fully answered
that he could not believe an English officer upon his oath, that he
should send a report of their capture to Leogane, and that for his part
he hoped that he should have orders to shoot them all forthwith.

The mock examination terminated, they were marched away to the prison on
the other side of the fort. The door being opened, they were
unceremoniously thrust in, one after the other, and it was closed behind
them. As it was by this time growing dusk, and there were only small,
narrow windows close under the roof, they were left in almost perfect
obscurity, so that they could not venture to move from the spot where
they stood. As, however, their eyes got accustomed to the gloom, they
found that they were in a room about twelve or fourteen feet square, the
floor and sides being of roughly hewn stone. Round it ran a stone
bench, just above which they could see several massive iron rings fixed
in the walls.

"While we have light we had better pick out the cleanest spots we can
find," said Oliver. "We shall be kept here to-night, at all events, and
the surly commandant will not allow us any luxuries."

As they moved a few paces forward, they saw three persons chained to the
wall at the farther end of the room.

"Who are you?"

"Alas! alas!" exclaimed one of them, leaning eagerly forward; and they
recognised Le Duc's voice. "Ah, messieurs, you will understand the less
said the better as to the past."

Rayner took the hint, guessing that Le Duc was unwilling to have
anything said in the presence of the two other prisoners which might
implicate Madame La Roche or Francois.

"You have heard, messieurs, that they have condemned me to death,"
continued Le Duc, "and the wonder is that they have not shot me already,
but I know that at any moment I may be led out. I should wish to live
that I may play the fiddle and make others happy as well as myself."

"I am very sorry to hear this. If the commandant would believe us, we
can prove your innocence, and, surely, our word ought to be taken
instead of that of the two blacks," said Rayner.

"So it would, according to law, for the evidence of the blacks is worth
nothing, and is not received in a court of justice. It proves that the
commandant has resolved, at all costs, to wreak his hatred of the
English on your heads."

Rayner and Oliver seated themselves on the stone bench near him. The
men had drawn together on the opposite corner. Le Duc narrated