s fighting by the
Scheldt, though I hear they were in the front of it. And now, when
I leave them fastened up like puppies in a basket, in a sinking
boat, comes this explosion, and all is uncertain again."

"Not a bit of it," the other voice said; "they simply preferred a
sudden death to a slow one. The matter is simple enough."

"I wish I could think so," the other said. "But I tell you, after
this night's work I shall never feel my life's safe for one hour,
till I hear certain news of their death.

"Stop rowing," he said, in Dutch. "There is a bit of a plank; we
must be just on the place where she blew up! Listen, does anyone
hear anything?"

There was a long silence, and then he said, "Row about for half an
hour. It's as dark as a wolf's mouth, but we may come upon them."

In the meantime, the two lads were swimming steadily and quietly
away.

Presently Hugh said, "I must get rid of my sword, Master Rupert, it
seems pulling me down. I don't like to lose it, for it was my
grandfather's."

"You had better lose the grandfather's sword, Hugh, than the
grandson's life. Loose your belt, Hugh, and let it go. Mine is no
weight in comparison. I'll stick to it as long as I can, for it may
be useful; but if needs be, it must follow yours."

"Which way do you think the shore lies?" Hugh asked, after having,
with a sigh of regret, loosed his sword belt and let it go.

"I have no idea, Hugh. It's no use swimming now, for with nothing
to fix our eyes on, we may be going round in a circle. All we need
do is to keep ourselves afloat till the mist clears up, or daylight
comes."

For an hour they drifted quietly.

Hugh exclaimed, "I hear a voice."

"So do I, Hugh. It may be on shore, it may be in a boat. Let us
make for it in either case."

In five minutes they saw close ahead of them a large boat, which,
with its sail hanging idly by the mast, was drifting downstream.
Two boatmen were sitting by the tiller, smoking their pipes.

"Heave us a rope," Hugh said in Dutch. "We have had an upset, and
shall be glad to be out of this."

The boatmen gave a cry of surprise, but at once leapt to their
feet, and would have thrown a rope, but by this time the lads were
alongside, and leaning over they helped them into the boat. Then
they looked with astonishment at their suddenly arrived guests.

"We are English soldiers," Hugh said, "on our way to Bergen op
Zoom, when by some carelessness a keg of powder blew up, our boat
we