. Very merciful was the confusion of
tongues which hid that knowledge from him for a few hours.

At length they were marched back half a mile and turned into a barn,
narrower than their shelter of the previous night. Nor was there any
straw in it. They slept on the hard bricks, pillowing their heads on
each other's legs, or lay awake and listened to their fellows' moans.
Two sentries with loaded muskets kept guard by the door, and looked
in whenever a chain clanked or some unfortunate began to rave in his
sleep. Before morning a third of the gang was sickening for
rheumatic fever or typhus. At six o'clock the sergeant entered and
examined them. Then he retired, and came back in another hour with a
covered wagon, into which the sick were hoisted and packed like
herrings. All who had power to move their legs were afterwards
turned out and treated to a pound and a half of the "King's bread"
and a drink of water before starting. Tristram was one of these.
The fever had relieved him of his companion, and this day he marched
with more comfort, albeit his wrists were bound together and a rope
of ten yards or more tied him by the waist to a couple of fettered
deserters in front.

The weather had lifted somewhat; but the roads were still heavy, and
their pace was regulated by the covered wagon, which seemed to loiter
malevolently, as if to get every possible jolt out of the rutted
highway. With every jolt came a scream from one or more of the sick
men inside. Some, however, were past screaming, and babbled
continuously in high delirium; and the ceaseless, monotonous talk of
these tortured Tristram's ears from Courtrai to Lille.

They reached Lille long after dark, and were driven through the
streets, between the bright windows of happier men, to the gloomy
tower of Saint Pierre, that at this time was set apart for
galley-slaves. On entering the prison they were marshalled in a long
corridor, where a couple of jailers searched them all over.
Nothing was found on Tristram but his packet of pepper-cress seed,
which the searchers obligingly returned. As soon as this ceremony
was over, all who were not broken with fever were led up two flights
of stone stairs. An iron door was opened, and the sound of heavy
snoring struck their ears. Inside they perceived by the light of the
jailer's lantern a dozen figures stretched on straw pallets, and
between the sleepers as many more empty couches, for which the
newcomers were