Liberty was within reach of every man in that room, and the night
was set for the escape. But one of the crowd turned traitor, and,
under pretence, of speaking to the Deputy about some matter, managed
to be called out of the room and disclosed the whole. The man was
waiting transportation to prison to serve out a sentence of ten
years, and, with the chance of escape before him, it seemed singular
that he should reveal a plan which promised to give him liberty; but
probably he feared a failure; or that he might be recaptured and his
prison sentence increased; while on the other hand by disclosing the
plot he could curry favor enough to get his term reduced, and
perhaps he might gain a pardon. Any how, he betrayed us. The Deputy
came in and found the stone in the condition described, and
forthwith we were all removed to the dungeon, or dark room, and kept
there on bread and water for twelve days. We heard afterwards that
our betrayer did get five years less than his original sentence for
subjecting his comrades in misery to twelve days of almost
indescribable suffering. We were not only in a totally dark and
frightfully filthy hole, but we were half starved, and the Deputy
daily took delight in taunting us with our sufferings.

At the end of the twelve days we were taken back to the old room
where we found the stone securely fastened in with irons. Moreover,
we were now under stricter observation, and at stated hours every
day, an inspector came in and examined the walls. This soon wore
off, however, and when the inspection was finally abandoned, about
two months from the time of our first attempt, we managed to find
another place in the old wall where we could dig out and we went to
work. We were a fortnight at it, and had nearly completed our labor
when we were discovered.