Chapter XXI
O'Brien receives his commission as lieutenant, and then we take Frenchleave of Givet.
If I doubted the practicability of escape when I examined the exterior,when we were ushered into the interior of the fortress, I felt that itwas impossible, and I stated my opinion to O'Brien. We were conductedinto a yard surrounded by a high wall; the buildings appropriated forthe prisoners were built with _lean-to_ roofs on one side, and at eachside of the square was a sentry looking down upon us. It was very muchlike the dens which they now build for bears, only so much larger.O'Brien answered me with a "Pish! Peter, it's the very security of theplace which will enable us to get out of it. But don't talk, as thereare always spies about who understand English."
We were shown into a room allotted to six of us; our baggage wasexamined, and then delivered over to us. "Better and better, Peter,"observed O'Brien, "they've not found it out!"
"What?" inquired I.
"Oh, only a little selection of articles, which might be useful to usby-and-by."
He then showed me what I never before was aware of: that he had a falsebottom to his trunk; but it was papered over like the rest, and veryingeniously concealed. "And what is there, O'Brien?" inquired I.
"Never mind; I had them made at Montpelier. You'll see by-and-by."
The others, who were lodged in the same room, then came in, and afterstaying a quarter of an hour, went away at the sound of the dinner-bell."Now, Peter," said O'Brien, "I must get rid of my load. Turn the key."
O'Brien then undressed himself, and when he threw off his shirt anddrawers, showed me a rope of silk, with a knot at every two feet, abouthalf-an-inch in size, wound round and round his body. There were aboutsixty feet of it altogether. As I unwound it, he, turning round andround, observed, "Peter, I've worn this rope ever since I leftMontpelier, and you've no idea of the pain I have suffered; but we mustgo to England, that's decided upon."
When I looked at O'Brien, as the rope was wound off, I could easilyimagine that he had really been in great pain; in several places hisflesh was quite raw from the continual friction, and after it was allunwound, and he had put on his clothes, he fainted away. I was very muchalarmed, but I recollected to put the rope into the trunk, and take outthe key, before I called for assistance. He soon came to, and on beingasked what was the matter, said that he was subject to fits from hisinfancy. He looked earnestly at me, and I showed him the key, which wassufficient.
For some days O'Brien, who really was not very well, kept to his room.During this time, he often examined the map given him by the gendarme.One day he said to me, "Peter, can you swim?"
"No," replied I; "but never mind that."
"But I must mind it, Peter; for observe, we shall have to cross theriver Meuse, and boats are not always to be had. You observe, that thisfortress is washed by the river on one side: and as it is the strongestside, it is the least guarded--we must escape by it. I can see my wayclear enough till we get to the second rampart on the river, but when wedrop into the river, if you cannot swim, I must contrive to hold you up,somehow or another."
"Are you then determined to escape, O'Brien? I cannot perceive how weare even to get up this wall, with four sentries staring us in theface."
"Never do you mind that, Peter, mind your own business; and first tellme, do you intend to try your luck with me?"
"Yes," replied I, "most certainly; if you have sufficient confidence inme to take me as your companion."
"To tell you the truth, Peter, I would not give a farthing to escapewithout you. We were taken together, and, please God, we'll takeourselves off together; but that must not be for this month; ourgreatest help will be the dark nights and foul weather."
The prison was by all accounts very different from Verdun and someothers. We had no parole, and but little communication with thetownspeople. Some were permitted to come in and supply us with variousarticles; but their baskets were searched to see that they containednothing that might lead to an escape on the part of the prisoners.Without the precautions that O'Brien had taken, any attempt would havebeen useless. Still, O'Brien, as soon as he left his room, did obtainseveral little articles--especially balls of twine--for one of theamusements of the prisoners was flying kites. This, however, was put astop to, in consequence of one of the strings, whether purposely ornot, I cannot say, catching the lock of the musket carried by one ofthe sentries who looked down upon us, and twitching it out of his hand;after which an order was given by the commandant for no kites to bepermitted. This was fortunate for us, as O'Brien, by degrees,purchased all the twine belonging to the other prisoners; and, as wewere more than three hundred in number, it amounted to sufficient toenable him, by stealth, to lay it up into very strong cord, or rather,into a sort of square plait, known only to sailors. "Now, Peter," saidhe one day, "I want nothing more than an umbrella for you."
"Why an umbrella for me?"
"To keep you from being drowned with too much water, that's all."
"Rain won't drown me."
"No, no, Peter; but buy a new one as soon as you can."
I did so. O'Brien boiled up a quantity of bees' wax and oil, and gave itseveral coats of this preparation. He then put it carefully away in theticking of his bed. I asked him whether he intended to make known hisplan to any of the other prisoners; he replied in the negative, saying,that there were so many of them who could not be trusted, that hewould trust no one. We had been now about two months in Givet, when aSteel's List was sent to a lieutenant, who was confined there. Thelieutenant came up to O'Brien, and asked him his Christian name.
"Terence, to be sure," replied O'Brien.
"Then," answered the lieutenant, "I may congratulate you on yourpromotion, for here you are upon the list of August."
"Sure there must be some trifling mistake; let me look at it. TerenceO'Brien, sure enough; but now the question is, has any other fellowrobbed me of my name and promotion at the same time? Bother, what can itmane? I won't belave it--not a word of it. I've no more interest than adog who drags cats'-meat."
"Really, O'Brien," observed I, "I cannot see why you should not be made;I am sure you deserve your promotion for your conduct when you weretaken prisoner."
"And what did I do then, you simple Peter, but put you on my back as themen do their hammocks when they are piped down; but, barring all claim,how could any one know what took place in the battery, except you, andI, and the armourer, who lay dead? So explain that, Peter, if you can."
"I think I can," replied I, after the lieutenant had left us. And I thentold O'Brien how I had written to Captain Savage, and had had the factattested by the major who had made us prisoners.
"Well, Peter," said O'Brien, after a pause, "there's a fable about alion and a mouse. If, by your means, I have obtained my promotion, whythen the mouse is a finer baste than the lion; but instead of beinghappy, I shall now be miserable until the truth is ascertained one wayor the other, and that's another reason why I must set off to England asfast as I can."
For a few days after this O'Brien was very uneasy; but fortunatelyletters arrived by that time; one to me from my father, in which herequested me to draw for whatever money I might require, saying that thewhole family would retrench in every way to give me all the comfortwhich might be obtained in my unfortunate situation. I wept at hiskindness, and more than ever longed to throw myself in his arms, andthank him. He also told me that my uncle William was dead, and thatthere was only one between him and the title, but that my grandfatherwas in good health, and had been very kind to him lately. My mother wasmuch afflicted at my having been made a prisoner, and requested I wouldwrite as often as I could. O'Brien's letter was from Captain Savage; thefrigate had been sent home with despatches, and O'Brien's conductrepresented to the Admiralty, which had, in consequence, promoted him tothe rank of lieutenant. O'Brien came to me with the letter, hiscountenance radiant with joy as he put it into my hands. In return I putmine into his, and he read it over.
"Peter, my boy, I'm unde
r great obligations to you. When you werewounded and feverish, you thought of me at a time when you had quiteenough to think of yourself; but I never thank in words. I see youruncle William is dead. How many more uncles have you?"
"My uncle John, who is married, and has already two daughters."
"Blessings on him; may he stick to the female line of business! Peter,my boy, you shall be a lord before you die."
"Nonsense, O'Brien; I have no chance. Don't put such foolish ideas in myhead."
"What chance had I of being a lieutenant, and am I not one? Well, Peter,you've helped to make a lieutenant of me, but I'll make a _man_ of you,and that's better. Peter, I perceive, with all your simplicity, thatyou're not over and above simple, and that, with all your asking foradvice, you can think and act for yourself on an emergency. Now, Peter,these are talents that must not be thrown away in this cursed hole, andtherefore, my boy, prepare yourself to quit this place in a week, windand weather permitting; that is to say, not fair wind and weather, butthe fouler the better. Will you be ready at any hour of any night that Icall you up?"
"Yes, O'Brien, I will, and do my best."
"No man can do much more that ever I heard of. But, Peter, do me onefavour, as I am really a lieutenant, just touch your hat to me onlyonce, that's all; but I wish the compliment, just to see how it looks."
"Lieutenant O'Brien," said I, touching my hat, "have you any furtherorders?"
"Yes, sir," replied he; "that you never presume to touch your hat to meagain, unless we sail together, and then that's a different sort ofthing."
About a week afterwards, O'Brien came to me, and said, "The new moon'squartered in with foul weather; if it holds, prepare for a start. I haveput what is necessary in your little haversack; it may be to-night. Goto bed now, and sleep for a week if you can, for you'll get but littlesleep, if we succeed, for the week to come."
This was about eight o'clock. I went to bed, and about twelve I wasroused by O'Brien, who told me to dress myself carefully, and come downto him in the yard. I did so without disturbing any body, and found thenight as dark as pitch (it was then November), and raining in torrents;the wind was high, howling round the yard, and sweeping in the rain inevery direction as it eddied to and fro. It was some time before I couldfind O'Brien, who was hard at work; and, as I had already been madeacquainted with all his plans, I will now explain them. At Montpelier hehad procured six large pieces of iron, about eighteen inches long, witha gimlet at one end of each, and a square at the other, which fitted toa handle which unshipped. For precaution he had a spare handle, but eachhandle fitted to all the irons. O'Brien had screwed one of these piecesof iron between the interstices of the stones of which the wall wasbuilt, and sitting astride on that, was fixing another about three feetabove. When he had accomplished this, he stood upon the lower iron, andsupporting himself by the second, which about met his hip, he screwed ina third, always fixing them about six inches on one side of the other,and not one above the other. When he had screwed in his six irons, hewas about half up the wall, and then he fastened his rope, which he hadcarried round his neck, to the upper iron, and lowering himself down,unscrewed the four lower irons: then ascending by the rope, he stoodupon the fifth iron, and supporting himself by the upper iron,recommenced his task. By these means he arrived in the course of an hourand a half to the top of the wall, where he fixed his last iron, andmaking his rope fast, he came down again. "Now, Peter," said he, "thereis no fear of the sentries seeing us; if they had the eyes of cats, theycould not until we were on the top of the wall; but then we arrive atthe glacis, and we must creep to the ramparts on our bellies. I am goingup with all the materials. Give me your haversack--you will go uplighter; and recollect, should any accident happen to me, you run to bedagain. If, on the contrary, I pull the rope up and down three or fourtimes, you may sheer up it as fast as you can." O'Brien then loadedhimself with the other rope, the two knapsacks, iron crows, and otherimplements he had procured; and, last of all, with the umbrella. "Peter,if the rope bears me with all this, it is clear it will bear such acreature as you are, therefore don't be afraid." So whispering, hecommenced his ascent; in about three minutes he was up, and the ropepulled. I immediately followed him, and found the rope very easy toclimb, from the knots at every two feet, which gave me a hold for myfeet, and I was up in as short a time as he was. He caught me by thecollar, putting his wet hand on my mouth, and I lay down beside himwhile he pulled up the rope. We then crawled on our stomachs across theglacis till we arrived at the rampart. The wind blew tremendously, andthe rain pattered down so fast, that the sentries did not perceive us;indeed, it was no fault of theirs, for it was impossible to have made usout. It was some time before O'Brien could find out the point exactlyabove the drawbridge of the first ditch; at last he did--he fixed hiscrow-bar in, and lowered down the rope. "Now, Peter, I had better gofirst again; when I shake the rope from below, all's right." O'Briendescended, and in a few minutes the rope again shook; I followed him,and found myself received in his arms upon the meeting of thedrawbridge; but the drawbridge itself was up. O'Brien led the way acrossthe chains, and I followed him. When we had crossed the moat, we found abarrier gate locked; this puzzled us. O'Brien pulled out his picklocksto pick it, but without success; here we were fast. "We must underminethe gate, O'Brien; we must pull up the pavement until we can creepunder." "Peter, you are a fine fellow; I never thought of that." Weworked very hard until the hole was large enough, using the crow-barwhich was left, and a little wrench which O'Brien had with him. By thesemeans we got under the gate in the course of an hour or more. This gateled to the lower rampart, but we had a covered way to pass throughbefore we arrived at it. We proceeded very cautiously, when we heard anoise: we stopped, and found that it was a sentry, who was fast asleep,and snoring. Little expecting to find one here, we were puzzled; passhim we could not well, as he was stationed on the very spot where werequired to place our crow-bar to descend the lower rampart into theriver. O'Brien thought for a moment. "Peter," said he, "now is the timefor you to prove yourself a man. He is fast asleep, but his noise mustbe stopped. I will stop his mouth, but at the very moment that I do soyou must throw open the pan of his musket, and then he cannot fire it.""I will, O'Brien; don't fear me." We crept cautiously up to him, andO'Brien motioning to me to put my thumb upon the pan, I did so, and themoment that O'Brien put his hand upon the soldier's mouth, I threw openthe pan. The fellow struggled, and snapped his lock as a signal, but ofcourse without discharging his musket, and in a minute he was not onlygagged but bound by O'Brien, with my assistance. Leaving him there, weproceeded to the rampart, and fixing the crow-bar again, O'Briendescended; I followed him, and found him in the river, hanging on to therope; the umbrella was opened and turned upwards; the preparation madeit resist the water, and, as previously explained to me by O'Brien, Ihad only to hold on at arm's length to two beckets which he had affixedto the point of the umbrella, which was under water. To the same partO'Brien had a tow-line, which taking in his teeth, he towed me down withthe stream to about a hundred yards clear of the fortress, where welanded. O'Brien was so exhausted that for a few minutes he remainedquite motionless; I also was benumbed with the cold. "Peter," said he,"thank God we have succeeded so far; now must we push on as far as wecan, for we shall have daylight in two hours." O'Brien took out hisflask of spirits, and we both drank a half tumbler at least, but weshould not in our state have been affected with a bottle. We now walkedalong the river-side till we fell in with a small craft, with a boattowing astern: O'Brien swam to it, and cutting the painter withoutgetting in, towed it on shore. The oars were fortunately in the boat. Igot in, we shoved off, and rowed away down the stream till the dawn ofday. "All's right, Peter; now we'll land. This is the Forest ofArdennes." We landed, replaced the oars in the boat, and pushed her offinto the stream, to induce people to suppose that she had broken adrift,and then hastened into the thickest of the wood. It still rained hard; Ishivered, and my teeth chattered with the cold, but there was no helpfor it. We agai
n took a dram of spirits, and, worn out with fatigue andexcitement, soon fell fast asleep upon a bed of leaves which we hadcollected together.
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