s the fact of his being missing was known, a cordon of
guards might be stationed outside the wall in addition to those in the
yard. The danger appeared to him to be so great that he was half
inclined to abandon the enterprise. It would certainly be weary work to
be shut up there for perhaps a year while his friends were fighting the
battles of his country; but it would be better after all to put up with
that than to run any extreme risk of being shot.

When he arrived at this conclusion he went upstairs to his room to write
a line to Dan. The day was a fine one, and he found that the whole of
the occupants of the room had gone below. This was an unexpected bit of
good fortune, and he at once went to the window and examined the bars.
They were thick and of new iron, but had been hastily put up. The
building had originally been a large warehouse, and when it had been
converted into a prison for the Confederate prisoners the bars had been
added to the windows. Instead, therefore, of being built into solid
stone and fastened in by lead, they were merely screwed on to the wooden
framework of the windows, and by a strong screw-driver a bar could be
removed in five minutes. This altogether altered the position. He had
only to wait until the rest of the occupants of the room were asleep and
then to remove the bar and let himself down.

He at once wrote:

"I want twenty yards of strong string, and the same length of rope that
will bear my weight; also a strong screw-driver. When I have got this I
will let you know night and hour. Shall want disguise ready to put on."

He folded the note up into a small compass, and at the hour at which Dan
would be about to enter he sauntered down to the gate. In a short time
the venders entered, and were soon busy selling their wares. Dan had, as
before, a basket of melons. Vincent made his way up to him.

"I want another melon," he said, "as good as that you sold me last
night."

"Dey all de same, sah. First-rate melyons, dese; just melt away in your
mouf like honey."

He held up one of the melons, and Vincent placed in his hands the
coppers in payment. Between two of them he had placed the little note.
Dan's hands closed quickly on the coins, and dropping them into his
pocket he addressed the next customer, while Vincent sauntered away
again. This time the melon was a whole one, and Vincent divided it with
a couple of other prisoners, for the fruit was too large for one person
to cons