Down into the cellar passed a long line of descending men,
dropping to its floor in rapid succession. Around the mouth
of the tunnel a dense crowd gathered. But here only one man
was allowed to pass at a time, on account of the bad air.
The noise made in passing through told those behind how long
the tunnel was occupied. The instant the noise ceased
another plunged in.

The passage was no easy one. The tunnel was little more than
wide enough to contain a man's body, and progress had to be
made by kicking and scrambling forward. Two or three
minutes, however, sufficed for the journey, the one who had
last emerged helping his companion to the upper air.

Here was a carriage-way fronting southward, and leading into
Canal Street, which ran along the Lynchburg Canal. Four
guards paced along the south side of the prison within plain
view. The risk was great. On emerging from the carriage-way
the fugitives would be in full sight of these guards. But
the risk must be taken. Watching the street for a moment in
which it was comparatively clear, one by one they passed out
and walked deliberately along the canal, in the direction
away from the prison, like ordinary passers. This dangerous
space was crossed with remarkable good fortune. If the
guards noticed them at all, they must have taken them for
ordinary citizens. The unusual number of passers, on that
retired street, nearly the whole night long, does not seem
to have attracted the attention of any of the guards. One
hundred and nine escaped in all, yet not a man of them was
challenged.

Canal Street once left, the first breath of relief was
drawn. Those who early escaped soon found themselves in
well-lighted streets, many of the shops still open, and
numerous citizens and soldiers promenading. No one took
notice of the fugitives, who strolled along the streets in
small groups, laughing and talking on indifferent subjects,
and, with no sign of haste, directing their steps towards
the outskirts of the city.

As to what followed, there are almost as many adventures to
relate as there were persons escaped. We shall confine
ourselves to the narrative of one of them, Captain Earle,
from whose story the particulars above given have been
condensed. With him was one companion, Captain Charles E.
Rowan.

They had provided themselves with a small quantity of food,
but had no definite plans. It quickly occurred to them,
however, that they had better make their way down the