CHAPTER XXI
THE ESCAPE
The rest of the day was spent in discussing the plan of escape; and thatnight Hal and Chester slept well in spite of the fact that they werecompelled to stretch out on the hard floor and that there were noblankets nor other clothing to keep out the early morning chill.
As upon their first day in the mines, they were aroused before daylightand marched to the shaft. It was still dark when they again foundthemselves below and at work.
Hal and Chester put forth their best efforts from the first, for theydid not wish to draw the attention of the guards to them particularlyand thus interfere with Harding's plans.
It was just eleven o'clock when Harding lowered his pick and turned tothe nearest guard.
"Bad spot here, sir," he said. "Gas. It's dangerous."
The guard approached and sniffed.
"Go on with your work," he said at last.
Harding made no reply, but picked up his pick and fell to work again.
A close observer might have seen him turn slightly to the man on hisright, who chanced to be the Frenchman Mercer; a close observer mighthave seen Harding's lips move slightly, and a keener ear than that ofthe nearest German guard might have caught these words:
"It's time, Mercer. Pass the word. Be ready in five minutes."
Mercer indicated that he understood and passed the word quietly. ToHarding's left, Hal also passed the word to the nearest man: "Be readyin five minutes."
Harding had explained the day before that every prisoner in the shafthad been taken into his confidence--that he, having conceived thescheme, was entitled to be the man who had the first right to escape.This, Hal and Chester had learned, was the unwritten law among prisonersin Germany. Others who were in the plot would escape if it werepossible, but they must shield the man who conceived the idea.
In less than the time allowed by Harding, every prisoner knew that thebig Englishman had decided to "go."
There was no indication in the face of any man that he knew somethingwas about to happen and so the suspicion of the guards was not aroused.
Stealthily, Harding drew something from his pocket. It was a match whichhe had secreted in the lining. He drew even closer to the wall of earthbefore him.
There, it could be seen, he had dug a little pocket. At this point therewas a stronger smell of gas.
"Look out!" cried Harding suddenly.
At the same moment he struck the match, he dropped his pick and shieldedhis face with his hand. At the same moment, too, every prisoner coveredthe glow of his safety lamp with his hat.
There was a flash and a roar, followed by the sound of tumbling earth.Hal and Chester felt their arms seized in a strong grip which they knewto be that of Harding.
"Come!" he whispered.
Came now sounds of confusion and hoarse guttural shouts from the Germanguards. Behind them the lads heard the sounds of confusion. Then theyfelt themselves drawn back by Harding's hands.
"In here!" whispered the Englishman.
Chester now exposed his light sufficiently to show that the three werein what appeared to be a small cavern leading off from the mine tunnelitself.
Hastily, under Harding's directions, the lads pushed forward large lumpsof ore and dirt until now they were almost barricaded behind thisfortification and seemed safe from prying eyes without.
"Not too much," said Harding. "We've got to breathe, you know."
"What was all the explosion?" demanded Chester.
"Well," said Harding, "when a man strikes a match in a mine there isbound to be an explosion. I struck the match."
"I know that," agreed Chester, "but how does it happen that we are stillalive? You might have brought the whole mine in on us."
"I've worked in mines before," said Harding. "These little local blastsdon't amount to much if you keep away from the flare. However, a mannever knows when he hears the blast just how serious it may be. That'swhy the German guards are in such confusion. I am not worried because Iknow the nature of the blast, and the other prisoners are not worriedfor the same reason. Hear them fight!"
The sounds of the struggle carried plainly to the ears of the threefriends.
"Somebody will be killed," declared Chester.
"Naturally," said Harding quietly, "but it will be in a good cause andthey know it. Don't mistake me, boys; every man there knows that I amnot doing this just to try to save my own skin. The word has beenpassed."
"It has?" exclaimed Hal in surprise.
"Of course, and I pride myself in the fact that it was done cleverly ifyou didn't see it."
"I didn't see anything," said Chester.
"Neither did the guards, apparently," said Harding. "But we had betterkeep quiet now. Remember, we have long hours ahead of us here and thenwork to do before we are free."
The three became silent. The sounds of conflict without continued forpossibly half an hour, then gradually died away.
But the sounds of the picks were no longer heard. There would be no morework in No. 10 level until after the German authorities had assuredthemselves that it was safe. For this purpose, of course, an inspectionwould be necessary.
"They'll miss us, too," whispered Hal, "and they'll have a look for us."
"And they will think they have located us when they encounter a mass ofdebris near where we stood," said Harding.
"Oh, caused by the blast, eh?" said Chester.
"No; put there through Mercer's efforts," replied Harding. "You see," heexplained, "we had already dug in such a manner that a certain piece ofrock could be unloosened by a couple of quick blows. Mercer gave themafter I struck the match."
"Great Scott! You seem to have had it figured out perfectly," declaredHal.
"So I did," replied Harding, "up to the point when we reach the outside.After that events will have to shape themselves."
"But when they explore the debris out there and don't find us, they willsmell a mouse," declared Chester.
"They won't explore it right away," declared Harding. "The inspection ofthe mine itself will come first."
Harding proved a good prophet in this.
It was perhaps 2 o'clock in the afternoon when Hal heard footstepsapproaching. The three friends listened intently.
Voices were conversing in German, and from their refuge the lads caughtthe glow of safety lamps.
"Must be four or five of them," declared Hal in a low voice.
"I hope so," Harding whispered back. "There must be at least three forthe success of my plan."
The inspectors, for such the lads knew the Germans to be, passed alongthe mine tunnel so close to the refuge of the three friends that Halcould have reached out and touched one of them.
"We'll let 'em go by because there may be more coming, though it isunlikely," said Harding. "You were right, boy, there are four of them."
The Englishman waited until the four inspectors had turned an angle inthe tunnel, and then, quickly removing the debris they had piled infront of them, the three friends stepped out.
"Now," said Harding "we'll get as close to that turn as possible, andwe'll nail 'em when they come back."
They took their positions and waited in silence, every nerve on edge.
Directly the sound of footsteps were heard again and the Germansreturned, conversing and utterly unconscious of the danger that lay inwait.
As the first man appeared around the turn, Harding's right fist shot outand the man tumbled over. Instantly the Englishman and Hal and Chesterwere upon the other astonished inspectors.
"Hands up!" cried Harding.
But the Germans, realizing that their opponents were unarmed, reachedfor their revolvers. Hal sprang forward and closed with the nearestGerman before the man could press the trigger. The lad staggered himwith a powerful blow to the nose, followed by a left to the chin thatsent him down. Hal then possessed himself of the man's revolver andturned to aid his friends should they need assistan
ce.
Chester's adversary had fired as the lad rushed him, but the bullet hadmissed its mark. As Hal now came to Chester's assistance, the Germanheld his hands high, dropping the revolver.
Harding, meantime, had disposed of the fourth inspector with promptnessand dispatch, a heavy blow behind the ear laying the man low.
"Quick, now," said the Englishman. "Change clothes with them. I'llchange with this big man here. I guess they'll fit."
The change was made quickly.
"Now to get out of here," said Harding.
The three walked quickly along the tunnel to the little mine car, whichthey boarded. Harding became the motorman and the car moved off.
"The men at the top will wonder what has become of the fourth inspector,won't they?" asked Chester, as they alighted from the mine car at theedge of the shaft.
"We'll have to trust to luck there," said Harding.
The three stepped in the elevator that was to carry them aloft, andHarding gave the signal to pull up by tugging sharply at the cable.
"Keep your caps down over your head and your heads lowered," Hardingcautioned, as the car began to go up.
The lads nodded in the semi-darkness, but said nothing.
Suddenly the elevator shot out into the light and came to a stop. Frombeneath their caps, the three friends glanced sharply about them, andChester gave a sigh of pure relief.
At the top of the mine there were, at that moment, only three Germanguards and the man who stood on watch at the elevator. The three guardswere engaged in animated conversation and apparently were not interestedin the appearance of the car from below. There remained only the fourthman.
Harding stepped from the car. Hal and Chester followed him.