Part 12 (1/2)

”Ma foi! I suppose that you have had nothing to eat for soet for you; but remember, you must be quiet, or you will be left to starve”

They ell pleased to hear this; but still pretending not to understand hier!”

At last the soldier took his departure, locking the door, as he supposed, behind him

As soon as they knew, by the sounds he ot some distance down, the boys ran to the door, and, to their satisfaction, found that they could easily open it, though it appeared to be securely locked

From the remarks the French them food; they therefore lay down on the bench to await his return

Greatly to their satisfaction, in a short tiain heard a step on the stair, and the soldier who had before paid the a basket with sos, and soht up a piece of candle, and a lump of ith a spike in it, which served as a candlestick

He placed these on the table with the contents of the basket

”There,” he said, ”eat away; you th we may have to carry you”

The boys pretended not to understand him; but both exclaimed, as they saw the viands, ”Merci! merci!” and put out their hands to shake that of the soldier, who see a kind action, to be in arcons,” he remarked ”What is over you can have for breakfast to-ht you”

”Merci! merci!” answered Jack and Bill, as they escorted the soldier to the door, letting him suppose that these were the only tords they understood

As soon as he had turned the key in the door, they hurried to the table, and eagerly devoured soot so large a stock of food,” said Bill; ”there's enough here, if we are careful of it, for a couple of days”

There was in the bottle but a small allowance of wine, which was excessively sour; but it served to quench their thirst, though they agreed that they wouldfinished their supper, they divided the remainder of the food into two portions, which they stoay in their pockets They then waited till they had reason to suppose, fro the stairs, that the soldiers in the guard-roo cautiously opened the door, they next examined the steps, and found that they could wrench up those of the upper part of the flight withoutmuch noise They had to be quick about it, as their candle would soon burn out

First, having closed the door, they got up seven of the steps, beginning at the upperap which it would be i over The boards they carried down as they descended, when they found themselves in another storey, the whole of which was occupied by one large room without doors, the reason, of course, why it had not been made their prison

Their candle had now nearly burned out Having hung their shoes round their necks, they were able to step softly Hunting about, they discovered an empty space under the stairs, in which they stowed the pieces of wood

”Perhaps we et down by the stairs,” whispered Jack

”The chances are that we should find a door to stop us at the bottoet down the outside The walls are so full of holes that we o first and try”

The question was, on which side should they atteh the narros, they observed a glea out below theuard-rooly fixed on the opposite side, where all was dark They ran no little chance of breaking their necks, but about that they did not trouble theet up, they believed that they could get down, by clinging with toes and fingers, and teeth, if necessary, to the wall

They, however, made the fullest examination in their power to ascertain the best spot for their descent; they looked out of everyin succession, but at last arrived at the conclusion that the attempt to scramble down a perpendicular as too hazardous to be an to fear that their enterprise must be abandoned, and that they should be compelled to make their way first to a lower storey, which, for what they could tell, ht be inhabited; or else that they reater chance of being discovered

”Here's another ,” said Bill; ”let's look through that”

He cliazed out Great was his satisfaction to perceive the top of a massive wall a few feet below him The tower had been a portion of an old castle, and the end of this as a h to enable the the top of it, and Bill had no doubt that they thence could easily descend to, the level ground

CHAPTER EIGHT