He felt ready to groan in his misery, for the trouble seemed to have suddenly increased.
Andrew did not speak or even glance at him; and fully a quarter of an hour passed before Frank had decided as to the course he ought to pursue. Once he had made up his mind he acted, and, rising from his chair, he waited until his fellow-prisoner was coming toward him in his wearisome walk, and held out his hand.
“Will you shake hands, Drew?” he said.
The lad stopped on the instant, and his face lit up with eagerness.
“Yes,” he cried, “if you’ll stand by me like a man.”
“What do you mean?”
“Escape with me. Get out of the window as soon as it is dark, and make a dash for it. Let them fire; they would not hit us in the dark, and we could soon reach the friends and be safe.”
“Run away and join your friends?” said Frank quietly.
“Yes! We should be placed in the army at once, as soon as they knew who we were. Come, you repent of what you said, and you will be faithful to the cause?”
“Won’t you shake hands without that?”