"I don't care where you stay if you'll only keep still. You mustn't talk to me, because if you do you are likely to get both of us into trouble. When we get the room full of Yanks, then we'll enforce a little different discipline." It was dark when the guard was relieved, but soon after his place had been taken by one of his companions he returned with some corn-bread and some "coffee" made of toast. Humble as the fare was, it was eagerly received by the young prisoners, and when the scanty meal was ended Dennis said to the guard, "Shure, and you 're goin' to give us a blanket or somethin' to sleep on, aren't ye?" "Don't speak to me!" ordered the soldier. "All right for yez," said Dennis good-naturedly. "If we have to slape on the floor, we might as well begin to learn how to do the trick now as any time. Come on, Noel," he called to his companion. Convinced that their actions were keenly watched by the guard, Dennis simply dropped upon the floor and bade his companion take his place beside him. "'Tis hard slapin' here, Noel," he whispered, "but I'm thinkin' that it won't be long that we'll have to tarry here. I'll tell ye a bit more about me plans now." "Don't let the guard hear you whispering," warned Noel. "Niver a bit," said Dennis, his voice becoming so piercing that Noel seized his companion's arm as a warning. "I'm that still," continued Dennis, "that I can hear the mice holdin' a pow-wow down under the floor. Now listen to me, lad. We can't do anything to-night, but if the Johnnies don't put too many men in here with us, it may be that to-morrow night or the night after that we can begin our escape." "How?" inquired Noel eagerly. "Well, I was tellin' ye about the trapdoor, or the slide. I'm a bit fearful o' this fellow on guard now, so that we won't try that out to-night, but lave it to some other time. And I'm hopin' that to-morrow night will be the darkest ever known. I'll get you to hold me up on your shoulders, and then if you brace yoursilf against the wall, I'll see if the door cannot be pushed back. I fancy that will be all we'll be able to do the first night, but if I find that the thing works, then within a night or two we can try it over again, and I'll push the door back with me hands and then I'll climb up and hide in the loft." "And leave me down in the room below, I suppose?" "Not a bit of it, lad! Not a bit of it! I'll take hold of your hands and lift you clear up where I am. Then we'll let down the door, and put it back in its place and put a bar across it, or hold it with our hands, so that no one can get up there, though I'm thinkin' no one will ever suspect us of havin' gone up through the roof." "What good would it do you to be in that room instead of in this?" inquired Noel. "You won't be able to get away." "Indade, an' I will, if the night is dark enough," said Dennis. "Did you notice the magnolia tree growin' close to the side of the house?" "Which side?" "The one toward the barn."