ess of the night except the almost
inaudible dip of our oars in the water. The clouds, which had hitherto
obscured the sky, floated gradually away; the stars shone forth bright
and clear, their sparkling orbs reflected in the smooth water; and then,
rising from behind the land, the moon shed her calm silvery gleam across
the sheltered bay. We were at the time under the shadow of some high
land. "Give way, my lads; it is time we should be out of this!"
whispered the lieutenant. It was time indeed! Peter's quick eye,
looking seaward, observed several dark objects floating in the distance.
"Boats in!" he said, pointing in that direction. The lieutenant looked
there also. There could be no doubt about it. There were four large
boats. He ordered us to lay on our oars, to watch in what direction
they would pull. We hoped that they had not as yet observed us. The
people in the boats seemed to be holding a conference. At last they
parted. One pulled across the mouth of the bay in one direction; one in
the other; but two advanced up the bay. There seemed no possibility of
our escaping without being seen. Still it was far from Mr Ronald's
intention of giving in till he was actually laid hold of. Hitherto the
shade of the cliff prevented our being seen. The gap between the boats
through which we could hope to escape widened more and more. Meantime,
our thoughts were occupied in the contemplation of the pleasures of a
French prison, of which we had too often heard to have any wish to enjoy
them. Mr Ronald watched our opportunity. "Now, my lads," he
whispered, "give way with a will!" We needed no encouragement. As a
rat darts out of the corner in which it has taken shelter when the dogs
stand ready on either side hoping to catch it, so we darted out from our
sheltered nook towards the open sea.

The movement drew the attention of the French boats towards us, and in
another minute all four were steering courses which would give them
every prospect of cutting us off. We were all armed, but it would have
been madness to attempt to beat off so overwhelming a force. We had to
trust alone to the fleetness of our heels. We might have a prospect of
distancing the two boats which had gone up the bay, and which were on
our larboard-hand, but we must inevitably run the gauntlet between the
other two. The question was, whether we could pass through them before
they closed in on us. We made the strong ash sticks bend ag