urvey of their prison. It could not be called luxuriantly
furnished, considering that there was only a bench of no great width
running along the side of one of the walls, and the remains of a table.
One of the legs had gone, and part of the top, and it was propped up by
a couple of empty casks.

There were neither bedsteads nor bedding of any description, but the
bench was of sufficient length to allow both the boys to lie down on it.

The sun was on the point of setting when they reached the tower, and
darkness soon stole on them.

"I wonder whether they intend to give us any supper," said Jack, "or do
they expect us to live on air?"

"I can hold out till to-morrow morning, but I should be thankful if they
would bring us up something to-night; and we should be the better able
to make our escape, if we have the opportunity," observed Bill.

"Then I propose that we make a tremendous row, and that will bring some
one up to sea what's the matter. We can then point to our mouths to
show that we are hungry, and perhaps they will take compassion on us,"
said Jack.

Bill agreeing to Jack's proposal, they began jumping and stamping about
the room, and singing at the top of their voices, in a way which could
scarcely fail to be heard by the men in the guard-room below.

They were in a short time convinced that their proceedings had produced
the desired effect; for when they ceased to make the noise, they heard
the heavy step of a man ascending the creaking stairs. It had not
occurred to them that he might possibly come with a thick stick in his
hand, to thrash them for making a row. The idea, however, flashed
across Jack's mind by the time the man was half-way up.

"We may get more kicks than ha'pence for what we've been doing," he
observed; "however, it cannot be helped; we must put a good face on the
matter, and let him fancy that it is the way English boys have of
showing when they are hungry. If he does not make out what we mean,
we'll say, `manger, manger,' and he'll then know what we want."

Bill laughed. He was not much afraid of a beating. He reminded Jack
that he must not say anything more than he proposed, or the Frenchmen
might find out that they understood their language.

The man came slowly up the steps, which creaked and groaned louder and
louder.

"I'll tell you what," said Bill. "If those steps are as rotten as they
appear to be, we might pull some of them up, and so prevent the guard
from r