that, should the villagers have any suspicions, they were not
likely to overtake them. They were now approaching the coast, and
greater caution than ever was, of course, necessary. Their greatest
difficulty, however, would be finding a fit boat, and getting away
unperceived.

"I suppose that it will not be wrong to steal a boat," said Paul. "I
don't quite like the thoughts of that."

O'Grady laughed, and remarked, "Why, you see, Gerrard, that necessity
has no law. The owner of the boat will not be pleased to lose it, but
then he is one of a nation with whom England is at war, and we have as
much right to run away with his boat, as his countrymen have to keep us
prisoners."

At length, after a long walk, at break of day the sea appeared in sight
in the far distance, somewhere between Cherbourg and Barfleur. With
beating hearts they went on. They could not resist the temptation of
trying to ascertain whereabouts they were, and if there was a boat near
which might serve their purpose. It might have been wiser had they, as
usual, lain by during daylight. They walked on till they reached the
top of a cliff overlooking the Channel. Across those waters was the
land they so earnestly desired to reach. To the west a blue line of
land stretched out into the sea. It was the promontory on which
Cherbourg is situated. If they were able to get to the end, they would
have much less distance to go by sea, and might, in the course of little
more than a day, reach the Isle of Wight. The great point was to find a
boat. Not one was in sight. It was a question whether they should go
east or west in search of some fishing village, where they might find
one. They carefully examined the coast, and as the sun rose in the sky,
his beams lighting up the shore on the west, they fancied that they
could make out some buildings in the distance. They at once turned in
that direction. As they advanced, they found that they were not
mistaken. Before concealing themselves, as they proposed doing, till
night, they carefully reconnoitred the place from the cliff above it.
There was a tower, and a small harbour with several small craft and
boats at anchor in it, and two or three better sort of houses, besides
numerous cottages and huts, and, at a little distance, a chateau of some
pretension to architecture. They would have preferred a place where
there were no gentlemen, who would naturally be less likely to believe
their story. In