Our Entrance into the Gaol of Boulogne--Tantalising Sight of Old England’s Flag and white Cliffs--A Gaoler’s Supper and a conscientious Bill--Another Examination--The Route to Verdun--Arras--The Gaoler kind, and the Commandant full of Indulgence--Bapaume--The Baker, and Inquiries for our lost Money--Cambray--Cateau-Cambresis and its horrible Dungeon--Landrecies--Our Awkwardness in Chains, Handcuffs, and Fetters--My Dislike to them--Avesnes--Information that we were to be Shot--The Dungeon of Avesnes--A dungeon Companion who had killed and cut up both his Parents--A Night of Horrors and Lunacy--Hirson, a Town without a Gaol, but with a Dungeon--A Supper and its Consequences--The Discovery of our Implements of Escape--Maubert Fontaine--A new Dungeon and a Fellow-prisoner--Reciprocal Services--A novel Mode of hiding Pistol-barrels--Chaining Prisoners to a Cart--Mezières--Arrival at Verdun--Separated from my Companions--Reflections on being Shot--A close Examination--Questioned in relation to Buonaparte--Allowed to join my old Associates--Another Cross-examination--A Recommittal to Prison--Our Fate determined--The Dungeon of Bitche--The Rev. Lancelot C. Lee, a _détenu_--His Generosity Page 100
Our Departure from Verdun for Bitche--Mars-la-Tour, Metz, and Sarrelouis--I receive a useful Present from Mr. Brown--Sarreguemines--A last Chance--A mounted Guard--Thoughts of an Escape--Calculations upon a Chase in a Wood between Horse-soldiers and Prisoners on Foot--Attempt resolved upon--Signal given--Flight from the Prison Caravan to the Wood--French Pursuit--A Prisoner recaptured--My Escape from the Wood into another--My Companions, I fear, less fortunate--My Concealment--A swampy Bed and a stormy Sky, with a Torrent of Rain, for a Canopy--A prospective Flight of nearly 800 Miles--The Misery of a fruitless Search for lost Companions--Feeding on Haws, and herding with Quadrupeds and Vermin--A Hut discovered--Hunger compels me to enter--A Compromise, a Bribe, Female Advocacy, and an Escape--On the Road to the Rhine--A Preparation to sell Life dearly--A narrow Escape--Living on Cabbage-Stalks and raw Turnips--Bad Feet and worse Health--A lonely House near a Wood--Strong Temptations to Enter--A brutal Host, extreme Danger, and a narrow Escape--Bad Specimens of Human Nature Page 116