ad a talk with them, and committed us to
their charge. I have no doubt he told them to take good care that we
did not run away. The boat, we concluded, had to row watch, and could
not remain long absent from her post. The soldiers, before receiving
us, grounded arms; shoved their ramrods down their muskets, to show us
that they were loaded; examined the primings in the pans, and then,
presenting their bayonets at our backs, in most unpleasant proximity,
ordered us to advance. Our cutlasses had been taken away, and, of
course, the muskets had gone down with the gig; but both Mr Ronald and
Peter had their pistols stuck in their belts, inside their great-coats,
so the Frenchmen did not discover them. We did not wish our first
captors good-bye, nor exchange a word with each other, but, seeing there
was no help for it, slowly stumbled on over the uneven ground ahead of
our guards. I hoped that they would keep their footing better than we
did; for, if not, some of us would stand a great chance of being run
through with their bayonets. Had we not been unarmed, and aware that
the boat was within hail, I don't think we should have allowed ourselves
to have been carried along as prisoners.

However, our walk was soon at an end, and we reached the tower, which
stood a short distance along-shore from where we landed, and not three
hundred yards from the beach. It appeared to be in a very tumble-down
ruinous condition, as we inspected it from the outside. We concluded
that we should have to wait here till the following morning, before
being marched off to prison. Whether the tower had been built for a
fort, or only a mill, or a look-out place, it was difficult to discover
in the scant light we had. There was a small arched door before us,
with some stone winding-steps leading up from it. The sergeant in
command of the party pointed to it, and some of the men gave us a gentle
prick with the end of their bayonets, singing out, at the same time,
some words which we guessed to be a command to go up there.

"Let me go first, sir," exclaimed Peter Poplar, springing through the
door. "There may be some trap in the way, and it's hard that you should
have to fall down that, at all events."

When we were all in, the soldiers followed, making us go winding-up till
we reached a chamber at the top of the building. The French soldiers
saw us all in, and then shoving to the door, they shut it with a loud
bang; but as there was no s