“I want to know,” said Harry, “as it may be in our power to do you or your people service some time. You may be sure we won't betray you.”
“Well, if you must know, I'm Cordelia, the youngest daughter of Mr. ————, who is such a Yankee when any of you fellers comes 'round. He's secesh though, and so are we all, for that matter; but promise me you won't say so to anybody.”
Harry made the required promise, and then Miss Cordelia explained that she overheard her father and mother talking about how they could have the young Yanks carried off into the woods and kept there. “I did n't so much mind your being just carried off,” she added, “but I did n't know but they might kill you as they've killed some of the union men about here. I'd taken a sort o' liking to both of you, and did n't want any harm to come to you. And that's why I came and told you.”
“Now,” she added, “I'll creep back to where sister Jane and I sleep, and you must n't stir for five minutes. Don't try to go downstairs and out of the house that way, but get out on the shed, and at the further end of it you 'll find a big chimney that's built up in steps like, so that you can get along it down onto the ground. Then find your horses and be off jest as quick as you can. There's a little lane from the back of the barn that goes downhill, and if you keep along that lane and then turn to the right where it forks, you 'll come out on the main road about a quarter of a mile from the house. Now, good-bye!”
“Good-bye!” whispered Harry, “and be sure we won't forget your kindness.” And as he said so he pressed to his lips the hand that had been resting on his shoulder, and which he took hold of just as it was being removed.
Then he roused Jack, who would have spoken aloud, had not Harry pressed a hand on his mouth and whispered, not as softly as the recent whispering had been, that he'd better shut up. As soon as Jack was fairly awake the situation was explained, and the five minutes in which they had been enjoined to lie still were fully taken up in laying plans for getting away.
“In the first place,” said Harry, “we ought to fasten the door of the room, so as to delay our would-be captors as long as possible.”
“That's so,” said Jack; “but how'll we fasten it?”
“I think the chair will do it,” was the reply; “at any rate I 'll try it. We might move the bed against the door, but in doing it we would be very likely to make a noise.”
They dressed themselves quickly, but without noise, occasionally glancing out of the window to the starlit but moonless sky. When they had completed their toilets, all but putting on their shoes, Harry leaned the chair against the door and found it made an excellent wedge beneath the latch, and would greatly hinder an attempt to force an entrance.