six-inch lengths, with one of a foot long
to each ten, for sitting on, they would be just the thing."

"That is capital, Father. I had a lot of practice in rope climbing,
before I came out, and I am sure that I could manage with the help
that would give. I don't think Surajah could, but we could let him
down first, easily. Now, as to your prison."

"There are bars to the windows," the captain said, "and a sentry is
always on duty outside. The only way would be to escape at the rear. I
have often thought it over, but it was of no use breaking out there,
if I could not get any farther. The wall is built of loose stone,
without mortar. You see, it would have been a big job to bring up
either mortar or bricks from down below, so most of the buildings are
entirely of stone. The wall is two feet thick, but there would be no
great difficulty in getting out the stones, and making a hole big
enough to crawl through. I could not do it in my room, because they
always look round to see that everything is safe before they lock me
up; and it would take so long to do it noiselessly that half the night
would be wasted, before I could get out. But the magazine, where the
spears are kept, communicates with my room, and I could slip in there
in the daytime, when no one was looking, get behind the spears, which
are piled against the wall, and work hidden by them. No one would be
likely to go into my room during the day, and if he did, he would not
expect to find me there, as I am generally about the place. In that
way, I could get out enough stones to render it an easy job to finish
it, after I was locked up. A spear head is as good a thing, to help me
prize them out, as one could wish for."

"Very well, Father. Then we had better settle that you shall get out
in that way. Now, shall we go round on the outside, and help you?"

"No; I don't say but that your help would make it easier to get the
stones out, without making a noise. Still, your going round might be
noticed."

"Well then, Father, shall we seize and gag the sentry? We have done
such a thing before, successfully."

"No, that wouldn't do, Dick. The guard house is hard by, and the
slightest noise would destroy us all. Besides, as they have not many
sentries posted up here, they relieve guard every hour, so that the
thing would be discovered in no time.

"No; when I get out I will creep along noiselessly by the wall. There
are houses in the yard almost all along, and though