lose your lives, and I shall be blamed
for not stopping you. It's my duty to inform the sergeant, and have
you chained up."

"You can't," said Alzura--"you can't betray us."

"You're two lunatics--stark, staring lunatics--and I wish you had told
me nothing of your mad scheme."

"It's awfully risky," said I, "but not so mad as you think. We shall
choose our night, and we know just where to land. Then we shall take
provisions to last us three or four days."

"You won't need them," interrupted Barriero, in a tone of conviction
which was far from encouraging.

But now that the affair had really been decided on, the dangers of the
morass soon lost some of their terrors. We were able to talk about
them calmly, and thus grew familiar with them, at least in imagination.
Every day we set aside a portion of the dried meat and biscuit which
formed the chief part of our food, until at last we had as much as
could be carried easily. It would be stupid to load ourselves with too
heavy a burden, as Barriero rather unkindly reminded us.

We waited three whole weeks after coming to our decision before
starting on the venture, and then, one favourable night, slipped down
to the edge of the islet. Barriero, who had kept the secret, came to
wish us good-bye, and the poor old fellow shook like a timid child.

"It is a mad game," said he, "a downright mad game. I shall never
forgive myself for allowing you to go. It isn't too late now to draw
back. Do take my advice, and don't risk it. I shan't sleep a wink all
night if you go."

"Never mind, my boy," replied Alzura, laughing; "you'll have plenty of
time afterwards for a nap.--Now, Juan, off with your clothes."

The other prisoners were sound asleep in their huts; so were the
soldiers, with the exception of the two sentries. These men were
supposed to keep a sharp lookout, but nothing had happened for so long
a time that their duty was mostly a matter of form. However, Barriero
kept watch while we each stripped and made a bundle of our food and
clothes to carry on our heads.

"Good-bye, old man," we said to him when we were quite ready; and he,
gripping our hands, whispered back,--

"Good luck; but I wish you would not go. Take care, and come back here
rather than lose your lives, if you cannot find the track."

We promised to do so, and then took quietly to the water. The first
part of the journey gave us no trouble whatever. We were both good
swimmers, and qui