s was all the better, for it lessened the probability of their being
seen by the sentries; but they had to exercise a great deal of caution
to avoid colliding with and so disturbing any soldiers who had elected
to sleep out in the open.

"Now," whispered Jim, as they came abreast of a certain tent, looming up
dim and ghostly in the darkness; "Pedrillo is sleeping just outside this
tent. Forward, men; but carefully, for your lives. One false step now,
and all will be lost. Come along, and remember--we must be quick and
silent at--at the work which we have to do. There must not be so much
as a single struggle."

His companions now came up abreast of Douglas, instead of following in
single file; and, still abreast, they crawled toward the slumbering
custodian of the key. Nearer and nearer they drew, until only a few
yards separated them from their prey, then only a few feet. They were
almost within arm's length of him now; silently they crept forward
again, then they paused. The only sound was that caused by the heavy
breathing of the victim and the soft, hissing breaths of his
executioners. Now they crept forward again until they were close to the
man; Jim plucked the sleeve of the Chilian nearest to him, and together
they leaned over the gaoler.

"_Now_!" hissed Jim, and four men flung themselves upon the fellow's
body at the same moment that Douglas's hands clutched his throat. There
was a short quick scuffle, and it was all over.

In a second he had snatched the key from the dead man's girdle and was
feverishly unlocking his comrades' fetters. Then they, in turn,
unlocked his, and in less than five minutes the twelve men were all
free. Back they sped to their own portion of the camp, and were soon
unlocking their friends' manacles, with the result that in less than
twenty minutes at least half the Chilians were free, and stood, grasping
their pickaxes and shovels, ready for the fight which was inevitable
before they could get away.

Then a horrible thing happened.

Among the Chilians was a naval petty officer, a surly, cunning--faced
creature whom nobody trusted, and from whom, therefore, all particulars
of the plot had been kept secret. Jim had just inserted the key in his
manacles, when this traitor shrieked at the top of his voice:

"Help! help! the Chilians are escaping!"

Why the fellow did it nobody ever knew, but it was surmised that, being
too much of a craven himself to attempt to escape,