four companions could accustom their
eyes to the semi-darkness, but finally they were able to make out the few
objects that furnished the cell, for such it proved to be.

There were three broken chairs and two dirty-looking mattresses, one of
the latter at each end of the cell. Also there was a small table.

"Pretty dismal looking place, this," remarked the doughty French captain,
after a hasty glance about.

"Dismal and dirty it certainly is," said Hal.

"How long do you suppose we shall have to stay here?" asked Chester.

"Until they get ready to let us out," replied the young English
lieutenant dryly. "Which may not be a very satisfactory answer, but it's
the best I can do."

"What do you suppose they will do with us?" queried Hal.

"You've got me. If they don't take us out and shoot us as spies, we are
likely to lie here till we rot."

"Surely they would be afraid to do that."

"Don't fool yourself that they are afraid to do anything."

"But we can prove we are not spies."

"Can we? How? With the trouble we have made, they won't be able to kill
us off quick enough."

"Well," said Hal hopefully, "maybe something will turn up that will
enable us to convince them."

"I hope so. But if it doesn't turn up soon, we are gone goslings, just as
sure as you're a foot high," and Lieutenant Anderson threw himself down
on one of the evil-looking mattresses, remarking: "Might as well take a
little snooze, anyhow."

"This doesn't look to me like a time to sleep," remarked Hal to Chester,
although he almost envied the coolness with which the young Englishman
accepted his perilous situation.

"Looks to me more like the time to try and find a way out," agreed
Chester.

Captain Derevaux, however, also flung himself upon one of the mattresses
and he and the lieutenant soon were fast asleep.

In spite of the fact that they had been more than twenty-four hours
without sleep, the two boys were in no mood to close their eyes. As Hal
said, now seemed to be the proper time to expend whatever energies they
had in getting out of their prison.

The boys looked around. There were two small windows to their cell, but
it was plain they were too small to permit of a human body being squeezed
through. Besides, they were barred. Beyond, across a courtyard, could be
seen another wing of the castle. It appeared to be almost in ruins.

Looking from the other window, the boys could discern the bridge which
they had been led acros