y start, Jack, without much fear of
being stopped."

"But don't let us forget our grub," said Jack; and they filled their
pockets with the provisions the old woman had brought them, tying up the
remainder in their handkerchiefs, which they fastened to the lanyards of
their knives. "Now let's bend on the rope," said Bill.

They secured it round the iron bar.

"I'll go first," said Jack; "if the rope bears me, it's certain to bear
you."

"No; I proposed the plan, and I ought to go first," answered Bill.
"It's of no use wasting words. Don't begin to come down till you feel
that I am off the rope. So here goes."

Bill, on saying this, climbed through the narrow opening between the bar
and the side of the window, and then, first grasping the bar with his
hands, threw his legs off straight down, and began descending the thin
rope. Jack stretched out his head to watch him, but Bill soon
disappeared in the darkness.

The rope held, however, though, as he felt it, it appeared stretched to
the utmost. He could with difficulty draw a breath, while he waited
till, by finding the rope slacken, he should know that Bill had safely
reached the bottom. At last he ascertained that Bill was no longer
hanging to the rope, while, from not hearing a sound, he was sure that
his companion had performed the feat in safety.

As Bill had charged him not to lose a moment, he, following his example,
commenced his descent.

Down and down he went, but had he not been thoroughly accustomed to
suspend himself on thin ropes, he could not have held on. It seemed to
him that he should never reach the bottom; how much further he had to go
he could not tell.

All at once he felt a hand grasping him by the leg. A sudden fear
seized him.

Could the Frenchmen have got hold of Bill, and were they about to
recapture him?

He could with difficulty refrain from crying out; still, as there would
be no use in attempting to get up the rope again, he continued to lower
himself.

The hand was withdrawn, and presently he found that he had reached the
ground.

"All right," whispered Bill in his ear; "I caught hold of your ankle to
let you understand that you were close to the bottom. Now let's be off!
The harbour lies directly under yonder star. I marked its position
during daylight, and again just before I began to descend the rope."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

VOYAGE ON THE RAFT.

Bill and Jack remained for a few seconds in the dark shade ca