men brought brands from the cottage.

"Listen, Mr. Gilmore," said Nelson at this moment. "I think I can hear
footsteps; I am sure I heard a branch crack."

Brands were applied to the faggots, but these were so green that at first
they would not catch. At this, several of the peasants rushed into the
cottage, and were returning with larger brands, when some figures suddenly
appeared at the edge of the little clearing in the direction from which
Nelson had heard sounds. They stood silent for a minute, looking at the
scene, and then with a loud shout they rushed forward with drawn cutlasses
and attacked the natives. Four or five of the peasants were cut down, and
the remainder fled in terror.

"Thank God, your honour, we have arrived in time!" the coxswain said as he
cut Nelson's bonds, while another sailor liberated Will.

"Thank God indeed! Now, my lads, we have not a moment to lose. Those
fellows are sure to gather a number of their comrades at the nearest
village, and I have no wish to see any more of them. Go into that hut; you
will find enough bread and cheese there to give you each a meal, and there
is a spring of water close by."

The sailors scattered at once, and were not long in discovering the
spring. There they knelt down and drank long and deeply. Then they went
into the cottage and devoured the bread and cheese, which, although far
from being sufficient to satisfy them, at least appeased their hunger for
a time. After they had finished they all went back to the spring for
another drink. Then, taking some bread and cheese and a large jug of water
for the boat keepers, they followed Nelson and Will from the place which
had so nearly proved fatal to their officers. They went down the hill at a
brisk pace until they reached the top of the fog. After this they
proceeded more cautiously. They had no longer any fear of pursuit, for,
once in the fog, it would require an army to find them. At last they
reached the strand and found the boat. When the two men who had been left
in charge had finished their share of the food and water, Nelson said:

"Now, my lads, we must row on. If we keep close to the foot of the rocks,
that is, within fifty yards of them, the noise of the waves breaking will
be a sufficient guide to prevent our getting too far out to sea."

"May I be so bold as to ask how far we'll have to row?" the coxswain said.

"That is more than I can tell you. It may be a little over eleven miles,
it may