and I trust you will make yourselves as comfortable as you can.
Ah, here is the boy with coffee. Now, if you will permit me, I will
go on deck and look after her course."

In the meantime Harry was chatting with Adolphe, who introduced
him to the crew, whom he had already told of the services Jeanne
had rendered, and as several of them lived in the same street they
too had heard from their wives of the young woman who lodged with
Mere Leflo, and had done so much for those who were suffering. He
was therefore cordially received by the sailors, to each of whom
the captain had already promised double pay for the voyage if they
got through safely.

"You will remember," Adolphe said, "that you are Andre Leboeuf.
Andre had to make a cold swim of it this morning, for there was the
commissary on the wharf when we started, and he had the captain's
list of the crew, and saw that each man was on board and searched
high and low to see that there was no one else. So Andre, instead
of slipping off home again, had to go with us. When we were out of
sight of the town the captain steered as near the bank as he could
and Andre jumped over and swam ashore. It is all the better as it
has turned out, because the commissary signed the list of the crew
and put a seal to it."

In four hours the Trois Freres was approaching the forts at the
mouth of the river, and the captain came down to the cabin, in
which Harry was chatting with the two girls.

"Now, mesdemoiselles," he said, "it is time for you to go to your
hiding-place, for it will take us nearly half an hour to close it
up again. As soon as the Reds have left us we will let you out."

The hatch was lifted and they descended into the hold of the
vessel, which was full of kegs to within three feet of the deck.
The captain carried a lantern.

"Please follow me, mesdemoiselles, you must crawl along here."

The girls followed him until they were close to the bulkhead dividing
the hold from the forecastle. Two feet from this there was a vacant
space.

"Now, mesdemoiselles, if you will give me your hands I will lower
you down here. Do not be afraid--your feet will touch the bottom;
and I have had some hay put there for you to sit upon. Adolphe,
you had better go down first with that lantern of yours to receive
them."

The girls were lowered down and found themselves in a space of five
feet long and two feet wide. One side was formed by the bulkhead,
on the other there were keg