by some grease which
we got from our bowl. I must cut my yarn short. One day was much like
another; still we could not learn anything about the poor colonel and
the rest of the prisoners, except that they were kept shut up below.
What the Carthagenans were going to do with them and us we could not
tell. There was one advantage in the delay, for if we had got away the
first night the guard would have been on the look-out, and we should
have probably been caught. It was bad enough for us, but much worse for
the poor young lady. We worked on and on, night after night, till at
last we had got almost through the bar, and I felt sure that with a good
haul I could wrench it on one side wide enough to get through.

"The old woman, who came up every day to see Miss O'Regan, spoke more
kindly than usual to her, and called her a poor girl in her own lingo,
and seemed to pity her. This made the young lady ask her why she spoke
thus, and at last she confessed that she was afraid that General Carmona
was going to shoot some of the English prisoners, and very likely the
old colonel among them. This made the young lady cry out, and we could
hear her speaking in such woeful tones that at last Mr Rogers went in
and asked what was the matter; he then learnt all what I have just told
you.

"`Oh! can nothing be done to save my father?' she exclaimed, as she
clasped her hands together.

"The old woman then said that the only way would be to send a letter to
the British consul, but it would be dangerous for her to do so as it
might cost her her life, or at all events her husband his place, if it
was discovered that she had carried it. At last she agreed to try and
let Polly out, and at the same time told her which way she was to take
to find the consul's house--it was not more than ten minutes' walk from
the prison--first she was to turn to the right, and then cross a large
square, and to turn down the first street on the left, at the end of
which was the house; she was to look for the arms of England painted
over the door.

"`At all events, if Polly does not find it, we shall; the old woman has
helped us more than she thinks,' observed Mr Rogers.

"Polly was ready to run every risk to serve her mistress, the difficulty
was to get a letter written as we had no paper, pens, nor ink; but I
have a pocket-book, said Mr Gordon, and a few words on a leaf explained
our situation. We of course didn't tell the old woman our own plan, and