opened upon us with a favourable symptom. This day we had an officer of the guard who was considered less particular in [309] counting and inspecting us at lockup times; and though we wished to celebrate the sixty-seventh anniversary of our forefathers' independence by our emancipation from the prison, yet we considered this too favourable an opportunity to lose. We passed the word for all who intended to go to be in readiness by night.

I went round to old Guts's quarters and purchased my last bacon, chocolate, and sugar. I found the old fellow exceedingly polite, and when I laid his money upon the counter, he insisted upon crediting me for the amount, saying that I might have use for the money. I told him, "Short settlements make long friends." He thanked me for my custom, and hoped that I would continue to deal with him. I replied, that the next purchase I made in the castle should certainly be from him. So far I have kept my word.

In each of the prison-rooms one of our men were detailed and exempt from work, whose duty it was to sweep the room, receive the bread, count it out to each man, and be responsible not only for the general police of the room, but also for the safety of everything in it. This officer was termed "quarterlero," and Voos held the appointment for the centre room.

About an hour before we were locked up, I met Voos with his head and jaws tied up, and limping along with the greatest apparent difficulty. "What is the matter, Voos?" said I; when, after turning his [310] head very carefully upon his shoulders, and rolling his eyes up in the sockets with the graceful affectation of a sick maid, then turning round and surveying well the premises, he replied, "General, I am quarterlero of the centre room, and it is very necessary for me to have the rheumatism and go to the hospital before you leave, or I shall catch it to-morrow." At this moment an officer hove in sight, and Voos hobbled on. It was the officer of the guard bringing in the surgeon of the hospital to examine Voos's rheumatism. He pronounced it a very bad case, and in a few minutes four soldiers brought in upon their shoulders a palanquin, upon which Voos was carefully laid, when they bore him from the castle in the most tender manner under the reiteration of the most doleful grunts.

This witty Dutchman passed me with a cunning wink, but did not forget to grunt; and, until he was shut out from our sight by the outer gate, these lugubrious sounds came back to those who were in the secret to excite their risibility at the best comedy of the season.

It was considered the safest plan, after getting out of the castle, to pair off, and not more than two or three go together, as, the smaller the company, the more easily they could secrete themselves, the whole not being sufficient to carry on either offensive or defensive operations to advantage.

Under this arrangement I had selected Dan, mainly on account of his speaking the language of the [311] country. I had a pair of saddlebags, which we divided