"Wot!" exclaimed Ben, "jump together!"

"Ay, why not, Ben? Sink or swim, together, boy."

"Very true, but I've got my doubts about flyin' together. Better do it
one at a time, and send the umbrella up by means of a piece of twine."

"Well, we might do it in that way," said Bill; "but what d'ye think o'
the plan?"

"Fuss rate," said Ben, "we'll try it at once."

In accordance with this resolution, Ben made his petition that night,
very humbly, to the turnkey, who at first turned a deaf ear to him, but
was finally prevailed on to fetch them one of his own umbrellas to be
repaired. It happened to be a very large one of the good old stout and
bulgy make, and in this respect was the better suited to their purpose.
All the tools necessary for the work of repair were supplied except a
file. This, however, was brought to them, when Ben pointed out, with
much earnestness, that if he had such an implement he could clean up and
beautify the ivory handle to such an extent that its owner would not
recognise it.

This device of improving the ivory handle turned out to be a happy hit,
for it enabled Ben to keep the umbrella much longer by him than would
otherwise have been possible, for the purpose of covering it with
elaborate and really beautiful carving, the progress of which was
watched by the turnkey with much interest from day to day.

Having gained their end the sailors wrought with indefatigable zeal, and
resolutely overcame the difficulties that met them from time to time.
Each day they dragged the bench under the window. Ben got upon it, and
Bill climbed on his shoulders, by which means he could just reach the
iron grating of the window, and there, for half-an-hour at a time, he
cautiously used the file. They thought this enough of time to bestow on
the work, because the bars could be easily filed through before the
parachute was ready.

In the preparation of the umbrella, the first difficulty that met them
was how they were to conceal their private work when the turnkey came in
the evenings to take away their materials for sack-making. After some
examination they discovered a plank in the floor, in the corner where
they were wont to sleep, which was loose and easily forced up with one
of Bill's unfinished paper-knives, which he made very strong for this
special purpose! Beneath there was sufficient room to stow away the
cloth with which they fashioned the additional breadth to the umbrella.
To have cabbage