of some one settling
himself comfortably, and then all was once more silent, save for the
sound of heavy breathing, of which I had been cognisant all through the
foregoing conversation.

I had been fully awakened, as may easily be supposed, by almost the
first words which I had distinctly heard; but I had presence of mind
enough not to give any indication of the fact. It was clear that this
rascally Corsican--who appeared to be regularly in league with the
enemy--had unfortunately witnessed my landing, and he must also have
overhead and understood much if not all of the conversation which had
passed between Rawlings and myself. And it seemed equally clear that he
had put the Frenchmen upon my track, and that to him I was chiefly
indebted for my unlucky capture--for of course I _was_ a prisoner,
though they had not roused me to make me acquainted with the fact. As
soon as the conversation ceased, I rapidly turned the circumstances over
in my mind, and decided upon two things, one of which was to keep secret
my knowledge of the French language, and the other, to act upon the idea
suggested by the sergeant's words, and lead him to believe that my bag
with the despatches had been stolen from me. For the rest, I was unable
to form any plan, my original one of passing for a German art student
being completely knocked on the head by the Corsican's discovery; so I
resolved to be governed by the turn which events might take.

On one thing I was resolved, and that was to keep careful watch for an
opportunity to escape, as I was in imminent risk of being hanged or shot
at any moment, so long as I remained a prisoner.

Notwithstanding my anxiety, I was dozing off once more, when footsteps
approached me, a hand was laid on my shoulder, and the voice of the
sergeant exclaimed in French, "Hallo, here! awake, my young friend,
awake!"

I opened my eyes with a start, and saw standing before me a young man of
about four-and-twenty years of age. He was dressed in the uniform of a
French regiment of the line--blue tunic, red trowsers with a stripe of
yellow braid down the seam, red forage cap trimmed with the same, and
his sword buckled close up to his belt. He had dark hair and eyes, the
latter of which beamed upon me good-naturedly, and he had a pleasant
expression of countenance, which afforded me much comfort.

Seated or reclining in more or less uncomfortable attitudes against the
walls of the hut were some five-and-twenty