"Loaded, all right," remarked the latter.
"At least they won't stand us up against a wall without a fight,"
declared the captain.
"I don't know what Uncle Billy's plan of escape is," said Hal, "but I
am sure it will be successful. I have a lot of confidence in these
old-time negroes."
"And I, too," declared Chester.
"Well," interrupted the Frenchman, "all we can do now is to wait and hope
for the best."
"We at least have a fighting chance," spoke up the lieutenant, "and
that's more than I ever expected to have again."
"It's a long time between now and nine o'clock," said Chester. "I think
we all had better get some sleep. We are likely to need it before we
get through."
"Right," replied the lieutenant. "I guess we had better turn in."
The four lay down upon the dirty mattresses, and with their minds more at
ease were soon asleep.
It was after six o'clock when Uncle Billy once more entered the cell with
their "dinner," which consisted of another vessel of water and a second
loaf of bread.
Hal made a grimace.
"Is that what you call dinner, Uncle Billy?" he demanded. "Why, I'm so
hungry I could eat a fence rail."
Uncle Billy grinned widely.
"Yo'al will git a shore 'nuff dinnah 'fore long," he replied.
"Is everything all right?" asked Chester.
"Yassah, yassah. Everyt'ing am all right. Yo'al jes' do like I tell you,"
and the old darky hastened from the cell.
The four prisoners fell upon the single loaf of bread and devoured
it hungrily.
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