“A guard of soldiers, with muskets and bayonets, went out with us, and at the end of the second day I managed to slip off, and hide behind a pile of cannonballs.  The rest assembled at a spot about fifty yards away, to be counted before they marched to prison again.  As soon as the others had got there, and the guards had gathered round, I went off as hard as I could tear.  And a good start I should have got, if it hadn’t been that a sentry on a fort close by fired his piece at me.  Still, I had a good hundred yards’ start.

“The guards set to, to run after me, and when they got in sight of me fired their guns; but they were flurried, and the bullets flew past without one of them touching me.  Then I felt pretty safe.  If they stopped to load their muskets, I should get clean away.  If, as I expected, they would not stop for that, they would not have a chance with me, carrying their muskets and cartridge boxes and belts.  I had taken off my coatee and boots, while I was waiting for the start, and went up the hill like a deer.

“I did not look round, till I got to the top.  Then I found that I had gained a hundred yards of them.  I doubled down a lane, at once, and then struck through some orchards; and ran, without stopping, maybe a couple of miles.

“I never heard any more of the soldiers, and knew that, for the present, I was safe, though maybe they would send some dragoons to scour the country when the news came in.  I went on at a jog trot till it was quite dark; then I sat down to think what I should do next.

“I had got my four louis with me, for they hadn’t found them when they searched me.  The first thing was to get some duds, and I walked along till I saw a light in a cottage, which I entered.  There were two women there.  I told them at once that I wanted clothes, and was ready to pay for them; but that, if they would not give them to me for money, I should take them without paying.  Though I could see that they doubted the payment, and regarded me as a robber, they brought out the clothes, which belonged, one of the women said, to her husband.  I took what I wanted.

“‘Now,’ I said, ‘how much shall I pay you for these?’

“They were still terribly frightened, and said that I was welcome.  However, I put one of my louis down on the table.  This was certainly more than the clothes ever cost, so I said: 

“’Here is a gold piece, but I want a shilling in change, to buy food with.’

“At first, they evidently hardly thought that I was in earnest.  Then at last, when they found that I really intended to give the money, they brightened up, and not only gave me a shilling in change, but offered me some bread and cheese, which I was glad enough to take.

“Then I put the clothes on over my own, not wishing to lave anything behind that would show searchers that it was I who had been there.  I told the woman that the coin was a French one, but that it was worth about the same as an English guinea.  I advised them to put it away, for the present, and not to try and change it for a few weeks, as enquiries might be made as to how they had obtained it.