to bed," said
Bill.

"That will do," replied Jack; "I never was a good hand at piping my eye,
but I know that I should be inclined to blubber if I thought there was a
chance of being found out."

"There's no use talking about that. We must run the risk," observed
Bill; "so here goes." And he forthwith turned back the coverlid, and
began measuring the sheets. They were of strong and tough material, and
by dividing each into four lengths, he calculated that a rope formed of
them would be of sufficient strength for their purpose, and they were
quickly cut through with their knives, and each length was then twisted
tightly up.

The bed-ticking was treated in the same manner; but that being of less
strength, gave them only six much shorter lengths. The sacking and rope
at the bottom of the bed would, Bill was sure, reach, at all events, to
a short distance from the ground.

As they twisted and bent one piece to another, they surveyed their work
with satisfaction, and were convinced that it would bear their weight,
though it would hardly have borne that of a man of moderate size. To
try it, they tugged away against each other, and it held perfectly firm.

"It will do famously," exclaimed Bill, after they had joined all the
pieces together. "Even if it does not quite reach to the ground, I
should not mind dropping a dozen feet or so."

"But if we do that, the noise we make in our fall may be heard," said
Jack. "Hadn't we better bend on the coverlid? It's not so strong as
the sheets, but we can put it at the lower end."

Bill agreed to this, and, as it was of considerable width, it formed
three lengths.

"We have enough almost for a double rope, I expect," said Bill, as he
coiled it away ready to carry to the window at the opposite side of the
room.

"Oh, no; I don't think we've enough for that," said Jack; "even if we
had, it won't matter leaving the rope behind. The Frenchmen will see by
the disappearance of the bed-clothes how we got out. I advise that we
make only one rope, and just get down to the ground as quietly as we can
manage to do."

Bill made another trip to the door to listen.

"No one is coming," he whispered, as he returned. "Now let's carry the
rope to the window."

They did so, and Bill leant out to listen again. No sounds reached his
ear, except the occasional barking of a dog.

"The people go to bed early in this country," he observed, "and I am
very much obliged to them. We ma