e she would receive honourable treatment,
till she could be passed in at the next exchange of prisoners."

"I think that would be your very best course to pursue, unless you
find everything turn out just as you would wish, Mr. Repton."

When Bob came down in the morning, he at once went into the office
below; and Mr. Parrot told him that one of the Spanish craft would
start for Algeciras, at noon.

"Then I must ask you to send one of the servants out, to buy some
clothes such as are worn by a Spanish sailor boy, Mr. Parrot. I
have my own suit upstairs, and will go off and arrange for a
passage across, directly after breakfast."

"I will see to it," Mr. Parrot said. "The ship's decks will be
crowded up with cattle. She is a small craft, and I hear she will
take as many as can be packed on her deck. She is alongside now,
taking them in. There is not much likelihood of any attention,
whatever, being paid to you and your companion."

Amy turned a little pale, when Bob told her that the attempt was to
be made at once; but she said bravely:

"I am glad there is to be no waiting. I do so long to be out of
this town. I daresay I shall be a little nervous at first, but I
shall try not to show it; and I sha'n't be really frightened, for I
know that you will take care of me."

As soon as breakfast was over, Bob changed his things and went down
to the quay. He stopped at the vessel taking cattle on board. She
was a polacre brig, of about a hundred and fifty tons. The captain
was smoking a cigar, aft; while the mate was seeing to the storing
of the cattle. Bob went on board, and told his story to the
captain.

"I was left behind in charge of a cabin boy from the Esmeralda, a
fortnight ago. The boy had fever, and the captain thought it might
be infectious, and put him ashore; but he soon got well. We want to
be taken across, as our friends live not many miles from Tarifa. We
will pay a dollar, apiece, for our passage."

The captain nodded.

"Be on board by noon; we shall not be a minute later."

Bob went ashore, and told Amy that everything was arranged, without
the slightest difficulty. He then went down to inspect the clothes.

"They will do very well," he said, "except that they are a great
deal cleaner than anything ever seen on a Spanish sailor. Those
canvas trousers will never do, as they are."

He accordingly took some ashes, and rubbed them well into the
canvas; got some grease from the kitchen, and poured tw