If I could get him alone it would be different.

You could go with me; I would force him to sign the order of release; you could take it; and I would stand over him till you had time to embark with them; then I would blow out his brains and make my way down to the river.
But there would be no chance of finding him alone.

Monsters like this are always fearful of assassination." "And what is monsieur's other plan ?" "The other plan is to get on board the boat in which they are to be placed--you might find out which it is from your friend in prison--hide down in the hold until the guards leave her; then join them; and when she sinks fasten them to a spar and drift down the river with them till out of sight of the town, when Pierre could row off and pick them up." "They say there are to be soldiers on each side of the river," Adolphe said despondently, "to shoot down any who may try to swim to shore.

But there would not be many who would try.

Most of them, they say, will be women and children; but the heads would be seen as you drifted down." "Yes; but we must think of something, Adolphe--think, man, think--and you, Pierre, think; if you were in a sinking ship, and you wanted something which would hide you from the eyes of people a hundred yards away, what would you take ?" "But you would be seen on anything you climbed on to or clung to, monsieur.
"But we need not climb on to it," Harry said.