Having been in prison so many times, he is as well acquainted with the rules which guide the warders as they are themselves; and any infringement of those rules on their part he would quickly detect and make a noise about.
His set purpose seemed to be to provoke them to a breach of the rules, and to serve him as he too richly deserved to be served.
He behaved more like a beast than a human being, until the carriage became almost unbearable.
The train had passed Worksop, and a part of the country was reached which Peace knew too well. All the way down on this, as in his previous journey, he had been adopting the most ingenious and cunning devices to put the warders off their guard, but without success.
Now was his last chance of eluding them, and if he could but escape from the carriage, he could follow, perhaps, well remembered “cuts,” steal into Darnall or some other place of refuge, and, profiting by past experience, be no more discovered.
The train was whirling along at express speed; but what of that? To such a man to regain freedom was worth a supreme effort—though he died in the attempt. He had used several of the bags referred to on the journey, and he asked for another.
The chief warder gave him one, and he stood up with his face to the window to use it, the under warder being close behind him. The window was dropped for him to throw it out, and quick almost as lightning Peace took a flying leap through the window.
The under warder sprang forward and caught him by the left foot. There he held him suspended head downwards; Peace kicking the warder with his right foot, and struggling with all his might to get free.
The chief warder—unable to render his colleague any assistance in holding Peace, inasmuch as he occupied the whole space of the window—hastened to the other side of the carriage and pulled at the communication cord, to alarm the driver and secure the stoppage of the train.
The cord would not act, and some gentlemen who were in the next compartment, seeing the position of affairs, assisted in the efforts of the warder to stop the train.