and, at all events, they will send us to prison, and there keep
us, as they have done many of our countrymen, till the war is over.
Now, while I was on the roof I saw, not far from the beach, a small boat
moored; and a mile or so away, I made out what I take to be a fleet of
fishing-boats. What I propose is, to knock over the sentry at the door,
and, if we can, we'll surprise the rest of the soldiers, and gag and
bind them. If they show fight, it can't be helped: we must kill them.
At all events, we must prevent them from raising an alarm, or following
us. We will then make the best of our way to the beach, and I will
undertake to swim off, and bring in the small boat I saw there. When we
get her, it will be very hard if we cannot cut out some fishing-smack or
other, in which we can cross over to England. If we don't succeed, we
shall probably get killed ourselves; but if we do, we shall obtain our
liberty, and that is worth a struggle."

This speech inspirited us all, and we could scarcely refrain from
shouting, as we promised to follow his directions, and to stick by him
through thick and thin.

The Frenchmen seeing that he had a wooden leg, and hearing him stump up
and down, of course fancied that he would never attempt to run away; or
that if he did make the attempt, he would not go without them finding it
out. This, perhaps, made them more careless in the way they watched us.
At all events, they had not even then found out what stuff English
sailors are made of; and I don't think they ever will.

"Then, my lads, there's no time to be lost," said the lieutenant. "Are
you all ready?"

"Yes, sir," said Peter, speaking for the rest; "but I beg pardon, sir,
won't your leg be heard as we go down, and it may give notice to the
Frenchmen?"

"I have thought of that," said Mr Ronald, fastening a handkerchief
round the end of the stump. "Now, I shall tread as softly as a cat."

We had all taken off our shoes, and armed ourselves with the legs of the
table and the legs of the stools we had found in the room. My heart
beat quick. Never had I been engaged in so daring a work. We dared not
try the door till the moment we were to rush out. Mr Ronald gave the
signal, and he leading the way, we threw open the door, and, before the
sentry could turn his head, or even cry out, we had our hands on his
mouth, and throwing him down backwards among us, we squeezed every
breath out of his body. Whether he lived or died,