he weapon down outside, till it lay
hidden amongst the grass close to the wall. Then he tied the slight
thread close down in the rusted-away part of one of the bars, descended
again, and raked up some ashes, with which he mounted and sprinkled them
over the thread, making it invisible from inside; after which he
descended, feeling quite hopeful that the plan would not be discovered.

This done, he seemed to have more time for a look round at the effects
of the fire; but beyond a little blackening of the ceiling and the heap
of ashes, there was nothing much to see. The strong spirit had burned
itself out without doing more than scorch the bottom of the door; but he
had a lively recollection of the strange scene as the little blue
tongues of fire seemed to be fluttering and dancing all over the place.

Just then he noticed the corner where he had placed the remains of his
previous night's meal, and there were the empty plates--for not a scrap
of the food was left; and this satisfactorily indorsed his ideas
respecting the touch that had so startled him into wakefulness.

"Better be awakened by that than by the blaze of fire," he said half
aloud. "Oh, won't I give Sir Henry a bit of my mind about the treatment
I meet with here, and--here he is."

For just then he heard the tramp of feet over the boarded floor, the
flinging open of the first door, then the steps in the passage, and he
altered his opinion.

"No!" he exclaimed; "it's old Allstone coming after his cutlass."

He was quite right, for, well-armed, and followed by four men, Hilary's
jailer entered the place, glanced sharply round, and exclaimed:

"I've come for that cutlass."

"Have you?" said Hilary coolly.

"Hand it over."

"I have not got it," said Hilary coolly.

"Don't tell me lies," said the fellow roughly. "Here, lay hold."

Five to one was too much for resistance, so Hilary submitted patiently
to the search that was made, to see if he had it concealed beneath his
clothes.

"There's nothing here," said one of the men; and Allstone tried himself,
flinching sharply as the prisoner made believe to strike at him.

Then he carefully looked all round the place, which was soon done, and
the fellow turned to him menacingly:

"Now then," he cried, "just you speak out, or it will be the worse for
you. Where's that cutlass?"

Hilary looked at him mockingly.

"I'll tell you the strict truth," he thought; and he replied, "I dropped
it out of the