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"Why, I'm so hungry I could eat a fence rail." Uncle Billy grinned widely. "Yo'al will git a shore 'nuff dinnah 'fore long," he replied. "Is everything all right?" asked Chester. "Yassah, yassah. Everyt'ing am all right. Yo'al jes' do like I tell you," and the old darky hastened from the cell. The four prisoners fell upon the single loaf of bread and devoured it hungrily.
When yo'al gits out o' de cas'le, jes' yo'al sneak roun' to de right, an' dere'll be frien's dere." Uncle Billy again put a warning finger to his lips. Hal opened his mouth to ask a question, but with a soft "sh-h" Uncle Billy silenced him. Then, after several furtive glances about, the old negro stole quickly from the cell, closing the door softly behind him.
Turning, he motioned the companions to mount. "Which way?" asked the lieutenant, when all were in the saddle. "Straight north, I suppose," said the captain. "No, sah, no, sah," broke in Uncle Billy. "Yo'al can't get free that-a-way. Since de Emp'ror declared wah on Belgin an' Englan' dun declare wah on Germany, all de no'th coast am hev'ly guarded." "What!" exclaimed the French captain.
"War on Belgium!" "England has declared war?" asked the young lieutenant, in surprise. "Yassah, yassah. I jes' hearn erbout it." "Then which way shall we go?" "Yo'al must go that-a-way," came the answer, and Uncle Billy pointed toward the southwest, in the direction of the faraway frontier of The Netherlands.
Lawdy!" he exclaimed, a wide grin spreading itself over his features; "if dese two chilluns ain't 'Mericans," and advancing toward them he demanded: "What yo'al doin' hyah? Dey tol' me dey dun captured fo' spies!" Hal explained briefly. The old negro rolled his eyes in gaping wonder at the recital. "Can't you help us, uncle?" asked Chester, as Hal completed his story.
Frightened, the old darky looked around; then began slowly to back toward the door of the cell, just beyond which stood the line of soldiers. "Yo'al jes' wait," he spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Ol' Uncle Billy'll see what he c'n do." He backed out of the cell as he finished and the door clanged behind him. "It seems that we have at least one friend," remarked Hal, after Uncle Billy had gone.
"When I brung yo'al yo' dinnah t'night," he explained, "I'se gwine ter leave de' door open. I'se gwine ter p'tend ter lock it, but it ain't gwine ter be locked. "At nine o'clock t'night de' watch am changed, an' fer five minutes there ain't no guard in de' hall. That am when yo'al slip out an' sneak down de' hall.
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