Part 19 (2/2)

It was a loalled structure situate in a quiet quarter of the town

The outer walls were exceeding thick One ht ith a pick and shovel for a week and never tunnel theht Archie, ”why tunnel theed on top and streith bits of broken bottle iht Archie, ”why cut one's hands when it is so easy to throw a jacket over the glass and save the pain?”

The walls apparently served no good purpose except to frighten the populace with their frowns

As big Deschah the musty corridors and cells the boy perceived that the old building had long ago gone to wrack It was a place of rust and dust and dry rot, of cru masonry, of rotted casees and broken locks He had the i man could break in the doors with his fist and tumble the walls about his ears with a push

”This way, monsieur,” said Descha of a Newfoundlander who half killed a gendarme He is a terrible fellow”

He had Skipper Bill safe enough--thrown into a foul-aired, less cell with an iron-bound door, from which there was no escape To release him was impossible, whatever the condition of the jail in other parts Archie had hoped to find a way; but when he saw the cell in which Skipper Bill was confined he gave up all idea of a rescue

And at thatin the door

He scowled at the jailer and looked the boy over blankly

”Pah!” exclaiust

”You wait 'til I cotches _you!_” the skipper growled

”What does the pig say, monsieur?” Deschamps asked

”He has not yet repented,” Archie replied, evasively

”Pah!” said Deschaain ”Come, monsieur; we shall continue the inspection”

Archie was taken to the furthermost cell of the corridor It was isolated fro quarters, and it was a light, rooround floor

Thebars were rusted thin and theaway It seemed to Archie that he himself could wrench the bars aith his hands; but he found that he could not when he tried theret that Skipper Bill had not been confined in that particular cell

”This cell, monsieur,” said Deschamps, importantly, ”is where I confine the drunken Newfoundland sailors when----”

Archie looked up with interest

”When they reat noise, monsieur,” Deschamps concluded ”I have the headache,” he explained ”So bad and so often I have the headache, reat noise they o to sleep, and they do not trouble me at all”

”Is monsieur in earnest?” Archie asked

Deschaentleman ”It is true,” he replied ”Compelled That is the word I am compelled to confine them here”

”Let us return to the Newfoundlander,” said Archie

”He is a pig,” Descha at”