found it was a large pipe that entered the tank to
the distance of about a foot. This pipe was not
more than three feet under water, and Alfred soon
contrived to get upon it, and rest his fingers upon
the iron edge of the tank. The position was
painful: yet so he determined to remain till
night; and then, if possible, steal away. Every
faculty of mind and body was strung up to defend
himself against the wretches who had entrapped
him.

He had not been long in this position, when
voices approached, and next the shadow of a
ladder moved across the wall towards him.
The keepers were going to search his pitiable
hiding-place. They knew, what he did not, that
there was no outlet from the premises: so now,
having hunted every other corner and cranny,
they came by what is called the exhaustive
process of reasoning to this tank; and, when
they got near it, something in the appearance of
the tree caught the gardener's quick eye. Alfred
quaking heard him say, "Look here! He is not
far from this."

Another voice said, "Then the Lord have
mercy on him; why there's seven foot of water;
I measured it last night."

At this Alfred was conscious of a movement
and a murmur, that proved humanity was not
extinct; and the ladder was fixed close to the
tank, and feet came hastily up it.

Alfred despaired.

But, as usual witli spirits so quickwitted and
resolute, it was but for a moment. "One man
in his time plays many animals;" he caught at
the words he had heard, and played the game the
jackal desperate plays in India, the fox in
England, the elephant in Ceylon: he feigned death;
filled his mouth with water, floated on his back
paddling imperceptibly, and half closed his
eyes.

He was rewarded by a loud shout of dismay
just above his head, and very soon another ladder
was placed on the other side, and with ropes and
hands he was drawn out and carried down the
ladder: he took this opportunity to discharge
the water from his mouth; on which a coarse
voice said, "Look there! His troubles are at an
end."

However they laid him on the grass, and sent
for the doctor; then took off his coat, and one
of them began to feel his heart to see whether
there was any pulsation left; he found it thumping.
"Look out," he cried in some alarm; "he's
shamming Abraham."

But, before the words were well uttered, Alfred,
who was a practised gymnast, bounded off the
ground without touching it with his hands, and
fled like a deer towards the front of the house;
for he remembered the open iron gate: the
attendants followed shouting, and whistle
answered whistle all over the grounds. Alfred got
safe to the iron gate: alas! it had been closed
at the first whistle twenty minutes ago. He
turned in rage and desperation, and the head
keeper, a powerful man, was rushing
incautiously upon him. Alfred instantly steadied
himself, and with his long arm caught the man
in full career a left-handed blow like the kick of
a pony, that laid his cheek open and knocked
him stupid and staggering; he followed it up
like lightning with his right, and, throwing his
whole weight into this second blow, sent the
staggering man to grass; slipped past another,
and skirting the south side of the house got
to the tank again well in advance of his pursuers,
seized the ladder, carried it to the garden
wall, and was actually half way up it, and saw
the open country and liberty, when the ladder
was dragged away and he fell heavily to the
ground, and a keeper threw himself bodily on
him. Alfred half expected this, and drawing up
his foot in time, dashed it furiously in the coming
face, actually knocking the man backwards;
another kneeled on his chest; Alfred caught
him by the throat so felly that he lost all power,
and they rolled over and over together, and
Alfred got clear and ran for it again, and got on
the middle of the lawn, and hallooed to the
house:—"Hy! hy! Are there any more sane
men imprisoned there? come out, and fight for
your lives!" Instantly the open windows were
filled with white faces, some grinning, some
exulting, all greatly excited; and a hideous
uproar shook the whole place—for the poor
souls were all sane in their own opinion—and
the whole force of attendants, two of them
bleeding profusely from his blows, made a
cordon and approached him; but he was too
cunning to wait to be fairly surrounded; he
made his rush at an under-keeper, feinted at his
head, caught him a heavy blow in the pit of the
stomach, doubled him up in a moment, and off
again, leaving the man on his knees vomiting
and groaning. Several mild maniacs ran out in
vast agitation and, to curry favour, offered to
help catch him. Vast was their zeal. But,
when it came to the point, they only danced
wildly about and cried "Stop him! for God's
sake stop him! he's ill, dreadfully ill; poor
wretch! knock out his brains!" And, whenever
he came near them, away they ran whining like
kicked curs.

Mrs. Archbold, looking out at a window,
advised them all to let him alone, and she would
come out and persuade him. But they would
not be advised; they chased him about the lawn;
but so swift of foot was he, and so long in the
reach, that no one of them could stop him, nor
indeed come near him, without getting a facer
that came like a flash of lightning.

At last, however, they got so well round him,
he saw his chance was gone: he took off his hat
to Mrs. Archbold at the window, and said quietly,
"I surrender to you, madam."

At these words they rushed on him rashly; on
this he planted two blows right and left, swift as
a cat attacked by dogs; administered two fearful
black eyes, and instantly folded his arms, saying
haughtily, "It was to the lady I yielded, not to
you fellows.'