Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/110

 the real one; however, that mattered little; patient and persevering, I anxiously watched the stars, and, sensibly alive to every thing that could, for a moment, endanger the confidence reposed in me, by my companions, I heard their opinion; when, finding it to coincide with my own, and the clock now striking three, we agreed to postpone the attempt, till the following night, and then start about eight P. M.; all present, promised secresy; we replaced the well-rope, returned our knapsacks to the care of the greyhounds, and retired to bed. The next morning, nothing material occurred; the movements of the preceding night were unsuspected.

In the afternoon, we amused ourselves with writing a letter to the commandant, in which we thanked him for his civilities, and assured him, that it was the rigid and disgraceful measures of the French government, which obliged us to prove the inefficacy of "locks, bolts, and fortresses," and, that, if he wished to detain British officers, the most effectual method was to put them upon their "honour;" for that alone was