round his throat.

Rayner and Oliver, though they did not say so, felt very much as their
men did, thankful to throw off their disguises.

As soon as they had finished breakfast, the soldiers fell in, the
prisoners being placed in the centre, and with the captain at their head
they commenced their march to the southward.

It was not until late in the evening that they arrived at their
destination. There were three old-fashioned forts, one intended to
support the other, commanding the entrance of the bay.

Rayner and Oliver, as they approached, took note of their position, and
they remarked that the water appeared to be deep close up to the heights
on which the forts were situated. In the largest were several
buildings, the residence of the commandant, the barracks, and a small
edifice with strongly-barred windows, which they soon discovered to be a
prison.

They were halted in front of these buildings, while the captain went in
to make his report to the commandant. After waiting some time they were
marched in between guards with fixed bayonets.

Their examination was very similar to that which they had before gone
through. Rayner and Oliver, however, hoped that their account of
themselves would be believed, and that they would, even at the worst,
only be detained as prisoners-of-war. Still, they did not quite like
the looks of the commandant, who was evidently of a more savage
disposition than his subordinate. He glared at the English, and
declared they he believed they were capable of the most abominable acts
of treachery and deceit.

Rayner replied calmly, and pointed out how improbable it was that he and
his companions should have landed for any sinister object.

"If you come not as spies yourselves, you come to land French spies.
Miscreant traitors to their country!" exclaimed the commandant. "One of
them has been caught. Death will be the penalty of his crime. Bring
forward the witnesses."

As he spoke the soldiers stepped aside and two black seamen were led
forward. Rayner recognised them as the most ruffianly of the schooner's
crew. First one, and then the other, swore that the vessel had been
sent to the coast for the purpose of landing some French spies, that the
schooner was to wait for them, and then when they had gained information
as to the strength of the forts and vessels in the harbours they were to
return to the frigate.

In vain Rayner explained the truth. The commandant scorn