senor Lieutenant's state-room, _padre_, before the
prisoners were brought aboard. I think it might be his sea-chest."

"Well, the Commandant said it could be removed, so out it goes. It
leaves no space for us to kneel in prayer."

I bent down as I spoke, exerting all my strength, and succeeded in
dragging the heavy, iron-bound chest forward, across the threshold. My
heart beat fiercely in misgiving lest the guard might feel moved to
interfere, but he never stirred; merely gazed at my movements in stolid
wonder. Concealing from him all the interior possible with my body, I
spoke a brief word of farewell to the prisoner, supposed to be safely
within, then closed and locked the door.

"Here," I said authoratively, my cheeks flushed with delight at so
successful an issue, "lay hold on one end of this, and give me a lift."

Obligingly, and apparently without a moment's reflection as to his
duty, the soldier, young in years and doubtless a new recruit, leaned
his gun against the mast, bending down with hand upon the rope handle.

"Where to, senor _padre_?"

"The Commandant said it might be placed in the store-room. 'Twill stow
away safely enough there, and bother nobody. Know you where that is?"

"Ay; only a step this way."

"Lead on then, yet Saint Cecilia! it makes no light load. The
Lieutenant must have kept his stock of wine within."

I durst not venture bearing the thing farther, fearful lest we might
run afoul of others of the guard who would prove more suspicious than
this honest fellow, besides, all my hasty plan of escape hung now upon
the faith retained, that the half-open cuddy door had direct
communication with the provisions stored below. Surely they could
never be loaded and unloaded by means of the distant hatch-ladder. So
dull and unintelligent in the dim light appeared the face of the fellow
opposite, as we strained forward beneath the weight of the chest, I
ventured upon a question.

"How does the cook get out all that provender from here?"

"I know not, senor _padre_; but I think there will be opening from the
store-room to the upper deck. They were at work there yesterday while
I was on guard."

By good fortune the room sought was only three doors down the
passageway. As it was, my forehead was wet with perspiration for fear
De Noyan would lose what little stock of patience he possessed before
we reached there, or that the Spaniard would begin to wonder at the
surprising weight. D