“You can’t imagine how heartily I always despised Duke Hampton,” said Tom, suddenly. “I hated the very sight of him, and now I would give all I ever hope to possess if I could be in his place. Every one thinks so much of him. There is not a man, woman or child in the settlement who does not put the most implicit faith in his word, or one who would believe any thing mean of him.”
“And Duke deserves every particle of the confidence that is placed in him,” said I.
“I know it. He never tries to build himself up by pulling others down, and he is much too honorable and manly to say any thing behind your back that he wouldn’t care to say to your face. If you should tell him a secret, he wouldn’t lisp it to the best friend he has in the world. And he is honest, too. Whenever you find a boy like that, you find one that every body likes—except, perhaps, some fool like me whom no one on earth cares for. Now then, I am going to get away from here. I’ll first make amends for my misdeeds, as far as lies in my power, and then I’ll go off where no one knows me and begin again. If there is any good in me, it must come out. I’ll make a man of myself yet, and, in order to do it, I’ll follow Duke Hampton’s example as nearly as I can.”
"‘A wrong confessed is half redressed,’ you know," said I. “Why don’t you go home and tell your uncle just what you have told me? I would, if I were in your place.”
“Don’t ask me to do that, Joe,” said Tom, decidedly. “I may come back here one of these days, but I can’t think of staying now. Could I look any body in the face after what I have done? Could you? But let’s talk about something else. Our enemies must be asleep by this time, and if we are going to get away from here, we must be about it.”
“Why, we are not going to make an attempt to escape in broad daylight, are we?”
“Certainly we are; and the sooner we get to work, the better it will be for us. Luke Redman intends to start for the river as soon as it grows dark, and, what is more, he is going to take us with him. If we once begin that journey, we’ll have no chance to get away, for he will tie us hard and fast. It’s now or never. Come in here, Joe, and let us take a look at things.”
In accordance with this request, I crawled through the opening into Tom’s prison, and found that, in size and appearance, it was like my own, with this simple difference: There was a window on one side of it, and I was surprised to see that it was not secured with either bars or a shutter.
“I don’t call this much of a jail,” said I. “What is there to hinder you from climbing out of that window whenever you choose? I can’t imagine why Luke Redman confined you here.”
“He didn’t intend to confine me,” replied Tom. “He only wanted to punish me for talking back to him. When Barney came up with my dinner, he told me that the reason his father had put me in this apartment was, that I might keep a watch over you. If you began rummaging about, and discovered the opening between the two rooms, I was to grab you and alarm the house. You see, Luke Redman knew that you and I were not on the best of terms, and thought I would do all in my power to prevent your escape. He imagines, too, that I will stay just where he has a mind to put me, and obey any orders he sees fit to issue; but I will show him that he has reckoned without his host.”