1827.] French Prison of Valenciennes. 493 



orchard, looking around, and listening, like the timid deer for the approach of the 

 savage hound, whose thirst nothing but blood can satiate. Starting, as by elec- 

 tricity, at a cold touch on my hand, I involuntarily threw myself into an attitude 

 of defence ; but seeing nothing, and judging that coward fancy had created this 

 alarm, I again advanced ; when I perceived by my side the dog Fox, whose cold 

 mark of recognition in the dark had been ihe cause of it, and who, trotting before 

 me to the house, every now and then returned, as if to invite, and assure me that 

 no enemy was near. Having reached the window, I gently tapped : Madame 

 Derikre opened it, begged me not to come in, and sent the dog to look out. She 

 then related that, soon after her return, the house was surrounded, and searched 

 most minutely, by thirty-six gens-d'armes and police officers, without their finding 

 any thing to corroborate their suspicions. During our residence in the loft, we 

 had procured five sticks, and put spike nails with a sharp edge and point into the 

 ends, to use as weapons of defence. Four of these were taken in the vessel ; the 

 fifth we had given to young Derikre, who incautiously left it by the fire-side. For- 

 tunately, it was not noticed, or it would have been sufficient proof to implicate the 

 whole family. She likewise related that the lantern, having been known to belong 

 to Winderkins, his house was also searched, and both of them were taken before 

 the police. He confessed that the lantern was his property, but swore he had 

 lent it to Madame Derikre : this she acknowledged, stating that she had put it 

 out of the door, in lieu of her lamp sent to be repaired, and that some one had 

 stolen it. The baker, who was also taken before the mayor, proved that the con- 

 sumption of bread at the * Cat* had been more than doubled for several weeks: 

 this, however, was evaded by a declaration of an unusual increase of custom to 

 which she could safely swear, without risk of perjury. This explanation did not 

 entirely clear her of suspicion : the house was again surrounded, and searched on 

 the second night, but with no better success." 



It should have been observed, some way back, that the English pri- 

 soners a great many of them had so far profited by their long residence 

 in France, as to acquire a most perfect familiarity with the language and 

 habits of the country. This acquaintance was indeed so complete, that 

 it had already enabled our party on several occasions in their route from 

 V 7 alenciennes to Blankenberg, to pass for French conscripts. And, upon 

 the strength of the security afforded by it, immediately after the failure of 

 the last attempt at Blankenberg, one of the associates, Mr. Mansell, had 

 ventured to proceed in the disguise of a female to Bruges, there to com- 

 municate with an agent of the name of Moitier, and discover if it was 

 possible to get off from that quarter, or if any advance of money could be 

 obtained for himself and his companions. Four days had now elapsed 

 since the departure of this emissary, and no news had been received ; and 

 it was with heavy hearts that the remaining three were compelled again to 

 turn round and take up their gite in the forest; leaving notice with the 

 landlady of " The Cat," of the spot where they intended to conceal them- 

 selves, and furnished with such means of subsistence, "bread, gin, and 

 cold potatoes," as the diminished larder of the cabaret could supply. 



" We now retreated to a thick wood, about three miles to the westward, and 

 remained there without hearing from the Derikres until noon of the 10th, 

 when a rustling amongst the bushes set us all upon the 'qui vive.' I crept for- 

 ward, and, having listened attentively for a few moments, to my great joy per- 

 ceived it was occasioned by our faithful friend, Fox, who fawned upon us, appa- 

 rently as much elated at the meeting as ourselves. On going with him in the 

 direction whence he came, I found his young master bringing cheese and eggs. 

 We had been so long together, that he became really attached to us ; and, on the 

 recital of our hardships and sufferings, he was so struck with the view of our camp, 

 which was fortified by twigs made into basket-work, that the kind-hearted boy 

 burst into a flood of tears. We learnt from him that his mother had been to 

 Bruges, but that, not finding Moitier at home, she was afraid to say a word to his 



