When two o’clock came, and Haines aroused Harry Leonard to relieve him on watch, the others were all fast asleep; but the slight noise woke the Captain, and he went out quietly to look at the sky, without finding any change in the wind.
Harry began his watch by putting on more wood, and making a blaze that illuminated the stone cell beautifully. But about four o’clock the watchful Captain stirred, turned over, raised his head, and asked:
“Any change yet in the weather, Henry?”
The cell was dark and chilly, the fire burned down, and no answer came from the watch.
Thoroughly awake in an instant, the Captain sprang up and found Harry sitting sound asleep on one of the stone seats in the chimney-place.
Surprised and angered at this disobedience of orders, he stepped to the door to look at the sky again before awaking the watchman in the emphatic way that he contemplated. He put his thumb on the heavy wrought-iron latch and pushed against the door, but it would not open.
He pushed harder and shook the door, but instead of its opening, the shaking only gave him a still greater surprise. He could tell by the feel and the rattling that the door was held fast by the heavy bolt on the outside. Somebody or something had shot the bolt!
He went to the window and looked out, but all was black as ink. Then, hardly able to believe his senses, he returned to the door and shook it again.
It was so plain that he had to believe it. The bolt was shot, and they were all securely imprisoned in the cell of Louis-Philippe, in the Castle d’If.