate as guide, and as Chub expressed himself willing to do whatever Miss Lucy should tell him, it was arranged that he should remain, occasionally making himself heard in his cell, as if in conversation, for as long a period after their departure as might be thought necessary to put them sufficiently in advance of pursuit—­a requisition to which Chub readily gave his consent.  He was the only one of the party who appeared to regard the whole matter with comparative indifference.  He knew that a man was in danger of his life—­he felt that he himself was in prison, and he said he would rather be out among the pine-trees—­but there was no rush of feeling, such as troubled the heart of the young girl, whose spirit, clothing itself in all the noblest habiliments of humanity, lifted her up into the choicest superiority of character—­nor had the dwarf that anxiety to do a service to his fellow, which made the pedler throw aside some of his more worldly characteristics—­he did simply as he was bid, and had no further care.

Miss Lucy, he said, talked sweetly, like his mother, and Chub would do for Miss Lucy anything that she asked him.  The principle of his government was simple, and having chosen a sovereign, he did not withhold his obedience.  Thus stood the preparations of the three prisoners, when darkness—­long-looked-for, and hailed with trembling emotions—­at length came down over the silent homestead of the outlaws.

CHAPTER XXXII.

ESCAPE.

The night gathered apace, and the usual hour of repose had come.  Lucy retired to her apartment with a trembling heart but a courageous spirit, full of a noble determination to persevere in her project.  Though full of fear, she never for a moment thought of retreat from the decision which she had made.  Her character afforded an admirable model for the not unfrequent union that we find in woman, of shrinking delicacy with manly and efficient firmness.