we thought that by letting her do as she proposed that we might throw
her husband off his guard. At last she went away, saying that she would
try and see what she could do. Polly got ready to start; after some
time the old woman came back saying that her husband would not consent
to anything of the sort. We all pretended on this to be very downcast,
Miss O'Regan was really so, as she thought the old woman's plan was the
safest. At last all was quiet; Polly, as usual, took her post at the
door. Mr Rogers and I worked away at the bar: `Now one strong pull and
we'll have it out,' I whispered; and hauling away with all my strength,
I broke it off at the bottom and wrenched it on one side. We made a
rope of the rugs which covered our beds long enough to let me lower
myself into the yard. Mr Desmond was dawn directly after me, and I
caught him in my arms and bolted away to the opposite side of the wall
as quick as lightning, then I lifted him on my shoulders and he soon
scrambled on to the top of the wall; it was a harder job for me to
follow, seeing that he put his hands and feet into holes which were not
big enough for mine. We had hit the very place we should have chosen,
for just below us was a heap of rubbish which came some way up the wall,
and we were now on the outside of the prison. Mr Desmond scrambled
down in the same way that he got up. `Keep still,' he said in a low
voice, `don't drop? don't drop! there are broken pots and pans of all
sorts, you may cut yourself.' He spoke just in time, for it would have
been a queer place to fall on. The night was pretty dark, and no one
was about. We stopped to listen, and not a sound was to be heard, so we
crept along the wall till we turned the corner, and found ourselves in
front of the prison. If there was a sentry, he was fast asleep in his
box, for we were not challenged. We soon had crossed the square the old
woman had told us of, then we ran on as fast as our legs could carry us
till we reached the consul's house, which we knew by a big board over
the door, though we couldn't see the arms. Mr Desmond went up to the
door and pulled the bell. `It's no time to stand on ceremony, though
it's not the hour that the consul generally receives visitors, I fancy,'
he said, with a laugh. He pulled and pulled again. `I must climb in at
the window if we can't awake them any other way, though maybe I shall be
shot if I do,' he added, looking up to see if there was o