“Of course.”
“We might pretend to run away and hide in that. Then, when the soldiers disperse to hunt for us, we can cut sticks and off.”
This plan was agreed to, and having examined the chimney and found out how they could secrete themselves inside, they both peeped out at the single guard, who was walking up and down, humming to himself.
“Now!” cried Silvers, and they made a racket as if climbing through a side window, letting the sash fall with a crash. Then both ran to the chimney and hid with all possible speed.
The guard gave a cry in French and came running up. One glance showed him the empty room and his eyes strayed to the window.
“Gone!” he muttered, in his native tongue. “And through yonder window! Oh, the artful rascals! But I shall catch them, or shoot them down!”
He made off, and they heard him start to give the alarm. But then he thought of his companion and the gold piece. If the commanding officer heard of how the one guard had gone off there would be trouble ahead for both. He ran around wildly, at length taking a road leading to the river bank.
“Now is our chance,” said Henry, and dropped out of the chimney, covered with soot and as black as a negro. Rushing outside, he caught up the gun belonging to the guard who had gone for the food. As he did this Silvers drew the dagger he had picked up, and thus armed the pair started for the nearest patch of woodland, several hundred feet away.
But the alarm was now general, in spite of the guard’s effort to keep the affair quiet, and they heard calls from several directions.
“If we get away it’s going to be a tight squeeze,” said Silvers.