I learned from a man who had been a warder in the
prison, before the French took possession of it, that the passage
close to the bottom of your staircase terminated at the barred
window in the street behind. Two of my men undertook to cut the
bars. It was no easy matter, for there were sentries outside, and
one came along the back every two or three minutes. The men had a
light ladder and, directly he had passed, ran across the street,
placed it in position, and fell to work. But the constant
interferences by the passing of the sentinel annoyed them, and
greatly hindered the work.

"You see, the sentry had to patrol the lane down one side of the
prison, then along behind, and back; so they had only the time
taken by him from the corner to the end of the lane, and back, to
work. They were so annoyed at this that one night, when the sentry
came to be relieved, he was found stabbed to the heart and, as this
misfortune happened just after he went on duty, the men managed to
file one of the bars that night. Curiously enough, the same
accident happened two nights later; just as I had arranged, with a
Spaniard who had enlisted in the French army, that he would aid you
to escape. He was a sharp fellow, and had managed to get the key of
your room from the peg where it hung, and to take an impression of
it in wax, from which we had a key made.

"Everything was now ready. The other bar was sawn on, the night the
accident happened to the second sentry. The next night the Spaniard
was to be on guard on your staircase, and I sent you a loaf with a
message to be in readiness. Unfortunately, the second accident
aroused the suspicion of the authorities that these affairs had
something to do with the escape of a prisoner. Accordingly, the
sentries outside were doubled, two men patrolling together and,
that evening, the guards were suddenly changed.

"It was evident that, for a time, nothing could be done. For nearly
a fortnight this dodging about of the guard continued; then, as all
was quiet, things went back to their old course. Four sentries were
taken off, the others going about two together, each pair taking
two sides of the prison. This morning my Spaniard who, as he was on
duty at night, was able to come out into the town early, told the
man who had arranged the affair with him that he would be on night
duty; and would manage to take his place among the guards so that,
when they arrived at your door, he should be the one to be