ove was out and
watching; but he felt sure that he would be in his sentry box, and
so swam boldly across. He at once climbed onto the lower wall, and
helped his two companions out. They were completely numbed by the
cold.

"Come along," he said. "We are on the lower side of the cut. Crawl
for a short distance, then we can get up and run, which will be the
best thing for us."

In three minutes they were up on the river bank.

"Now we can change our clothes," he said. "The others will soon get
wet through, but they won't be as cold as these are."

The things were soon stripped off. Each gave himself a rub with one
of the dry shirts, and they were soon dressed in the double suits
and stockings.

"That is better," Fergus said cheerfully. "Now for a run along the
towing path."

A quarter of a mile's run and circulation was restored, and all
felt comparatively comfortable. They had, at the suggestion of
Fergus, wrung out the things they had taken off; and thrown them
over their shoulders, so as to afford some protection against the
rain. They now dropped into a slower pace and, after going for a
mile, they neared the spot where the craft were lying moored in the
river.

Several small boats were drawn up on the shore. One of these they
launched, put out the oars, and rowed quietly to a large barge,
fifty yards from the bank, on which a light was burning. Taking
pains to prevent the boat striking her side, they stepped on board,
fastened the head rope, and proceeded aft. A light was burning in
the cabin and, looking through a little round window in the door,
they saw three boatmen sitting there, smoking and playing cards.
They opened their knives, slid back the door, and stepped in.

Chapter 15: Escaped.

So astonishing was the spectacle of three lightly-clad men,
appearing suddenly on board a craft moored out on the river, that
the three boatmen sat immovable, in the attitudes in which they had
been sitting at the entry of these strange visitors, without
uttering a word. Superstitious by nature, they doubted whether
there was not something supernatural in the appearance of the three
strangers.

"If you cry out or make the slightest sound," Fergus said, showing
his knife, "you are all dead men. If you sit quiet and do as we
order you, no harm will come to you. We want clothes. If you have
spare ones you can hand them to us. If not, we must take those you
have on. We are not robbers, and don't want to steal