et spies on me accordingly. I have at
last devised measures for making my way down to the coast, to our
fellow-countrymen, and have bribed your gaolers to allow my cousin
Ford to escape with me to-night, if he will."

So earnestly did Gurney tell this tale that I could see Mr. Holwell
and the others were very favourably impressed, and took him for an
honourably behaved man. As for me, I felt my cheeks burn with shame
as I sat and listened, yet I neither felt inclined to admit to these
gentlemen that I was cousin to a villain and a traitor, nor did I
consider it to be my duty to denounce my own blood.

I therefore held my peace, while the conversation went on between the
others. Mr. Holwell insisted that I should take Rupert's offer, and be
the means of conveying news to our friends of where the other three
lay. I demurred, and should perhaps have rejected the invitation in
the end, had not my cousin taken advantage to slyly whisper in my
ear--

"Don't you understand, fool? I have news of Marian, and want your aid
to carry her off from Surajah Dowlah's harem!"

CHAPTER XIII

_A NIGHT ADVENTURE_

As soon as I had heard that name from Rupert's lips, all my hesitation
was at once overcome, as he no doubt foresaw would be the case.

"Come," I said, springing upon my feet with an energy I had not felt
for some time, "let us be going, then."

My fellow prisoners looked not a little astonished at this sudden
change in my resolution. However, they offered me their good wishes
for the journey, and Mr. Holwell in particular entrusted me with some
messages to Mr. Drake, in case I should succeed in penetrating to him.
We had no certain information at this time as to the whereabouts of
the English ships, but supposed them to be lying somewhere about the
mouth of the Hooghley. It was judged best that I should carry no
writing.

We two then crept softly out of the hut, my cousin going first, and I
following. There was no moon abroad, but a sufficiency of light was
afforded us by the extraordinary brilliancy of the stars, which
appear much bigger, as well as thicker in the sky, in these latitudes
than in England. At a short distance from the door of the shed I could
perceive the sentinel, seated with his back towards us, his hands
resting on his matchlock.

"This way," whispered Rupert in my ear. And turning in the opposite
direction from the sentry, he stooped down and ran along under the
shadow of a high wall whi