es in my pocket, and if they don't soon let us out, or put us
somewhere so as we can breathe, I'll set the blessed old Burgh Castle
alight myself and burn our way out."

"Nonsense," I cried; "you're mad."

"And 'nuff to make me, sir. That there stuff we took's set up a reg'lar
fierce annymile or something in my inside, as goes on gnaw, gnaw, gnaw,
till I shan't be able to stand it much longer, and shall have to break
out."

"Well, you are a rum 'un, Bob," said Barney. "Why, you're not going to
turn canniball, are yer, at your time o' life?"

"What d'yer mean?"

"Talking about eating your messmates."

"Who did? What yer talking about? Nobody wouldn't want to eat you,
Barney. If I wanted to get the flavour o' 'bacco in my mouth I'd get it
from a quid, and while a man could get at a bit o' oak or an old shoe he
wouldn't think o' trying to gnaw old Neb. What d'yer mean?"

"Then what d'yer talk o' roasting us for in that there mad way, matey?"

"Oh, well, I don't know as I meant it, messmate, but I'm that hungry
just now as never was."

"That will do," I said, asserting my position as officer. "Silence,
please."

"All right, sir; all right," growled Bob. "I'm ready. What yer going
to do?"

"Try and feel about, Bob, to find where the hatch is. We must get some
air somehow."

"That's right, sir. Come on, lads, and have a try. Who's got knives?"

"I have," said Barney. "Me too," growled Dumlow. "That's right, then;
we may have to use 'em."

Then a rustling sound began, and I knew that the men were feeling about
overhead; while being able to think pretty clearly now, I came to the
conclusion that we had been thrown down here, the hatches put on again,
and the tarpaulin spread over them, and that was why it was so airless
and hot.

I had an endorsement of my opinion a minute later, for Bob growled out--

"Here's the hatches, sir, and they're all battened down and the 'paulins
is nailed over 'em. I'll soon have some fresh air in." And before I
could grasp what he was going to do, I heard a curious ripping sound,
which told me that he had passed the blade of his long Spanish
spring-knife through between two of the cross-hatches, and was cutting
through it.

"There!" he said, as a gleam of light struck through, so brilliant that
I knew it must be broad daylight; and even that ray sent a thrill of
hope through me, for it seemed to bring me nearer to the living world
after feeling as if I had bee