some one, and then on he went at
the same pace as before. One man asked for a lift, but he laughed and
said, that the cart was already laden heavily enough with so many sacks
of wheat, and that it would break down if a burly fellow like the
speaker were to get into it, or the horse would refuse to go. It was
getting dark, but the sky was clear, and as they could see the stars by
which to steer, they had little doubt that they should find their way.
Jaques drew up in a solitary spot a little off the read.

"Farewell, young gentlemen, farewell!" he said, as he helped them to get
from under the sacks: "may you reach your native land in safety. Go
straight along that road; you will make good way before the morning. I
wish that I could go further with you, but I dare not. Farewell,
farewell!" Saying this, he shook them by the hand, and giving them a
gentle shove on in the direction they were to take, as if his heart
longed to go with them, he jumped into the cart and drove rapidly away.

They now felt for the first time how helpless they were, and the
difficulty of their undertaking; but they were brave lads, and quickly
again plucked up courage. They had been provided with sticks, and
trudged on boldly. Mile after mile of dusty road, up and down hill, and
along dead flats, were traversed.

"It will make us sleep all the sounder," observed O'Grady, who had a
happy facility for making the best of everything. "If we were at sea
now we should have to be pacing the deck with a cold breeze in our
teeth, and maybe an occasional salt shower-bath."

Paul agreed, though they were not sorry when daylight came and warned
them to look out for a resting-place. They saw a forest some way from
the high road, and, going into it, before long discovered numerous piles
of wood prepared for burning.

"They are not likely to be removed for some time," observed O'Grady; "if
they do, they will begin on the outer ones, and we shall have time to
decamp. Let's make ourselves some nests inside; see, there is plenty of
dry grass, and we shall sleep as comfortable as on beds of down."

By removing some of the logs the work was easily accomplished, and no
one outside would have observed what they had done. They crept in, and
were very soon fast asleep. They awoke perfectly rested, and prepared
to resume their journey; but on looking out they found that it was not
much past noon, and that they had the greater part of the day to wait.
T