Part 55 (1/2)

”That's about as near as we shall get to it, sir,” said Toht to be a locker here, with matches in it, and a la as Mark listened, and the rush of the water caently careening over as she glided on through the calm sea

”Hooroar!” said Tom; and the next moment there was the scratch of aTo over a lamp, which directly after burned up, and showed that the cabin door must have been opened while they slept, for a tub of water and a bucketful of biscuits had been thrust in

”Look at that,” cried dick Bannock ”Now, if we'd been awake, soain”

”Not much chance o' that,not to have taken care Don't ht,” said Mark, after a glance round, to see that Mr Russell was unchanged, and the next moment the cabin was in darkness

”Have your arms ready,” he whispered, ”and keep silence Perhaps--”

He did not finish speaking, for a faint shadow lay across the cabin skylight, and he are of the fact that so as well

The shadow passed away; andon the cabin table by the midshi+pman's orders, one of the ht, but short of breaking it open with sturdy blows of a sledge-hammer, there was no possibility of escape that way

After a time Mark whispered with Toh the cabinand over the poop

”Proof o' the puddin's in the eatin', sir,” said the sailor ”Only way is to try”

”Yes, by-and-by,” said Mark, ”when all is quiet Soood deal of talking going on upon deck, and they could smell tobacco, and once there calass

So the prisoners waited patiently in the darkness, Mark discussing fro been captured, but they had nowas, however, certain--they were sailing very gently, evidently not in pursuit, and, judging by the stars, they were going south, and thus farther away froht, and when all onderfully still, Mark whispered his plans to the h

He told them that he should cli the attention of the hand at the helh doubtful, that the man set as sentry over them would be asleep

He had no reason to expect this, but it was probable, and he was going to try it

”Best let ht be knocked over at once, and dropped into the sea”

”If I aain,” said the lad, coolly ”There's a coil of signal or fishi+ng line there, strong enough to hold me--there, in that locker I shall et up in safety, I shall secure it to a belaying-pin, so that it will be handy for you who follow Mind, as silently as cats Get it out, and make it fast Two of you can hold the end”

There was a slight rustling sound as Tom obeyed; the line was declared to be quite new, and kept there in store; and at last, a of the excited men, Mark prepared to clier and waiting for their turn

The recollection of the last attempt would trouble the lad, try as he would to be calm and firm

”I can do it in less than a minute,” he said to himself; ”but I wish that my heart would not beat quite so hard”

But it would beat all the saination, saw the sentry ready to strike him down

”Ready, sir?” whispered Toht, sir; and we'll just keep touch of you, and pay it out Moment you've made it fast”

”If I do,” whispered Mark