being given to three different men every day,
for the better security of the prisoners, and to make sure that there
could be no tampering with the guards. Jim had been keeping his eyes
very wide open all through the day, and he had noticed which of the
Peruvians were the men who had the keys in their possession that night,
while he had also carefully marked the positions where they had thrown
themselves down to sleep. Two of the soldiers had retired to a tent,
but the third had fortunately elected to sleep in the open, as the night
was very warm.

The plan arranged was for Jim and his group of manacled fellow-officers
to crawl forward, and either kill or stun one of the gaolers--it would
be too risky to tackle more than one--secure his key, unlock their own
fetters, and then to go silently the rounds, setting free their
companions. When all were at liberty they were to seize their shovels
and pickaxes and with them attack the slumbering soldiery, killing as
many as possible before they were fully awake and could seize their
rifles. Should they be discovered before the work was complete, those
who were free were to keep off the Peruvians while the remainder were
set at liberty.

It sounded rather a barbarous scheme, but Jim could think of no other
which would be at all likely to be successful; and he was by this time
rendered altogether too hardened by privation and ill-treatment to feel
very much pity for the callously brutal Peruvian guards. Besides, it
was his life or theirs, and he had no difficulty in choosing.

The young Englishman waited until midnight, in order to allow the
soldiers to get well asleep, and then he silently nudged his companions
to make sure that all were awake. They all were,--very wide awake,
too,--and, after a few low-voiced instructions from Douglas, the little
body of men began to crawl away through the darkness, taking the utmost
care that there should be no clanking of chains to betray their
movements. Forward on hands and knees they went, all moving together;
and they soon passed through the ranks of their comrades, who did not
make a single movement while the gallant little band crawled past.

Soon they had left the Chilian part of the encampment behind; and a few
minutes later, Jim, who was the leading man of the party, came abreast
of the first Peruvian tent. The night was pitchy dark, although there
was a young moon, for the sky was covered with dark, low-lying clouds.
Thi