ion, and in a few places
some of the second tier were also lifted. The officer himself
superintended the search.

"I think I can let you go on now, Captain Grignaud," he said.
"Your men can stow the cargo again. A good voyage to you, and may
you meet with no English cruisers by the way."

The captain at once gave orders for the sails to be run up again,
and by the time the officer and his men had climbed over the bulwarks
into the gunboat the Trois Freres had already way upon her. The
captain then gave the order for the men to go below and stow the
casks again. Adolphe and Harry were the first to leap down, and
before the vessels were two hundred yards apart they had removed
the two uppermost tiers of kegs next to the bulkhead, and were able
to speak to the girls.

"Are you all right down there, Jeanne?" Harry asked.

"Yes, quite right, Harry, though the air is rather close. Virginie
has fainted; she was frightened when she heard them moving the
kegs just over our heads; but she will come round as soon as you
get her on deck."

The last tier was removed, and Harry lowered himself into the hold;
he and Jeanne raised Virginie until Adolphe and one of the other
sailors could reach her. Jeanne was lifted on to the cross beams,
and was soon beside her sister, and Harry quickly clambered up.

"They must not come on deck yet," the captain said, speaking down
the hatchway. "We are too close to the gunboat, and from the forts
with their glasses they can see what is passing on our deck. Don't
replace the kegs over the hole again, Adolphe; we may be overhauled
again, and had better leave it open in case of emergencies."

Virginie was carried under the open hatchway; some water was handed
down to Jeanne, who sprinkled it on her face, and this with the
fresh air speedily brought her round. When the lugger was a mile
below the forts, the captain said that they could now safely come
up, and they were soon in possession of the cabin again. Before
evening the lugger was out of sight of land. The wind was blowing
freshly, and she raced along leaving a broad track of foam behind
her. The captain and crew were in high spirits at having succeeded
in carrying off the fugitives from under the noses of their enemies,
and at the progress the lugger was making.

"We shall not be far from the coast of England by to-morrow night,"
the captain said to Harry, "that is if we have the luck to avoid
meeting any of the English cruisers. We d