Part 68 (1/2)

”I do,” said Mike ”He'll never be such a noodle as to believe ill stop here without trying to escape”

”I don't know,” sighed Vince ”I'm afraid we're quite safe?”

”What, to escape?”

”No--to stop in prison; for I expect we shan't be able to get on deck”

”But we're going to try?”

”Yes,” said Vince through his closely set teeth; ”we're going to try”

CHAPTER THIRTY

A BOLD DASH FOR FREEDOM

As the boys lay perfectly still in their bunks, gradually growing cooler, and feeling that even if they were over the part of the hold used as a powder ht near, they heard a step twice overhead, then all was perfectly still but the faint rippling of the swift current as it passed under the vessel and glided on across to the rocks

They whispered to each other froin their atte till he felt satisfied that all was still

At last this feeling of satisfaction cahtly on to the floor to begin feeling about, till his hand touched a rough hinge, and on the other side a ring which lay down in the ork of a trap door

But he did not say anything, only rose and pulled open the light again, keeping it in that position by passing the leather strap which for been cut in the piece of leather

”Now, Ladle,” whispered Vince, ”come and kneel here, then I can stand on your back”

Mike obeyed at once, and then whispered quickly,--

”Vince, there is a trap door here: I'ht on it”

”I know,--I touched it; but there's no candle Ready?”

”Yes”

Vince took hold of the opening frah, stepped lightly on to his coan to creep out

For a few moments he hesitated, for there was the black water beneath hihtly that he felt that if any one were on deck looking over the bulwark he ht of freedom and those at ho position, with his legs inside, he bent down and whispered to his cos till I give a jerk, which s firan to feel about overhead, to find that the top of the light was just below the projecting streak, which runs, iron-bound, round the most prominent part of a vessel, frolides up to wharf, pier, or pile This stood out about a foot, and Vince felt that if he could only climb on this, the rest would be easy

He passed his hands cautiously over it, and, reaching in, found to his great delight a ring-bolt, through which it was possible to pass two or three fingers Jerking his leg, he felt hi first one foot and then the other on the sill of the opening

There was no difficulty in standing like this, and as he did so he felt Mike's ars, an act which hindered further progress if he had her

But he was satisfied hat he had done; after peering about a little, and listening for soan to descend