the top of the cliffs see us they won't know who we
are, and will fancy we are fisher-boys getting bait. Perhaps before
that time a smuggling lugger may come off here, and we may manage to
hail her before we run short of food; at all events, there's no use
being frightened about what may happen."

Every now and then one or the other went towards the mouth of the cave
to look out. As long as the tide remained high there was no danger of
their being discovered; but at low water the French soldiers were very
likely to come along the sands, and could scarcely fail to see the mouth
of the cavern.

The tide was now rapidly going down, black rocks appearing one by one
above the surface.

They accordingly determined to retire to the inner part of the cavern,
and to wait there till they calculated that the tide would once more
have come in.

"We must make up our minds to enjoy six hours of daylight, and to endure
six of darkness," observed Bill.

"I sha'n't care much about that; we can but go to sleep and amuse
ourselves the best way we can think of while the tide is in," said Jack.

"If we had some hooks and lines we might fish," said Bill.

"We should only catch rock fish, and they are not fit to eat," replied
Jack.

The boys carried out their plan. It was an easy matter to get through
the sleeping-time, but they became somewhat weary from having nothing to
do during the period that the tide was in. They could do little more,
indeed, than sit looking at the sea, and watching the few vessels which
appeared in the offing. Now and then they got up and walked about to
stretch their legs. They were afraid of bathing, lest while swimming
about they might be seen from any part of the cliff above.

Whether the soldiers had come to look for them they could not tell; one
thing was certain, they had not been discovered, and there were no signs
of any persons having approached the mouth of the cavern.

They husbanded their food, but it was rapidly diminishing. At night
they therefore, when the tide had gone out, crept down on the sands, and
managed to cut off some limpets and other shell-fish with their knives
from the rocks. These would have sustained them for some days had they
been able to cook them, but they had no means of lighting a fire.
Though limpets may help to keep body and soul together for a short time,
they are not wholesome food, especially when raw. Their bread was all
gone, but as long as they had so