At all events, any chance seemed
better to us, than that of remaining in prison, until the end of war that
might last years, or until we got to be grey-headed. I remembered, when
the Ville de Milan was brought into Halifax; this was a year, or two,
before I went to sea; and yet here were some of her people still, on
Melville Island!
I renewed my trade as soon as out of the Black Hole, but did not give up
the idea of escaping. Leonard Lewis and Jack Mallet were the only men we
let into the secret. They both declined joining us; Mallet on account of
his dread of the water, and Lewis, because certain he could not outlive
the fatigue; but they wished us good luck, and aided us all they could.
With Johnson we would have no further concern.
The keepers did not ascertain the means by which we had left the barracks,
though they had seen the cut pickets of course. We did not attempt,
therefore, to cut through again, but resolved to climb. The English had
strengthened the pickets with cross-pieces, which were a great assistance
to _us_, and I now desire to express my thanks for the same. We waited for
a warm, but dark and rainy night in May, before we commenced our new
movement. We had still plenty of money, I having brought back with me to
prison forty crowns, and having driven a thriving trade in the interval.
We got out through the bars, precisely as we had done before, and at the
very same window.
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