Read the excerpt from part 1 of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him, "If I could free my hands," he thought, "I might throw
off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach
the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines, my wife and
little ones are still beyond the invader's farthest advance."
As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man's brain rather
than evolved from it the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.
Based on the excerpt, which is the most reasonable plot prediction?
The prisoner will escape.
The prisoner will beg for mercy,
The execution will commence,
The sergeant will stop the hanging,