d I charge you, on your lives, to see that they escape
not; for of all those whom I have ever wished to have in my power I
wanted that one most"--pointing to Roger. "Therefore, keep him safe;
keep both of them safe; for I shall require them soon."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE TRANSLATION OF THE CRYPTOGRAM.

In obedience to the commands of Alvarez, two of the black-cloaked men
seized Roger, each of them taking him by an arm, and led him back to the
cell, whilst two more followed with the unconscious body of poor Harry.

When they arrived in the cell, the men who were carrying Harry's body
simply flung it down on the stone table with careless violence, and
then, without glancing back, left the apartment, and, closing the door,
locked and bolted it again on the outside.

Roger's first thought was for his friend, whose head had been badly cut
owing to the force with which he had been flung on the stone table.

He instinctively glanced round the cell, and his eyes fell upon the jug
of water, which, with their food, had been placed there during their
visit to the torture-chamber. With an exclamation of thankfulness he
seized upon the jug, and, stripping off his doublet, tore away the
sleeve of his undershirt; then, dipping that in the water, he bound it
round the head of his friend over the jagged gash.

The sensation of cold produced by the soaking bandage restored Harry to
consciousness, and, heaving a sigh, he opened his eyes; then memory
returned, and he gave a great shudder as he remembered the awful scene
upon which he had gazed but a short time since. His wandering eye
caught sight of Roger's familiar form; he called his friend to him, and
Roger assisted him to his feet. Harry quickly recovered, but said that
he felt rather sick and faint after what he had seen, and his head was
aching rather badly.

"Oh, Roger, what fiends in human shape are those men!" he exclaimed.
"They cut and slash and burn the living bodies of their fellow-men until
they lose all semblance of human beings. Surely some judgment from
heaven will some day fall upon them for committing such awful deeds!"

"Ay, doubtless it will; though not, perhaps, in this world," answered
Roger. "Now, if we could but find Mr Cavendish, let him know what is
going on here, and march up with a hundred or two of our lads from the
fleet, we would ourselves visit such a judgment upon them as would leave
room for no other. But, Harry, I have somewhat to te