little place adjoining the dining-room to
prefer his request.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

THE WAY IN AND THE WAY OUT.

The sentries challenged Roy as he went along the corridors, and it made
his heart ache for this to take place in his own old home; but as he was
passed on directly, he drew himself up, went to the door, knocked, and
the general's deep hard voice cried, "Come in."

General Hepburn was seated at a table writing, but he threw down his pen
as he saw who it was, and smiled.

"What can I do for you, my restless prisoner?" he said.

"I want you to give me a pass for the sentries, so that I can go and
examine the passage through which you brought your men that night, sir."

"Why? What for?"

"Out of curiosity. Isn't it natural, sir, that after being here all my
life, and then tricked like that, I should want to know how it was
done?"

"Yes," said the general, abruptly; and he took up his pen and wrote
something upon a piece of paper, swept some pounce over it, shook it,
and gave it to his petitioner. "You can go and see it."

"And take Sergeant Martlet with me, sir? He was my lieutenant and
adviser."

The general snatched the paper back, wrote in a line, and once more
handed it.

"Yes," he said; "but I must be strict, boy. You will have a sergeant's
guard with you all the time."

"Of course," said Roy; "but I am not going to try and escape to-day."

"No," said the general, smiling, and taking up his pen again; "you are
not going to try and escape to-day."

As Roy went away, the guard was being changed, and the place rang with
the tramp of men, the officer on duty visiting the different posts and
examining everything in the keenest way.

"Ah, they're doing it right enough, Master Roy," said Ben; and the lad
started, for he had not heard the old sergeant's approach. "Taking a
lesson?"

"I was watching them, Ben."

"Ah, and if they warn't enemies, and taken our place, I'd say the
general was a thorough good soldier, and knew what he was about."

"You do think that, then?" said Roy, who was glad to hear his own ideas
endorsed.

"Course I do, sir. I growled and grumbled because I'm sore; but it does
one's heart good to see the fine discipline, and the way in which they
work our guns. He didn't seem very clever at managing his horse, but I
s'pose he was right, for sorry am I to say it, he's made the castle
twice as strong as it was, and only by having his men in such order."

"Yes;