The Boy Allies at Liege Part 12

With a wave of his hand he signified that the interview was ended.

"Take them away!" he ordered.

"It's all my fault!" exclaimed Captain Derevaux when they were back in the cell once more. "I should not have permitted you boys to accompany us."

"It is not!" denied Hal and Chester together. "Whatever may befall us is no discredit to you. Had we not come with you, we probably should have tried to escape the country alone."

"But if you had not been captured in our company you would be in no danger of being shot," declared Lieutenant Anderson. "I cannot forgive myself that I consented to your coming."

"Never mind that," said Hal. "You tried to help us, and that we go to our deaths to-morrow morning is not due to you."

"Fool that I was!" cried the Frenchman. "Had I kept my presence of mind in Steinberg's hut our position would not be so desperate. It was my salute that caused all this trouble."

"Come, come, never mind that," soothed Chester. "It couldn't be helped.

Besides, I am sure he had his mind made up to shoot us, anyhow. Let's not think about it."

It was perhaps an hour later that the huge cell door once more swung slowly open. Uncle Billy stepped quickly inside and closed the door after him.

"Sh-h!" he whispered, holding up a warning finger and coming close.

Silently he went to the table and, one after another, produced from some place about his person four revolvers.

"When I brung yo'al yo' dinnah t'night," he explained, "I'se gwine ter leave de' door open. I'se gwine ter p'tend ter lock it, but it ain't gwine ter be locked.

"At nine o'clock t'night de' watch am changed, an' fer five minutes there ain't no guard in de' hall. That am when yo'al slip out an' sneak down de' hall. When yo'al gits out o' de cas'le, jes' yo'al sneak roun' to de right, an' dere'll be frien's dere."

Uncle Billy again put a warning finger to his lips.

Hal opened his mouth to ask a question, but with a soft "sh-h" Uncle Billy silenced him.

Then, after several furtive glances about, the old negro stole quickly from the cell, closing the door softly behind him.

CHAPTER VII.

THE ESCAPE.

"What did I tell you!" shouted Hal, when the old negro had taken his departure. "Didn't I tell you old Uncle Billy wouldn't leave us in the lurch?"

"What do you suppose his plan is?" asked Chester.

"I haven't any idea, but you can depend upon its being a good one."

Captain Derevaux and Lieutenant Anderson were examining the revolvers Uncle Billy had laid on the table.

"Loaded, all right," remarked the latter.

"At least they won't stand us up against a wall without a fight,"

declared the captain.

"I don't know what Uncle Billy's plan of escape is," said Hal, "but I am sure it will be successful. I have a lot of confidence in these old-time negroes."

"And I, too," declared Chester.

"Well," interrupted the Frenchman, "all we can do now is to wait and hope for the best."

"We at least have a fighting chance," spoke up the lieutenant, "and that's more than I ever expected to have again."

"It's a long time between now and nine o'clock," said Chester. "I think we all had better get some sleep. We are likely to need it before we get through."

"Right," replied the lieutenant. "I guess we had better turn in."

The four lay down upon the dirty mattresses, and with their minds more at ease were soon asleep.

It was after six o'clock when Uncle Billy once more entered the cell with their "dinner," which consisted of another vessel of water and a second loaf of bread.

Hal made a grimace.

"Is that what you call dinner, Uncle Billy?" he demanded. "Why, I'm so hungry I could eat a fence rail."

Uncle Billy grinned widely.

"Yo'al will git a sh.o.r.e 'nuff dinnah 'fore long," he replied.

"Is everything all right?" asked Chester.

"Ya.s.sah, ya.s.sah. Everyt'ing am all right. Yo'al jes' do like I tell you,"

and the old darky hastened from the cell.

The four prisoners fell upon the single loaf of bread and devoured it hungrily. Thirstily they gulped down the water, and then sat down to wait.

The long hours pa.s.sed slowly.

"Great Scott!" exclaimed Chester finally. "Won't nine o'clock ever come?"

"Hold your horses and don't get excited," ordered Lieutenant Anderson.

"Impatience won't get us anything."

Chester subsided, and for a time the four sat in silence.

Suddenly the stillness was broken by the faint sound of a distant bell.

The young lieutenant pulled his watch from his pocket. Then he closed the case with a snap and rose to his feet.

"Nine o'clock!" he said briefly. "Time to be moving!"