gain I gave three tugs, and the same sequence of events ensued.
One by one the men came down the rope, crossed the moat on the
raft, and joined me on the bank. We had no difficulty with any of
them but the bosun, whose massy frame so much depressed the raft
that it took the united exertions of six of us to haul it through
the upper layer of mud.

Joe Punchard came last of all. When with his arrival our little
party of ten was complete, we crawled on hands and knees one by one
to the shelter of a thicket that stood some fifty yards away, and
then consulted in whispers how we were to shape our course.

Chapter 17: Exchanges.

I have been many a time surprised to observe the strange volatility
of sailormen. They will pass in an instant from jollity to woe,
and, when just snatched from the jaws of death, will give the rein
to jests and sportiveness as if life were nothing but a perpetual
holiday. Some of my comrades were perfectly hilarious, and began to
talk and laugh as freely as they might in the forecastle, far from
a hostile shore. I had to warn them very earnestly against so
imperiling the safety of us all; but Joe Punchard's admonitions
were more effective than mine, for in a harsh whisper he roundly
abused them, threatening with many offensive terms to leave them to
their fate if they did not instantly cease and obey me as their
captain.

Their intelligence being penetrated with some notion of the
exceeding danger of our situation, the noisy ones kept silence and
agreed to follow my behests. This threw on me a task of great
hazard and responsibility, for we were strangers in a strange land,
and I had no knowledge of our whereabouts, nor a clearly defined
plan of action. Gathering them in a knot about me, so that all
could hear my lowest whisper, I put to them the situation as I
conceived it.

"By God's mercy we have succeeded thus far," I said, "but the
greatest of our dangers lie still before us. I know nothing of this
country, nor does any of us, and in a few hours day will dawn, our
escape will be discovered, and there will be a hue and cry after us
for miles around. What we want to do is to make the coast and
borrow a boat in which we may set sail for England."

"Ay, ay," was the general grunt.

"Ay, indeed," I went on, "but we know not in what direction the
coast lies, nor would it be safe for us to attempt to reach it yet.
When our absence is known, the Frenchmen will assuredly suspect
that th