"What's the matter now, sergeant?" inquired that gentleman, appearing at the door with his boots in his hand.
"The prisoners, sir," began the sergeant----
"Well, what's the trouble with them?" asked the colonel, who was very far from guessing the facts of the case. "Won't the lazy Yankees get up? Punch 'em with your bayonet a little if they get unruly; that will put life into them, and keep them civil at the same time."
"I could manage them easy enough, sir, if they were here," answered the sergeant; "but, sir, they"----
"If they were _here_," repeated the colonel, who now began to suspect the truth. "If they were here! Have you allowed them to escape?"
"No, sir, we didn't _let_ them; they went without asking us!"
"A plague on you lazy scoundrels," shouted the colonel, in a rage. "Let loose that blood-hound at once, and pursue them. No; stop! Tell the officer of the day that I want to see him."
The sergeant started off to execute the order; and the colonel, after pulling on his boots, entered the house, where Lieutenant Somers and the people of the plantation were assembled, awaiting breakfast.
"What's the matter, colonel?" inquired the lieutenant. "Any thing wrong?"
"Don't bother me with your foolish questions now," replied the colonel roughly, pacing up and down the floor with angry strides. "It's enough to upset any one's patience. That little Yankee has escaped again."
"Escaped!" repeated all in the room, holding up their hands in astonishment.
"Yes; escaped--gone--mizzled--cleared out," said the colonel, frantically flourishing his arms above his head; "and unless I catch him, which I don't expect to do, I'm short a captain, for he was to have been exchanged for one of my officers."
At this moment the officer of the day entered, and the colonel, turning to him, continued:
"That rascally little Yankee has escaped again. I thought I had him safe this time, but he has succeeded in giving me the slip when I least expected it. That sailor that we captured with him has gone too. Send a squad in pursuit of them at once. Use the blood-hound, but hold him in the leash, and don't injure either of the prisoners if you can avoid it."
The officer bowed, and left the room; and the colonel, after giving orders that the case should be investigated, in order to see who was to blame in allowing the prisoners to escape, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by Lieutenant Somers, set out in pursuit of the squad, which had already started and was following the trail of the fugitives, led by a large blood-hound, which was kept in check by a chain held by one of the men. In a couple of hours they arrived at the place where Frank and the mate had been fired upon by the steamer, and here the trail was lost. After several hours spent in unavailing search, the squad separated, and, for two days, scoured the country every-where, looking in vain for traces of the fugitives.