He was powerless now either to move or speak, and only when the work was accomplished did the boys fully realize that they had, perhaps, injured themselves by thus temporarily turning the tables.
"It would have been better had we let him go his own gait," Evan said in a whisper as he drew Nathan toward the window where the helpless Tory could not overhear his words. "Of course we cannot hope to keep him here longer than morning, and it is hardly likely the redcoats will suffer him to be absent so many hours without making certain he is safe. Once the troopers come we shall suffer for this bit of pleasantry."
"They are not like to put in an appearance for several hours yet, more especially if the villain gave out that he would stand guard until weary of the sport."
"Yet the end must finally come."
Nathan started as if a sudden thought had flashed upon him, and turned quickly toward the window as he seized one of the heavy bars.
"Have you any idea that it might be possible to pull that down?" Evan asked wonderingly.
"Hark you, lad," and now Nathan appeared like one laboring under great excitement. "Why might we not escape? The Britishers will have no care for us while it is believed that sneak is acting as sentinel, and if one of these bars could be removed, we might count on at least an hour's start."
"But there is no hope of our being able to remove the barrier."
"Who shall say until it has been tried?"
"I am certain that with our bare hands we might tug and strain until morning without so much as loosening one of the fastenings."