“Lieutenant Scoville wasn’t hurt, was he?”

“Reck’n not.  Didn’t ’pear dat away, but he look at Perkins ez ef he feared on ’im.  Ef I had ony Perkins ter deal wid I gib Marse Scoville he freedom in pay fer mine, but dar’s sogers all aroun’ en dey stick me quick ez dey would a pig.”

“Oh, Chunk! what shall we do?  I could have no influence over the guard or Perkins either.  Oh!  Oh!  Mad Whately, you’ll end by making me loathe you.  To think of employing that treacherous wretch!”

“Dat’s des w’at I feard on, Miss Lou.  Reck’n yo’ cousin en Perkins projeckin’ some debil trick.”

“You say my cousin has charge of the prisoners?”

“Yassum.  I yeared ’im gib de orders ’bout um, but I too fur off ter year w’at he say.”

“Can you think of any way, Chunk?”

“Ef de gyard ony all get ter sleep, I’d tek de risk ob tacklin’ Perkins, but dere’s too many en I des stumped ter know w’at ter do.”

“Hi!  Miss Lou,” whispered listening Zany, “I kin tell you w’at ter do.”

“Doan you pay no ’tention ter her foolishness,” said Chunk coolly.  “Dis life-en-death business, en Zany outgrowed her sense.”

“En you ain’ growed into your’n,” responded Zany.  “Ef you has, why doan you tell Miss Lou ’bout tings dat kin be done ’stead o tings dat kyant be?”

“Well, Zany, what have you to say?  Quick, and speak lower.”

“Miss Lou, dar’s Mad Whately’s coat en pants hangin’ out in de hall.  You put dem on, en tie yo’ arm up in a sling.  In de night who say you ain Marse Whately?”

“Oh, Zany!” exclaimed the girl, appalled at first by the boldness of the scheme.

“Well, dar now,” whispered Chunk, “who’d tink dat ar gyurl got so much gumption!  See yere, Miss Lou, dat de way ef you got de spunk ter do it.  Ole Perkins tink you Mad Whately comin’ ter play de debil trick en let you tek Marse Scoville way quietly, en de gyard won’ ‘fere wid you nudder, kase dey un’er yo’ cousin.  You kin go en lead Marse Scoville right off, en if Perkins follow I settle ’im.”

“Do you think there’s no other way?” Miss Lou asked, with ’quick, agitated breathing.

“Fo’ de Lawd, I doesn’t.”

“I don’t know what they would do to me in the morning, I’d be sent away.  Oh, you can’t realize the risk I would take.”

“‘Spects not, mistis.  I ony know Marse Scoville tek mo’ resk fer you ef he could.”

Chunk had touched the right chord now.  She set her white face like flint in the darkness, and said, “I’ll make the attempt, no matter what happens to me.”

“Den I des sneak out en get he coat en trousers,” Zany whispered.

“Yes.”

“En, Miss Lou, you des come out de house dis away wid me en Zany,” Chunk added.  “Less charnce er bein’ stopped.  We kin go troo de gyardin end de bushes till we mos’ whar we kin see Marse Scoville.  Mebbe hit berry much plainer w’at ter do arter we get out en look roun’.  I hab a ladder yere en you git down mighty easy.”