A little more news arrived; the American girl was believed to be yet alive; that was four days ago.
“We must work faster,” O’Malley enjoined after hearing this; and Gerry, who had not yet said anything about his private fears, learned that others in the camp also planned to rescue the American girl under sentence at the schloss. The camp—which in six months had not succeeded in getting one of their own number free—swore now to save the prisoner of von Fallenbosch. Such was the spirit of the offizier-gefangenenlager of Villinstein.
So Gerry told O’Malley and Lownes about Ruth Alden; and together they laid their plans. Two days later the Irishman grasped Gerry’s arm tightly.
“We wait, bye, only for a moon.”
“You mean the bore’s finished?”
“As near as may be till the night of use. You’ve the almanac; when will be the moon big enough to give you light to fly?”
“Fri—no, Thursday, Mike?”
“You’ll be certain, bye; you’ll not spoil all by impulsiveness.”
“Thursday will be all right, if it’s clear, Mike.”
“Then pray, bye, for a dark evening.”