ain that I
waited, straining on the rope for my next comrade to begin. I began to
be afraid that our conspiracy was out, that my friends were all secured,
and that I should pass the remainder of the night, and be discovered in
the morning, vainly clinging to the rope's end like a hooked fish upon
an angle. I could not refrain, at this ridiculous image, from a chuckle
of laughter. And the next moment I knew, by the jerking of the rope,
that my friend had crawled out of the tunnel, and was fairly launched on
his descent. It appears it was the sailor who had insisted on succeeding
me: as soon as my continued silence had assured him the rope was long
enough, Gautier, for that was his name, had forgot his former arguments,
and shown himself so extremely forward, that Laclas had given way. It
was like the fellow, who had no harm in him beyond an instinctive
selfishness. But he was like to have paid pretty dearly for the
privilege. Do as I would, I could not keep the rope as I could have
wished it; and he ended at last by falling on me from a height of
several yards, so that we both rolled together on the ground. As soon as
he could breathe he cursed me beyond belief, wept over his finger, which
he had broken, and cursed me again. I bade him be still and think shame
of himself to be so great a cry-baby. Did he not hear the round going by
above? I asked; and who could tell but what the noise of his fall was
already remarked, and the sentinels at the very moment leaning upon the
battlements to listen?

The round, however, went by, and nothing was discovered; the third man
came to the ground quite easily; the fourth was, of course, child's
play; and before there were ten of us collected, it seemed to me that,
without the least injustice to my comrades, I might proceed to take care
of myself.

I knew their plan: they had a map and an almanac, and designed for
Grangemouth, where they were to steal a ship. Suppose them to do so, I
had no idea they were qualified to manage it after it was stolen. Their
whole escape, indeed, was the most haphazard thing imaginable; only the
impatience of captives and the ignorance of private soldiers would have
entertained so misbegotten a device; and though I played the good
comrade and worked with them upon the tunnel, but for the lawyer's
message I should have let them go without me. Well, now they were beyond
my help, as they had always been beyond my counselling; and, without
word said or leave