Chapter XII

Conjectures of the Prisoners as to my Country and Crimes--Inferences from my Chains that I had committed Murder--Mr. Ashworth and Mr. Tuthill, with Mr. Baker, rejoin me--Lieutenant Essel dashed to Pieces in attempting to descend the Ramparts of Bitche--My Grief at his Death--The immense Height of the Ramparts--My Horrible Dungeon--Its revolting State of Filth--Interview with the Commandant--An Application to be allowed to take the Air granted for Two Hours a Day--Meditations upon an Escape--Our Efforts baffled--A Christmas Night in a Dungeon--Reminiscences of Home and Friends--A Sentinel firing on his Prisoners--I am removed to a Cell with Fifty Prisoners--Again removed to a higher Cell, with only Twelve--Improved Condition--Hear of a Scheme of the Prisoners below to effect their Escape--Contrive to join them--Stratagem to drown the Noise of Working-tools--Successful Undermining--Noise in Opening the Third Door--Sentinels alarmed--The Guards enter--Search and discover our Engineering--Fury of the French Officers--Mr. Brine, answering to the name of O’Brien, is captured instead of me--I escape from the Dungeon and regain my own Cell--Feign Illness, and avoid Suspicion Page 191

CHAPTER XIII

A Trial at Metz--English Officers sentenced to the Galleys--Forging and using false Passports--The Consequences--A new Scheme of Escape--A favourable Night but unfavourable Sentinels--A Farewell Dinner--Another Attempt at Escape--A Descent of Ramparts by a Rope--Concealment in a Ditch--Rolling down a Glacis--An Adieu to the Mansion of Tears--Making towards the Rhine--Concealment in a Wood--Refuge in a Vineyard--Shooting a Fox--Disturbed in our Lair--A Flight and its Dangers--The Banks of the Rhine--Passing the River--A Joyful Escape into neutral Territory--Prospective Comforts of an Inn, and Refreshment.....Page 215

CHAPTER XIV

Refreshments at a Village Inn--The Town of Rastadt--A civil Traveller--Good Accommodation--Baden--Awkward Rencontre with a Royal Party--An Alarm about Passports--A Genteel Inn dangerous to Fugitive Travellers--The Advantages of a Drunken Landlord--The Town of Hornberg--To Kriemhieldsach, after passing the Black Forest--Banditti--The Murder of a French General--A German Inn and a rustic Dance--The Town of Tütlingen--A Concealment of Eight Days--Vain Attempts to smuggle Passports--Progress of our Journey--Crossing the Iller--Leaving Würtemberg and entering Bavaria--The Progress of our Flight--Kaufbeuern--An inquisitive Landlord and frightened Guests Page 232

CHAPTER XV

Leaving Kaufbeuern on the Left Hand--Crossing the Wardach and the Lech--A welcome Ferry-boat--The Town of Weilheim--A long and exhausting March--The Soporific of Fatigue--The Ferry over the River Inn--Frightened at a Soldier--A false Alarm--Crossing the River--The Town of Reichenhall--Our Approach to the Bavarian Frontiers--The Increase of Dangers--Passing Barriers with Success--A Supposition that we were in the Austrian Dominions--A woeful Miscalculation and a narrow Escape from its fatal Consequences--An unexpected Demand for Passports--An Evasion--The Bavarian and Austrian Confines--Our extreme Danger--Anticipating the Galleys--A Track through a Wood at the foot of a Mountain--A Flight--The Boundary passed, and the Fugitives in the Emperors Dominions--Soldiers in Ambush--The Fugitives captured--Feigning to be Americans from Altona--Rage of the Bavarian Guard at being outwitted Page 247