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as only one vessel more which they had to pass before they reached the harbour's mouth. They both earnestly hoped that her crew were fast asleep, and that no watch was kept on deck. They paddled slowly by, and more than half a cable's length from her, moving their oars as gently as possible, and scarcely daring to breathe. The slightest sound might betray them. At length they got outside her, and there was nothing now between them and the open channel. Again Jack could hardly refrain from shouting. Just then a voice came from the vessel. Bill looked back. He judged by the distance the vessel was off that the character of the raft could not be discovered. He answered in very good French, "We are going out early this morning, and if we have good luck in fishing, we'll bring you some for breakfast." "Thank you, my friend, thank you," answered the man on board the vessel. Bill had been paddling on all the time he was speaking. He was certain that the man did not suspect who he and Jack were, and in a few minutes they lost sight of the vessel altogether. They now gave way with might and main. They were rowing for life and liberty; for if again caught, they fully believed that they should be shot. How anxiously they wished that a breeze would spring up! For fully an hour they rowed on, till the shore faded from sight. They were steering by the polar star, which both Jack and Bill knew well. "If there's a breeze from the southward, we ought to feel it by this time," observed Jack. "Never fear; we shall find it before long," answered Bill. "We are not so far away from the cliffs as you suppose, and it would be as well not to speak loud, or our voices may reach any boat passing, or even people on shore." "I hope there will be none there at this hour, though they will come down fast enough in the morning from the chateau, when they find we have taken French leave," said Jack. "A very proper thing to take, too, seeing we were in France," remarked Bill, with a quiet chuckle. "I hope we shall never set foot on its shores again." "So do I; but I'm afraid we have a great chance of doing so, unless we get a breeze pretty soon. I am inclined to whistle for it," said Jack. "It won't come the faster for that," answered Bill. "We shall do more good by working our oars. We are sending the raft along at three knots an hour at least, and as it will be three hours or more before daylight, we shall
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