on,
the prisoner drew out the coil of light brown, pleasant-smelling, firmly
twisted hemp that had been intended to form the new drag-rope of the
net.

"Hah!" panted the lad, as he threw the coil like a great quoit upon the
quilt, and then thrust in the drawer.

The next minute he was seated upon the edge of the bed with the rope in
his lap, and busily untying the string that, in three places, secured it
in shape, for it was brand new, just as it had come from the ship
chandler's in Southampton City.

This was soon done, the stiff rope beginning to expand its rings as if
it were some live serpent-like creature eager to escape from its bonds.
But Godfrey Boyne paid no heed to this, not even once thinking of
coiling it up again and replacing it in the drawer, for, as he thought
hard, breathed hard, and felt his spirits expanding like the rope at the
thoughts of being free, he saw in imagination the deep dark forest
glades, felt the mossy, springy turf beneath his feet, and gave way to
that strange half-wild excitement which comes at times upon a boy, and
sets him bounding off like some wild creature of the plains, to run, and
run, and run onward for no reason at all, until he is forced to stop for
want of breath.

"Oh, yes," he muttered, "I can fasten it to that beam, slide down, have
my run, and get back again without Waller knowing; and I will. No one
shall see me. I'll take care of that."

The thought of being at last in action sent a thrill through the lad's
breast, as if he had taken some powerful tonic, while, as if Nature was
completely transforming him, he sprang up again, laying the cord upon
the bed, and began to pace the sloping-ceiled room once more.

It seemed as if Nature were favouring him further, for the darkness came
on like magic till there was quite obscurity enough to favour his
designs, and, going straight to the window he thrust out his head.

"He will not be up till after he has had his supper, and I could have a
couple of hours' run before then," thought the boy; and, leaning out, he
plunged his hands into the thick ivy.

"What do I want with a rope?" he muttered. "I could climb down here by
holding on to these tough stems. Any of these are strong enough to bear
me, and--"

_Crack_!

The tuft of green growth he was holding and involuntarily pressing hard,
snapped off short and fell to the ground, rustling softly as it passed
over the projecting strands.

Godfrey Boyne shook his