fully
folded up into my hand. "Study it well," he added, as I unfolded it;
"on the night that you may fix, a boat will be sent in to this point,
where she can lie concealed among the rocks. If you can manage to drop
from the ramparts on to the sand, you may make your way to the spot
without much risk of being observed. Remark this place: the sea has
thrown up a bank of sand which is very soft, and will assist to break
your fall. Should you by any chance be recaptured, Captain Longswill
will land with his crew and storm the fort, and attempt to set you free.
I have given him a plan of the interior as far as I can make it out, so
that he will know where to find you. _Nil desperandum_; keep up your
courage, and all will go well. Perhaps, too, I may have an opportunity
of giving a narcotic to some of your guards. Several of the fellows
have come to me complaining of being sick, and I will be very liberal of
my medicines,--depend on that."

I thanked the doctor heartily for the interest he took in me, and told
him that I was convinced it would be far better for me to try and escape
secretly, than be the cause of bloodshed--as many lives would probably
be sacrificed.

The doctor was at last obliged to summon the jailer to let him out. He
shook his head as the man appeared.

"The poor young Englishman is in a bad way," he whispered, pretending to
wish that I should not hear what he said; "you should give him more
food, to afford him a chance of recovering."

"It matters very little," answered the man; "a day or two hence it will
probably be much the same to him whether he is well or ill."

"It is my business to get him well," observed the doctor; "after that, I
have nothing more to say on the subject. If your general chooses to
shoot or strangle him, that is no affair of mine--though I should be
sorry to see so fine a youth put to death."

Saying this, the doctor walked out, and the jailer closed the door
behind him. I wished, after what I had heard, that I had arranged to
try and escape that very night; and I determined that the next time the
doctor came we should fix the time for making the attempt.

As soon as it was dark I set to work on the bar, and managed to get it
completely out of its socket, so that I could move it in a moment
without making any noise. I then put my bed to rights, and getting in,
went to sleep.

So sound were my slumbers, I did not awake till I found the jailer
leaning over me, a