me to see my father, who, we have heard,
is a prisoner in the camp, though why or wherefore he is detained we
cannot tell, for no more peaceable gentleman is to be found in the south
of England. We wish to deliver some messages to him, and learn how he
fares. Have we your permission, for you are, I opine, the general of
this army?"

The Prince, for that such he was we knew by the way the officers who
stood round addressed him, smiled as he replied--

"Say, who is your father?"

"Master Harvey, your highness," answered Dick.

"You have an arrant rebel for a father, then, I fear," said the Prince.

"Please, your highness, I know nothing of politics; all I desire is to
have a few words with my father, whom I am bound to honour, whether
Royalist or Roundhead, and then to quit the camp and return home."

The Prince, after exchanging a few words with one of the gentlemen
standing by, handed a piece of paper, on which he had written a few
lines, to Dick.

"Take this, maiden," he said; "it will gain your object. But,
understand, after you have seen your father, for your own sake, without
loss of time, you must return home."

Thankful that we had so easily accomplished the first part of our
enterprise--accompanied by one of the officers, who undertook to show us
the way--we set off for the cottage in which we were told Mr Harvey
with other prisoners were confined.

CHAPTER THREE.

IN THE ENEMY'S HANDS.

Mr Harvey looked so astonished when Dick and I were introduced, that he
almost betrayed us. Quickly, however, recovering himself, he opened his
arms and embraced us affectionately. The other prisoners, gentlemen
well acquainted with him, seeing that he wished to be alone, retired to
the farther end of the room, when Dick lost no time in whispering into
his ear the plan we had arranged for his liberation.

He listened with a thoughtful brow, and Dick continued to press its
adoption, but I much feared that he would not agree.

"I will try it," he said at last; "but you, my children, must hasten
from the camp; it is no place for young persons, and should I fail to
escape, you will be made to suffer."

Though Dick begged hard to remain, his father was firm, and told us to
return by the way we had come, hoping that we might get free without
further questions being asked us.

Having taken an affectionate farewell of Mr Harvey, we set out, Dick
cleverly replying to all the questions put to us, and, with much