CHAPTER IX
THE PLOT
"Whist!" said Dennis. "I'm tellin' ye, lad, we must get out o' thisplace."
"That's very easy to say."
"Faith, and it's almost as aisy to do."
"Don't talk so loud, Dennis."
"'T is only whispering I am."
"Yes, but you're whispering like a steam-engine letting off steam."
In the dim light the actions of the young soldiers were not clearly seenby the good-natured guard. In spite of the easy-going manner of theConfederate in charge of them, Noel was aware that the utmost care mustbe used. The man himself had said that he was one of the sharpshooters,and that he would quickly act if an attempt to break away was made, hehad no doubt.
"'T is silent entirely I am," said Dennis, for a moment dropping hisvoice lower. "But have you noticed what there is in the wall above us?"
"No," replied Noel. "What is it?"
As he spoke he looked quickly in the direction indicated by hiscompanion, but his action was abruptly ended when Dennis roughly seizedhim by the shoulder and said almost savagely, "What are you doin', lad?Don't look there, whatever else you do! Kape your eyes on the floor.Now, listen to what I am sayin' to ye. In the ceilin' there's a smallslide, leastwise I think it's a slide, though I'm not sure. It may be atrapdoor that will lift up or somethin' of that kind."
"Yes! Yes! Go on," said Noel eagerly, as his companion stopped a moment.
"Me own thought," continued Dennis, after he was satisfied that the twoprisoners were not observed by their guard, "is that it won't be longbefore we'll have a chance to go up into that loft. We'll push back thedoor, or the slide, or whatever it is, and if we can do that withoutmakin' any disturbance, we'll drop it back into place and hold it sothat nobody can get up there. Probably they won't think we have gone upabove, anyway." Dennis laughed lightly as he spoke.
"Just where is that door, Dennis?" inquired Noel.
"Shure, and it's right above your head."
"How are we going to get through it? I mean how will you open it?"
"That remains to be seen," answered Dennis, "but it's shure I am that itwill be aisy."
"But how will you do it?" demanded Noel once more.
"When the time comes," said Dennis, "I'll inform you, but for a spellwe'll have to be careful not to wake the suspicions of the guard."
Walking abruptly from his companion, Dennis approached the soldier andsaid lightly, "Aren't you goin' to feed your prisoners pretty soon? Why,'t is night comin' on and we haven't had a bite of any kind sincemornin'."
"I'll see what can be done when I'm relieved," said the soldier. "Nowdon't talk to me any more and be on your good behavior, too. I don'tthink it will be wise for you and the other Yank to do much whispering,either. I'm always afraid of Yanks when they get off in a corner,especially if it's in the dark."
"All right," laughed Dennis. "I'll put the lad over in the other cornerof the room and I'll stay right here by you."
"I don't care where you stay if you'll only keep still. You mustn't talkto me, because if you do you are likely to get both of us into trouble.When we get the room full of Yanks, then we'll enforce a littledifferent discipline."
It was dark when the guard was relieved, but soon after his place hadbeen taken by one of his companions he returned with some corn-bread andsome "coffee" made of toast. Humble as the fare was, it was eagerlyreceived by the young prisoners, and when the scanty meal was endedDennis said to the guard, "Shure, and you 're goin' to give us a blanketor somethin' to sleep on, aren't ye?"
"Don't speak to me!" ordered the soldier.
"All right for yez," said Dennis good-naturedly. "If we have to slape onthe floor, we might as well begin to learn how to do the trick now asany time. Come on, Noel," he called to his companion.
Convinced that their actions were keenly watched by the guard, Dennissimply dropped upon the floor and bade his companion take his placebeside him. "'Tis hard slapin' here, Noel," he whispered, "but I'mthinkin' that it won't be long that we'll have to tarry here. I'll tellye a bit more about me plans now."
"Don't let the guard hear you whispering," warned Noel.
"Niver a bit," said Dennis, his voice becoming so piercing that Noelseized his companion's arm as a warning.
"I'm that still," continued Dennis, "that I can hear the mice holdin' apow-wow down under the floor. Now listen to me, lad. We can't doanything to-night, but if the Johnnies don't put too many men in herewith us, it may be that to-morrow night or the night after that we canbegin our escape."
"How?" inquired Noel eagerly.
"Well, I was tellin' ye about the trapdoor, or the slide. I'm a bitfearful o' this fellow on guard now, so that we won't try that outto-night, but lave it to some other time. And I'm hopin' that to-morrownight will be the darkest ever known. I'll get you to hold me up on yourshoulders, and then if you brace yoursilf against the wall, I'll see ifthe door cannot be pushed back. I fancy that will be all we'll be ableto do the first night, but if I find that the thing works, then within anight or two we can try it over again, and I'll push the door back withme hands and then I'll climb up and hide in the loft."
"And leave me down in the room below, I suppose?"
"Not a bit of it, lad! Not a bit of it! I'll take hold of your hands andlift you clear up where I am. Then we'll let down the door, and put itback in its place and put a bar across it, or hold it with our hands, sothat no one can get up there, though I'm thinkin' no one will eversuspect us of havin' gone up through the roof."
"What good would it do you to be in that room instead of in this?"inquired Noel. "You won't be able to get away."
"Indade, an' I will, if the night is dark enough," said Dennis. "Did younotice the magnolia tree growin' close to the side of the house?"
"Which side?"
"The one toward the barn."
"No. What about it?"
"Well, it's growin' close up, right under the eaves of the house. 'T isbig enough and strong enough to hold a man, and if the night is as darkas we hope it will be, we'll slide out of the window, for there is awindow right by the tree, and if we are still enough we'll be able toslip down it without disturbin' anybody."
"I'm afraid the loft will be the first place the men will search afterthey find we are gone."
"Don't you belave it!" whispered Dennis positively. "I've got a bit o'string in me pocket, an' if I can find a small sthick I'll fix thewindow in the room here so that the sthick will let down the window an'in the racket they will think we have gone straight through the bars."
Dubious as Noel was about the outcome of the proposed plan of escape, henevertheless was inclined to share in this project of his companion.Whatever might be the peril, and that it would not be slight he was wellaware, it was to be preferred to being sent to Libby Prison.
Outside the windows were heavy oak bars that could neither be broken norremoved. If the window was raised, so confident were the soldiers incharge that their prisoners would not be able to escape, it might belowered in such a manner as Dennis had described, and the clatter whichwould surely follow might distract the attention of the guard if theloft once could be gained by the two soldiers.
The "sthick" to which Dennis had referred might be tied by a string thathe would attach to it and then drawn up to the loft before the door wasreplaced, and before the guard was fully aware of what had occurred.
The same night two more prisoners were received and were placed in theroom in which Dennis and Noel were confined. The men, however, werestrangers to the boys, and Dennis declared that they could not besharers in his project unless the attempt necessarily should be delayedseveral days. By that time they might be able to learn more of thecharacter of their fellow prisoners.
There were thoughts at times in Noel's mind that it might be well forhim or his companion to make the first attempt to escape alone. Theperil was so great and the chance of success so slight that to him itseemed to be folly to divide the risk. If success should crown theef
forts of one, it would be a small matter for the other to follow. Thethought, however, that it would be impossible for any one without aid tosecure an entrance into the loft caused him to banish the suggestionfrom his mind. By common consent the two new prisoners slept on theopposite side of the room.
Dennis and Noel had retained the place which they at first took fortheir resting-place, directly beneath the slide in the ceiling.
"To-night we must make a try of it," whispered Dennis on the eveningwhich followed the arrival of their companions. "I'll see what can bedone with that door, anyway."
There was no light in the room, but the dull glow that came through thedoor opening into the hallway enabled them to see that the guard wassitting quietly in his chair in a position from which he could, ifnecessary, see much that was occurring within the room.
Cautiously withdrawing from the direct line of vision, Dennis and Noelcrawled nearer the wall. Dennis had removed his shoes before either ofthe boys had stretched themselves on the floor for the night. Not a wordwas spoken. Acting promptly Noel braced himself against the side walland assisted his companion to mount to his shoulders.
Dennis, who was a powerful lad, at once scrambled to the position, and,hesitating only an instant to discover whether or not his action hadbeen seen, cautiously lifted his hands and tried the slide in theceiling directly above him.
In a moment the two young soldiers again took their position upon thefloor, each greatly excited and both relieved when after a few momentshad passed they were convinced that their actions had not been seen bythe guard.
"'T is all right, Noel," whispered Dennis. "The door up there slidesback. I can slide it open without any trouble. Now if we can find apiece of sthick, we'll rig our trick for to-morrow night."
It was difficult for Noel, throughout the hours of the following day, torepress the excitement under which he was laboring. His uncertainty attimes and his fears lest the guard should discover their attempts almostcaused him to decide to protest against the adventure. The thought,however, of what freedom would mean was sufficiently strong to overcomehis fears and every time his decision became stronger.
With Dennis, there was no hesitation. Indeed, it almost appeared as ifthe perilous attempt had no danger at all for the young Irish soldier.He watched the clouds and beamed upon his companion when the guard waschanged, and said, "It looks like we're goin' to have a big rainto-night. It's too early for the equinox, but I reckon we all will haveto take it when it comes. I reckon, too," he added, "that we all shan'tstay here much longer. We'll be sending you Yanks on to Richmond to joinyour friends."
The prophecy of the guard in part was fulfilled as the day drew to itsclose, and when the light disappeared the rain was falling heavily.