Part 10 (1/2)

When Daot and Jeannette heard what had occurred, they expressed their delight at seeing their young friends back

”Weto hear that you had been captured and shot for being deserters,” said Jeannette

She had the saates were at this tiot, who had several boats as well as the cutter, thought it prudent to confine his operations to inshore fishi+ng, so as not to run the risk of being captured

Jack and Bill sometimes went out with hienerally left theood swimmer, induced theave them instruction in the art

Jack could already swim a little Bill took to it at once, and beat hi able to perform all sorts of evolutions

He was soon so perfectly at home in the water, that he declared he felt able to swim across the Channel, if he could carry some food with hihed at the idea, observing that ”nobody ever had swum across the Channel, and he did not believe that anybody ever would do so”

Pierre advised Bill not to o withoutto drown ht over the ht ; and, indeed, the Channel where they as much too wide to be crossed except in a s to speak French pretty well, and Bill was able to gabble aith considerable fluency, greatly to the delight of Jeannette, as his usual instructress He tried to teach her a little English in return, but she laughed at her own attempts, and declared that she should never be able to pronounce so break-jaw a language

Bill thought that she got on very well, but she seelish herself

Several weeks more passed by Well treated as they were, still the boys had a longing to return to England, though the opportunity of doing so appeared as far off as ever

They were in the house one afternoon, laughing and joking hbouring town to market, when the door opened, and she entered, with a look of alarm on her countenance

”Quick, quick, co theed them into the little inner room

”Pull off your clothes and jump into bed!” she exclaimed ”Whatever you hear, don't move or speak, but pretend to be fast asleep”

They obeyed her; and snatching up their jackets and trousers, she hurried fro the door behind her

She had just ti was heard at the door She opened it, and several soldiers, under the couessed who they were by their voices, and the noise theytheir ot, with perfect composure, ”and what do you want here?”

”We come in search of prisoners It is reported that you have soeant

”Ma foi! that is a good joke! I conceal prisoners indeed!” exclai ”Pray who are these notable prisoners?”

”That's for you to say We only know that you have prisoners,” answered the sergeant

”Then, if you will have it so, one eneral, and the other an aded in the Bastille, the better for the safety of France,” answered the da ”I am a loyal Frenchwoman, and can cry 'Vive le Roi!' 'Vive la France!' with all hts of being an to have better hope of escaping

The sergeant, however, was not to be deceived by Daot's manner