"Escaped!" repeated all in the room, holding up their hands in astonishment.
"Yes; escaped—gone—mizzled—cleared out," said the colonel, frantically flourishing his arms above his head; "and unless I catch him, which I don't expect to do, I'm short a captain, for he was to have been exchanged for one of my officers."
At this moment the officer of the day entered, and the colonel, turning to him, continued:
"That rascally little Yankee has escaped again. I thought I had him safe this time, but he has succeeded in giving me the slip when I least expected it. That sailor that we captured with him has gone too. Send a squad in pursuit of them at once. Use the blood-hound, but hold him in the leash, and don't injure either of the prisoners if you can avoid it."
The officer bowed, and left the room; and the colonel, after giving orders that the case should be investigated, in order to see who was to blame in allowing the prisoners to escape, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by Lieutenant Somers, set out in pursuit of the squad, which had already started and was following the trail of the fugitives, led by a large blood-hound, which was kept in check by a chain held by one of the men. In a couple of hours they arrived at the place where Frank and the mate had been fired upon by the steamer, and here the trail was lost. After several hours spent in unavailing search, the squad separated, and, for two days, scoured the country every-where, looking in vain for traces of the fugitives.
At the end of that time, the colonel, completely disheartened, collected his forces, and was returning to the plantation, when they were met by a negro, in a great state of excitement, who anxiously inquired for the commanding officer.
"Get away from me, boy," shouted the colonel, impatiently, "and don't bother me now."
"But, sar," persisted the negro, "Massa Thorne done kotched two white gemman, an' be gwine to kill 'em, shore."
"Bill Thorne in this part of the country again!" said the colonel. "He'd better keep clear of me. He and his pack of horse-thieves are more injury to us than a Yankee gun-boat;" and the colonel, without waiting to hear any more, put spurs to his horse, and galloped off.
"These two white men he caught," said Lieutenant Somers, "what were they? Yankees?"