may wish to see it. How could the lads
have contrived to build such a machine?"

The commander of the boat explained that a wreck had occurred on the
shore, and that they had evidently built it from the materials they
found on board her, but anything further about them he could not say.

"Well, then, I'll take them up at once to the general, and the
interpreter attached to our division will draw from them all we want to
know. Come, lads! you must follow me," he said. "Sergeant, bring the
prisoners along with you."

On this Jack and Bill found themselves surrounded by the soldiers; and
thinking it possible, should they not move fast enough, that their
movements might be expedited by a prick from the bayonets, they marched
briskly forward, keeping good pace with the men.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

AGAIN SHUT UP.

"I say, Bill, I wonder what the mounseers are going to do with us,"
whispered Jack, as they marched along. "Will they put handcuffs on our
wrists and throw us into a dungeon, do you think?"

Bill acknowledged that he feared such might be the fate prepared for
them. They were not, however, ill-treated during their walk. Naturally
they felt very much disappointed at being recaptured, but they tried as
before to put as bold a face as they could on the matter, and talked
away to each other in an apparently unconcerned manner.

They found from the remarks of the soldiers that they had a march of a
couple of miles or more inland to the place where the troops were
encamped, and that they were not to be carried to the old tower.

On one account they were sorry for this, as, having made their escape
once, they thought that they might make it again, though, of course,
they would be more strictly guarded if it was discovered who they were.

From a height they reached they saw the camp spread out on a wide level
space a short distance off. As they got nearer to it they observed a
party of officers on horseback riding towards them, one of whom, from
the waving plume in his hat, and from his taking the lead, they supposed
was the general.

They were right in their conjecture. As he approached with his staff,
the officer who had charge of them ordered his men to halt and draw on
one side.

The general reined in his horse and inquired who they were.

The captain explained that two foreign lads, supposed to be English, had
been discovered, endeavouring to leave the shore on a small raft of
curious constructio