other, in irons, and securely lodged under
hatches, these stout men of war lamented their hard fate thus--

"I say, Bill, this is wot I calls a fix!"

"That's so, Ben--a bad fix."

There was silence for a few minutes, then Ben resumed--

"Now, d'ye see, this here war may go on for ever so long--years it may
be--an' here we are on our way to a French prison, where we'll have the
pleasure, mayhap, of spendin' our youth in twirlin' our thumbs or
bangin' our heads agin the bars of our cage."

"There ain't a prison in France as'll hold me," said Bill Bowls
resolutely.

"No? how d'ye 'xpect to git out--seein' that the walls and doors ain't
made o' butter, nor yet o' turnips?" inquired Ben.

"I'll go up the chimbley," said Bill savagely, for his mind had reverted
to Nelly Blyth, and he could not bear to think of prolonged
imprisonment.

"But wot if they've got no chimbleys?"

"I'll try the winders."

"But if the winders is tight barred, wot then?"

"Why, then, I'll bust 'em, or I'll bust myself, that's all."

"Humph!" ejaculated Ben.

Again there was a prolonged silence, during which the friends moodily
meditated on the dark prospects before them.

"If we could only have bin killed in action," said Bill, "that would
have been some comfort."

"Not so sure o' that, messmate," said Ben. "There's no sayin' wot may
turn up. P'r'aps the war will end soon, an' that's not onlikely, for
we've whipped the Mounseers on sea, an' it won't be difficult for our
lobsters to lick 'em on land. P'r'aps there'll be an exchange of
prisoners, an' we may have a chance of another brush with them one o'
these days. If the wust comes to the wust, we can try to break out o'
jail and run a muck for our lives. Never say die is my motto."

Bill Bowls did not assent to these sentiments in words, but he clenched
his fettered hands, set his teeth together, and gave his comrade a look
which assured him that whatever might be attempted he would act a
vigorous part.

A few days later the transport entered a harbour, and a guard came on
board to take charge of the prisoners, of whom there were about twenty.
As they were being led to the jail of the town, Bill whispered to his
comrade--

"Look out sharp as ye go along, Ben, an' keep as close to me as ye can."

"All right, my lad," muttered Ben, as he followed the soldiers who
specially guarded himself.

Ben did not suppose that Bill intended then and there to make a sudden
struggle