ed
to lay in a stock of provisions at once. Fortunately there were three
or four small shops in the place, at each of which he made some
purchases, filling up his wallet at a farm-house, where he got a supply
of eggs and a ham. Highly satisfied with the success of his
undertaking, he took his way back to the cave. He had got within a
couple of miles of the end of his journey, rather tired with the weight
of the provisions he carried, when, on sitting down on a bank to rest,
he saw that somebody was following him. He was puzzled what to do.
Should he go on, his retreat would be discovered; if he stopped, he
would be overtaken, and disagreeable questions might, perhaps, be asked
of him. So he got up and went on again as fast as his legs could carry
him. More than once, however, he looked back. The man he had seen was
still behind. "He may, perhaps, only be going the same way that I am,"
thought Paul. "I will take the first turning I can find to the right or
left, and he may then, perhaps, pass on and miss me."

The opportunity occurred sooner than he expected. The road made several
sharp turns. A narrow path, between high banks, led off to the right.
He turned sharp into it, and by running rapidly along, was soon out of
sight of the high road. He sat down and waited. No one came. He hoped
that he had escaped his pursuer. At last he came cautiously out and
looked about. No one was in sight. He walked on swiftly towards the
cliff. He had to descend and then to mount again to reach the cave.
His companions welcomed him on their own account as well as on his, for
they were nearly starved. There was a stream, however, of good water
close at hand, which had prevented them from suffering from thirst.
They had now provisions to last them, they hoped, till they reached
England. Paul had bought a tin saucepan, in which they could boil their
eggs and make some soup, and as O'Grady had collected a supply of drift
wood, they were able to cook their dinner and to enjoy the warmth of a
fire. Altogether, they had not much reason to complain of their
detention. Three more days passed, and the wind abating, the sea went
down, and once more the calm ocean shone in the beams of the rising sun.

"Hurrah!" cried O'Grady; "we may sail to-night, and, if we're in luck
and the wind holds, we may sight the shore of old England before the
world is two days older."

The day passed very slowly away, as they had nothing with whi