't
let me help any way. Tried to have a go in the armoury, but that
sergeant as went through the rat's hole with us grinned at me and turned
me out. Pah! I hate him! He's reg'lar took my job out o' my hands."

"Patience, patience, Ben," said Roy.

"Don't believe there's any o' that stuff left in the castle, Master Roy.
What do you think they're doing?"

"I don't know. What?"

"Got big stones and mortar down in the hole in three places, ready to
build it up. Done it by now, perhaps."

"How do you know?"

"Sergeant told me. Grinned at me and said they didn't mean to have any
one go out that way, nor yet come in at twelve o' clock at night."

"Indeed!" said Roy, to whom this news was troublous, interfering as it
did with sundry misty notions in which he had indulged about retaking
the castle, or all making their escape.

"Yes, sir; that general aren't a bit of a fool. Wouldn't be at all a
bad officer, if he was on the right side. That other chap wouldn't be a
bad sort o' sergeant either, if he knowed his duty to his king and
country. But there's going to be a fight some day 'twix' him and me."

"Nonsense! While we are prisoners we must behave ourselves, Ben."

"Oh, must we, sir? What call's he got to get grinning at me? I'll make
him grin the wrong side of his mouth if he don't look out."

"Yes; you are getting rusty, Ben," said Roy, merrily.

"Then why don't you make some plan, sir?" whispered the old sergeant in
an earnest whisper. "Let's make a bold stroke for it, and retake the
castle. Think of what your father would say if you did. Why, if the
king was to hear of it, he'd be that pleased, he'd send for you to the
palace and make a knight of you at once."

"Poor king!" said Roy, sadly. "Perhaps by this time he has no palace to
call his own."

"And he won't have, unless some of us shows we've got the right stuff
left in us."

At that moment they were passing the sun-dial, and old Jenk started into
wakefulness, rose, shaded his eyes, and stared at Roy.

"That you, sir?"

"Yes, Jenk."

"So it be. How are you, Master Roy--how are you? I've been thinking a
deal about you, sir. Don't you be downhearted; just wait a bit, and
you'll see."

"See--see what, Jenk?"

The old man shook his head and smiled in a cunning fashion.

"You wait, sir, and you'll see," he said; and he sank down again, laid
his head against the pedestal, and went off fast asleep.

"Yes, Master Roy, you'll see,