eaching this room, and finding out that we have made our escape."

"We should have to get the door open first," observed Jack, "and that
would be no easy matter."

"More easy than you may suppose," said Bill. "I'll try and shove
something into the catch of the lock while the Frenchman is in the
room."

Just then the door opened, and a soldier entered, with a lantern in one
hand, and, as Jack expected, a stick in the other. It was not, however,
a very thick one, and Jack thought, as he eyed it, that its blows,
though they might hurt, would not break any bones; however, neither he
nor Bill had any intention of being thrashed if they could help it.

The soldier began at once to inquire, in an angry tone, why they had
made so much noise.

They pretended not to understand him; but as he lifted his stick to
strike at them, they ran round the room, Jack shouting "Manger! manger!"
and pointing to his mouth.

He could easily manage to keep out of the Frenchman's reach, but at last
he allowed himself to be caught for a minute at the farther end of the
room, thus giving Bill time to reach the door.

Bill made good use of the opportunity, while the Frenchman's back was
turned, to carry out his intention.

"All right," he cried out; and as soon as Jack heard him, he skipped out
of the Frenchman's way, as he had no wish to receive more blows than he
could avoid. The soldier, on seeing Bill, attacked him next, but he
easily evaded most of the blows aimed at him, till the soldier grew
weary of the chase.

"Manger! manger!" cried both the boys at once, in various tones,
sometimes imploring, at others expostulating, and then as if they were
excited by anger and indignation that they should be so treated.

The soldier understood them clearly enough, and probably thought to
himself that unless he could bring some food to keep the young prisoners
quiet, he might have frequent trips to make to the top of the tower.

"Ma foi! I suppose that you have had nothing to eat for some hours," he
observed, in French. "I'll see what I can get for you; but remember,
you must be quiet, or you will be left to starve."

They were well pleased to hear this; but still pretending not to
understand him, they continued crying out, "Manger! manger!"

At last the soldier took his departure, locking the door, as he
supposed, behind him.

As soon as they knew, by the sounds he made descending the steps, that
he had got some distance down, the