ng, he set himself to work
to try and cheer him.

"Well," said he, "this is rather a dismal place, Russell; but, after
all, it's better than being put in a vault underground."

"It's pup-precious kik-kik-cold," said Russell, his teeth chattering,
partly from cold and partly from terror. "This'll bring on an attack
of rheumatiz--that's what it's going to do. Oh, I know it!"

"Well, it a little chilly, that's a fact," said Harry, shrugging his
shoulders. "It's a pity we couldn't use that fireplace. But what a
tremendous fireplace it is! Why, it's as big as a barn. What do you
say to our amusing ourselves by starting a fire? It would be great
fun."

"But we've gig-gig-got no fuel," said Russell, with a shiver.

"Fuel? Why, let's cut up that big bench."

"What with?"

"Why, with my pocket-knife, of course. We could whittle enough chips
off it to make a good big fire, and still have enough left for a
bench. In fact, we could get enough fuel off that for a dozen fires.
Why, man, there must be at least a cord of wood in that bench.
Whittling's rather slow work, it's true, but in a place like this
it'll be an occupation, and that's something. Prisoners go mad unless
they have something to do; and so, just to save myself from madness,
I mean to go in for fuel--unless you can think of something else
that's better."

Rattling out this in his usual lively fashion, Harry went to the
bench, and began a solemn examination of it, with a view toward
whittling it up into firewood. Russell did not move, but regarded
Harry with the same silent misery in his face. At last he spoke:

"What did-did-do you think they're a-going to did-did-do?"

"Who?" asked Harry.

"Why, these people--that kik-kik-captured us."

"These Carlists? Well, I don't know--seems to me they want to make
some money out of us."

"Why did they let all the Spaniards go and kik-kik-capture us?"

"Oh, well, they think as we're English we'll probably have more money
about us than their own countrymen, and be safer plunder also."

"Did-did-do you think they'll go so far as to pip-pup-plunder us?"
asked Russell, in a voice of horror.

"Haven't a doubt of it."

"Oh Lord!" groaned the other.

"What's the matter?"

Russell gave a fresh groan.

"This kik kik-cursed kik-kik-country!" he at length ejaculated.

"Oh, well," said Harry, "it isn't the country, it's the people."

"Do you think they're really Kik-kik-Carlists?"

"Well, yes. I don't see any re