lantern, and the party then set to work.

Two saws had been brought on board, and a piece three feet square
was cut out of the top of the hatch, leaving six inches of wood
all round. Great pains were taken not to saw through the tarpaulin
cover.

"Now, the next thing to do," Harry said, "is to fix the beams so
as to hold the wood in its place again." Four pieces of wood, each
three inches long, were screwed against the combing of the hatchway
in such a position that when the beams were placed upon them they
were exactly level with the top, and supported the piece cut out
from the hatchway in its original position.

"That will do rarely," Adolphe said, when it was finished and the
hatchway experimentally placed in its position. "Now, all you have
to do is just to knock the ends of the beams off their ledges. The
bit we have cut out will fall down, and you will be able easily
enough to lift the hatchway from its place. It is no great weight
now.

"It will do capitally," Harry agreed, "and when it floats the
tarpaulin will certainly be three inches above the water. Yes, I
have no fear of that part of the adventure going wrong. You don't
think that it will be noticed from the shore, Adolphe?"

"Not it," Adolphe answered confidently. "Why, from the shore it
will look awash with the water. No one will ever dream that there
could be a soul alive underneath it. I begin to think you will do
it, monsieur. At first it seemed hopeless. Now I really do think
there is a chance. I should feel pretty confident if it was you
and two of us who had to do it; but the difficulty will be to get
the young ladies under it, and then to get them to lie quiet there."

"That is the difficulty," Harry admitted. "I am sure of the eldest.
Her nerves are as good as mine; what I fear is about the younger."

"I'll tell you what, monsieur," one of the other men said; "if you
take my advice you will have a piece of rope in readiness and tie
it round her arms so as to prevent her struggling."

"That would be the best way," Harry agreed. "Yes, if I see she
won't be calm and do as I tell her, that is what I will do."

"Now, monsieur, I will bore a couple of auger-holes through the
bulkhead here so that you can see what is going on in the hold.
They have got the hatch off there. I suppose it wasn't padlocked,
and they will no doubt go down to bore the holes the last thing.
Like enough they have bored them already, and will only have to
knock out