ted
from fulfilling his intention.

"Perhaps he was watched speaking to us, and has been taken up by the
officers of justice," I remarked.

"Perhaps he was found coming here with a rope in his possession," said
Pedro; "or perhaps he was deceiving us."

"No, I will not believe that," I answered indignantly. "I am sure he is
honest. He is an Englishman and a sailor, there is no mistaking that;
and he did not look or speak like a rogue. Let us hope for the best."

Just as I made this observation, we heard what sounded like the mew of a
kitten, just under the window. We instantly jumped up, and I let down
our line. I felt it gently tugged.

"Haul up," said a voice; and as we got to the end, we found a rope
sufficiently strong to bear a man's weight attached to the end.

"Fasten that to a strong bar; and look out not to make a lubber's knot,"
added the voice.

We did as we were bid; and soon after a strong tug had been given to the
rope, a man's head and shoulders appeared at the window. He looked in
to discover who was in the room.

"All friends here?" he asked.

"Yes, to a friend in need," I replied.

"All right then," he said; and, apparently satisfied, he climbed up
farther, and sat himself down securely on the window-ledge. "Now my
lads, you'd like to get out of this, I suppose," he said, in a careless
tone, which showed that he was in no way agitated by the risk he was
running. "Well, there isn't a moment to be lost; and so I've brought
three files, that we may all work away at the bars together."

Pedro and I took the files he offered us, and waited till he had
examined the bars.

"Here are two together, which seem loosened in their sockets," he
observed. "Now it seems to me, mates, if we were to file away at the
upper part, just below the lowest cross bar, and could wrench out those
two bars, as you are not very stout, there would be room for you two to
slip through."

"I feel sure that we could easily get through," I answered; "but what
are we to do, friend, when we are outside?"

"Never you trouble your head about that, youngster," he replied. "I've
planned it all, and it can't fail; so do you just take the file and work
away."

Thus admonished, Pedro and I began to file away at one bar, while the
sailor attacked the other.

"Don't stop," he whispered; "the noise is much less likely to be noticed
if you go on regularly with it, than it breaks off every now and then."

We filed away