ground. Then Dan leaped in and we tore his gun from his grasp.
"Silence, on your life!" said Dan, and the fellow must have understood, for he did not utter a sound. Then we continued to the fence, and, not without some trouble, leaped over.
By this time the alarm had broken out in the jail and several lights flared up. The other prisoners must have tried to escape, for we heard a wild yelling and half a dozen shots. The latter aroused the entire neighborhood, and citizens and soldiers came running in from all directions.
"We've got to leg it now!" I cried. "Come, on, Dan."
"But in what direction?" he gasped, for climbing the tall fence had deprived him of his wind.
"Any direction is better than staying here. Come," and I caught him by the hand. By this time we heard several soldiers making after us, and away we went at the best speed at our command.
