f the blockading vessels as they cruised backwards and
forwards. He also commanded a view over the town, with its harbour crowded
with shipping, its churches, and fortifications. He longed continually for
the company of his two faithful followers, Dimchurch and Tom. They had
been with him in all his adventures, and he felt that if they were
together again they would be able to contrive some plan of escape. At
present no scheme occurred to him. The window of the room in which he was
confined was twenty feet from the ground, and was protected by iron bars.
In front was a wall some twelve feet high, enclosing a courtyard in which
the garrison paraded and drilled. At night sentinels were planted at short
intervals, from which Will concluded that there must be many other
prisoners besides himself in the fort. He was attended by an old soldier,
with whom he often had long chats.

"They certainly know how to make prisons," he grumbled to himself. "If it
was not that I shall never lose hope of something turning up, I would
accept my parole."

After he had been there for three months he was one day led out and, with
three other midshipmen, taken down to a prison in the town. He had no
doubt that prisoners of more importance had arrived, and that he and the
others had been moved to make way for them. A month later they were again
taken out, and, having been joined by a hundred other prisoners under a
strong guard, were marched out of the town. There were five officers among
them, and the rest were seamen. All were glad of the change, though it was
not likely to be for the better. Will was sorry, inasmuch as at Toulon he
could always hope that if he escaped from prison he would be able to get
hold of a boat and row out to the blockading squadron. Inland he felt that
escape would be vastly more difficult. Even if he got out of prison he
knew but little French, and therefore could hardly hope to make his way
across country. They trudged along day after day, each according to his
fancy, some sullen and morose, others making the best of matters and
trying to establish some speaking acquaintance with their guards, who
evidently regarded the march as a sort of holiday after the dull routine
of life in a garrison town. Will, who had during his imprisonment at
Toulon studied to improve his French to the best of his ability by the aid
of some books he had obtained and by chatting with his jailer, worked his
hardest to add to his knowledge