as aisy as
ye can.' There's wot I calls sound wisdom in that."

"Very true, Ben; nevertheless the sound wisdom in _that_ won't avail to
get us out o' _this_."

"No doubt, but it'll help us to bear this with equablenimity while we're
here, an' set our minds free to think about the best way o' makin' our
escape."

At this Bill made an effort to throw off the desperate humour which had
taken possession of him, and he so far succeeded that he was enabled to
converse earnestly with his friend.

"Wot are we to do?" asked Bill gloomily.

"To see, first of all, what lies outside o' that there port-hole,"
answered Ben. "Git on my shoulders, Bill, an' see if ye can reach it."

Ben stood against the wall, and his friend climbed on his shoulders, but
so high was the window, that he could not reach to within a foot of it.
They overcame this difficulty, however, by dragging the bench to the
wall, and standing upon it.

"I see nothin'," said Bill, "but the sky an' the sea, an' the
prison-yard, which appears to me to be fifty or sixty feet below us."

"That's not comfortin'," observed Ben, as he replaced the bench in its
corner.

"What's your advice now?" asked Bill.

"That we remain on our good behaviour a bit," replied Ben, "an' see wot
they means to do with us, an' whether a chance o' some sort won't turn
up."

"Well, that's a good plan--anyhow, it's an easy one to begin with--so
we'll try it for a day or two."

In accordance with this resolve, the two sailors called into play all
the patience, prudence, and philosophy of which they were possessed, and
during the three days that followed their incarceration, presented such
a meek, gentle, resigned aspect; that the stoniest heart of the most
iron-moulded turnkey ought to have been melted; but the particular
turnkey of that prison was made of something more or less than mortal
mould, for he declined to answer questions,--declined even to open his
lips, or look as if he heard the voices of his prisoners, and took no
notice of them farther than to fetch their food at regular intervals and
take away the empty plates. He, however, removed their manacles; but
whether of his own good-will or by order they did not know.

"Now, Ben," said Bill on the evening of the third day, as they sat
beside each other twirling their thumbs, "this here sort o' thing will
never do. I mean for to make a dash when the turnkey comes in the
mornin'; will you help me?"

"I'm yer man," said