Part 52 (2/2)

”We are better off than I should have expected,” reht of the lantern which the sergeant had left

”The point is, Are we able to escape?” said Oliver

”You ot out of the prison in France, and I don't see e shouldn't get out of this place,” observed Jack, going to one of the two narros which the rooly-barred The night was dark, and he could only see the gliht here and there in the distance It was iht of thefroet out,” said Rayner, joining Jack at the”Though I fear that you with your bruises and battered ribs will be unable to make your way on foot across the country”

”Don't mind me, sir,” answered Jack ”I have no pain to speak of If the worst comes to the worst, I can but remain behind I shall be content if you and Mr Crofton and Tom and Brown make your escape”

”No, no, my brave fellow,” said Rayner, ”ill not leave you behind

But before we talk of ill do, we ly fixed into the stone, and et the, however,” observed Oliver ”Weus either to Leogane or Le Trou we shall have a very poor chance afterwards”

They tried the bars, but all of them were deeply imbedded in the stone

”Where there's a will there's a way,” observed Jack ”We et one bar loose we shall soon wrench off the ends of the others, or bend theh Broouldn'tone of these iron bars, would you, Sam?”

”I'll try what I can do,” said the seaet us our liberty”

”Then, not to lose ti, if you'll let ot out his knife, but just as he had co the stairs The door opened, and one of the gendar a basket of provisions

”Monsieur le Maire does not want to starve you, and so from his bountiful kindness has sent you soed to Monsieur the Mayor, but we should be still more so if he would set us at liberty,” said Rayner

Meanwhile the black boy was spreading the table with the contents of the basket

The gendared birds fly,” he answered ”I hope, messieurs, you will enjoy your suppers, and I would advise you then to take so, as soon as it is decided in what direction you are to go”

Rayner thanked the gendarme, who, followed by the black boy, went out of the roo the door behind him

The men no their benches to the table, and Rayner and Oliver, taking their places, fell to with the rest, there being no necessity, under such circu up official cereh, and each man stoay the remainder of the provisions in his pockets While they went to ith their knives at the bars, Rayner and Oliver examined the beds They were thankful to find that the canvas at the bottom was lashed by pieces of tolerably stout rope These, with the aid of the ticking cut into strips, would forth to enable the out the bars This, however, was not easily to be accomplished When the officers went to the , they found that Jack and his coress The bars fitted so closely into the holes that there was but a small quantity of lead, and without a hammer and chisel it seee to th upon theot out, the lowest horizontal bar ht be sent up This would afford ah

”We've got out of a French prison before, sir, and we'll get out now,”

said Jack, working away

”Yes, but ere small boys then, and you, Jack, and I, would find it a hard h the same sized hole now that we could then,”

observed Rayner

”That's just it, sir If two s that five well-nigh grown e the job

We'll do it, sir, never fear If this stone was granite itway, and I have already cut out soh, to be sure, it does blunt it considerably”