Part 28 (1/2)
”Then here goes, then, to unravel theh to make a rope This loft's a capital place to twist hiht we'll be safe hoht, Jem? Not before?”
”Why, we sha'n't have the rope ready; and if we had, it would be no use to try by daylight No, sir; we must wait till it's dark, and work away If we hear any one co we can hide the rope under the other sacks; so come on”
They seated themselves at the end of the loft, and worked away rapidly unravelling the sacking and rolling the yarn up into balls, each of which was hidden as soon as it became of any size
As the hours went on, and they were not interrupted, the dread increased that they ht be summoned to descend as prisoners before they had coested that this was not likely to be the case
”Not afore night, Mas' Don,” he said ”They won't take us aboard in the day We're soods, we are; and if they don't mind, we shall be too in to twist up our rope”
About ht theht,it sensible, and that's the best way If we've any luck to-night, you'll go aboard aforeThere, Ithe trap, and Jem pointed to the food
”Eat away, Mas' Don, and work sao aboard afore close upon daylight, for they've got us all shut up here snug, so as no one shall know, and they don't dare take us ahile people can see Strikes et all the men aboard this time, eh, Mas' Don?”
”Not if we can prevent it,” said Don, with his hand upon the rough piece of sacking which covered his share of the work ”Think it's safe to begin again?”
”Ay! Go on Little at a time, my lad, and be ready to hide it as soon as you hears a step”
In spite of their trouble, they ate with a fair appetite, sharpened perhaps by the hope of escape, and the knowledge that they must not be faint and weak at the lastsilent, they worked on unravelling the sacking, and rolling up the yarn, Don thinking of ho softly a doleful air
”If we don't get away, Mas' Don,” he said, after a pause, ”and they take us aboard shi+p and make sailors of us--”
”Don't talk like that, Jeet away”
”Oh, yes, it's all very well to talk, Mas' Don, but it's as well to be prepared for the worst Like as not we sha'n't get away, and then we shall go aboard, be ht the French”
”I shall not believe that, Jem, till it takes place”
”I shall, my lad, and I hope when I'el, will do what's right by irl after all, as says and does things without thinking what they mean I was horrid stupid to take so h that I'h ready, Jem?” said Don, impatiently, for his companion's words troubled him They seemed to fit his own case
”Yes, I should think that will do now, sir, so let's begin and twist up a rope We sha'n't want it very thick”
”But we shall want it very strong, Je the balls of yarn, knotting the ends together, and then taking a large piece of sack and placing it beside hi, et the yarn tangled”
Don set to work earnestly, and watched his coathered-up yarn, and then rolled his work up into a ball
The as clumsy, but effective, and in a short time he had laid up a few yards of a very respectable line, which seely