Part 20 (1/2)
The Englishout such a proposal If caught, he would be more severely dealt with than they would, and they felt sure that, if they were cautious, they should be able to reach the coast by theu his duty to his father, consented He, however, said that he must first communicate with Reuben Cole, and let hiht follow thelishman in his habits, and the three old friends spent a very pleasant evening They were up before daylight, when Alphonse, slipping out, hurried off to the woodman's hut
The wood ascertained that the young strangers were at the auberge, was very doubtful how to proceed He rubbed his eyes, and hitched away convulsively at his belt, when he saw Alphonse, for some minutes, before he dared believe his own eyes
”Well, sir, things do come about curious,” he exclaientlemen, and then they falls in with you, just in ti packed off to prison”
As Alphonse knew that part of the country well, he was able to fix on a spot about three ested that they and Reuben should lie concealed during the remainder of the day, and travel on, as they had proposed, at night Having e Once more, after an early breakfast, the friends parted; Alphonse starting in a wonderfully old-fashi+oned _caleche_ on theels, which gave pro down on its way to his father's chateau, and the s They fell in with Reuben Cole at the spot arranged on, and then all three, plunging into the forest, ht after night they travelled on So the day, and either little notice was taken of them, or Paul easily answered the questions put to him Reuben always had his crutches ready, and in a wonderfully quick ti at a rate of a mile or so an hour, so that no one would have suspected that he had a long journey before hiood spirits, for as they had found friends when they least expected it, and got out of difficulties when they thought that they were irretrievably lost, so they hoped that they ht be equally fortunate another time
O'Grady declared that this life was that of a perpetual picnic They generally took shelter during the day in a wood, or aipsies, under a hedge in some unfrequented district; or, if it rained, which was not very often, they got into some barn or shed in the outskirts of a hamlet; and twice they found caves into which they could creep, and several times some old ruins of castles or chateaux afforded them shelter Their plan was to walk on till daybreak, and then O'Grady or Paul cliht or a tree, and surveyed the country ahead If no habitations were to be seen, they pushed on further, and then took another survey of the country, to find a place of shelter for the day When they required food, they generally first passed through a village, and then Paul went back, towards the evening to purchase it As soon as he had bought it, they proceeded onward, so that, should the villagers have any suspicions, they were not likely to overtake thereater caution than ever was, of course, necessary Their greatest difficulty, however, would be finding a fit boat, and getting away unperceived
”I suppose that it will not be wrong to steal a boat,” said Paul ”I don't quite like the thoughts of that”
O'Grady laughed, and remarked, ”Why, you see, Gerrard, that necessity has no law The owner of the boat will not be pleased to lose it, but then he is one of a nation hoht to run aith his boat, as his country walk, at break of day the sea appeared in sight in the far distance, so hearts they went on They could not resist the te to ascertain whereabouts they were, and if there was a boat near which ht have been wiser had they, as usual, lain by during daylight They walked on till they reached the top of a cliff overlooking the Channel Across those waters was the land they so earnestly desired to reach To the west a blue line of land stretched out into the sea It was the proet to the end, they would have ht, in the course of little reat point was to find a boat Not one was in sight It was a question whether they should go east or west in search of soht find one They carefully exahting up the shore on the west, they fancied that they could s in the distance They at once turned in that direction As they advanced, they found that they were not , till night, they carefully reconnoitred the place from the cliff above it
There was a tower, and a small harbour with several small craft and boats at anchor in it, and two or three better sort of houses, besides nues and huts, and, at a little distance, a chateau of some pretension to architecture They would have preferred a place where there were no gentlemen, ould naturally be less likely to believe their story In other respects, they could not have desired to reach a more satisfactory locality The cliffs appeared to be full of caves, in one of which they could lie hidden till night They calculated that their food would last the it, even if their voyage were prolonged, they would have enough to support life After hunting about for some time, they selected a cave half-way up the cliff, which sailors alone, and that not without some difficulty, could reach The entrance was small, but there was ample room for them to lie down, and, as of importance, they were not at all likely to be disturbed As they had walked all night, and had been scra, they were very tired, and directly they had taken some breakfast, they fell fast asleep Paul oke after soainst the shore He could see through the narrow opening dark clouds scouring across the sky, the rain descending in torrents, while ever and anon there ca peals of thunder, which seemed to shake the very rock above their heads The wind, too, blew fiercely, and the whole ocean before them was covered hite-topped billows Reuben awoke and looked out He caentle is certain--we may make up our minds to have to reo down in a hurry, and till it does, it will be hard to come at a French boat which will carry us safe across”
It was very evident that Reuben's observation was correct, yet it was very provoking to be thus, delayed when their expedition was so nearly, as they thought, brought to a happy conclusion Two days passed, and the gale did not abate It now, therefore, becao in search of provisions His co alone, and, if possible, to soe where there was less risk of their object being suspected He set off early in thefor nearly three hours, he entered a village where he hoped to find both bread andasked so questions He replied promptly, that he had a brother with hio, and did not wish to delay on the road, he wished to lay in a stock of provisions at once Fortunately there were three or four small shops in the place, at each of which heup his wallet at a farhly satisfied with the success of his undertaking, he took his way back to the cave He had got within a couple of ht of the provisions he carried, when, on sitting down on a bank to rest, he saw that so hio on, his retreat would be discovered; if he stopped, he would be overtaken, and disagreeable questions ain as fast as his legs could carry him More than once, however, he looked back The oing the saht Paul ”I will take the first turning I can find to the right or left, and he may then, perhaps, pass on and miss me”
The opportunity occurred sooner than he expected The road h banks, led off to the right
He turned sharp into it, and by running rapidly along, was soon out of sight of the high road He sat down and waited No one came He hoped that he had escaped his pursuer At last he caht He walked on swiftly towards the cliff He had to descend and then to ain to reach the cave
His companions welcomed him on their own account as well as on his, for they were nearly starved There was a streaood water close at hand, which had prevented the from thirst
They had now provisions to last theht a tin saucepan, in which they could boil their eggs and make some soup, and as O'Grady had collected a supply of drift wood, they were able to cook their dinner and to enjoy the warether, they had not much reason to complain of their detention Three , the sea went down, and oncesun
”Hurrah!” cried O'Grady; ”we ht, and, if we're in luck and the wind holds, we land before the world is two days older”
The day passed very sloay, as they had nothing hich to employ themselves Fortunately, midshi+p; and so they passed most of the time, in the intervals of their meals, lost in oblivion of all sublunarydrew on, they roused up and were all anie, and found that it would be necessary to get down to the beach while there was still daylight to enable them to see their way They hoped to find shelter in soone to bed They went on cautiously, Paul in advance, lest they shouldand sticks The lights in the village were being put out as they approached ”They are early people-- so ht Paul ”We can easily seize a boat and get off”
The thought had scarcely passed through his oes there?”
”A friend,” answered Paul
”Howlads and a la with me, my friends, for I have more to say to you”
The two midshi+pmen and Reuben followed, much crest-fallen They were in the hands of the police; of that there could be no doubt Should they keep up their assue their true ones and brave the worst They could not venture to speak to consult with each other Paul thought that the best plan would be to keep silent till coot as near O'Grady as he could, and, pretending to stuainst his friend's lips
O'Grady passed on the signal soon afterwards to Reuben This ed, they quietly followed their captor--O'Grady doing his best to hu that he pretended to be deaf as well as duht for theendarme, a discovery far from pleasant, as it led them to suppose that soht dispose of them in a somewhat summary manner The man turned round once or twice, and told them, in no pleasant voice, to walk quicker, while he led the way to the chateau they had observed fro before the chateau It looked vast and glooe hall in the presence of several persons, one of who bearded official, inquired who they were, where they had co
Paul, with a fluency which surprised hied by Rosalie, O'Grady going through his part, pointing to his lips, andinarticulate sounds, while Reuben iravity of those before who on s the officer laugh, and hearing hilish:--