Part 51 (1/2)

”Well, you could now Go to sleep, and I'll wake you when Eben Megg comes back”

”No,” said the middy; ”I couldn't sleep now Suppose I awoke at last and found that you had gone!”

”Ah, you're going to is,” said Aleck, who felt that heover his position

”Look here; suppose I go up the passage and see if I canabout Eben!”

Before he had finished speaking he became aware of how terribly the poor fellow had been shaken by his confineht him spasmodically by the arm with both hands

”No, no,” he panted ”Don't leave me--pray don't leave me”

”Very well, then, I'll stay,” said Aleck; ”but I do hope the poor felloill not be caught by the cutter's men”

Aleck felt sorry as soon as he had said these words, for his coave another start

”You feel that he won't come back?”

”I feel,” said Aleck, quietly, ”that we seeot a knife?”

”Yes, of course”

”So have I Well, mine has a small blade; has yours?”

”Yes Why?”

”One sh, but if tere thrust into the back of those irons together we ht be able to open them I believe all these fetters are opened by a square key, and I'et you free, we could pass the tiet a look out froreen trees and clear sky”

Aleck's attempt to take his companion's attention was successful, inas the position of the opened lanthorn so that the di the rusty anklet and chain, the an to take sos

Aleck knew as much about handcuffs and fetters as he did about the binomial theorem, but he was one of those lads who are always ready to ”have a try” at anything, and, after exa the square deeply-set holes which secured the anklets, he placed the two pen-blades of the knives together, forced theo, and tried to turn the sound

”There goes the edge of one blade,” said the lad, coolly ”I hope it's your knife, and not mine Hullo! Hooray! It turns!”

For the blades held fast, jales of the orifice, and the operator was able to turn the knives half way, and then all the way round

”Now try,” said theto take deep interest in the atteloo's as fast as ever”

”But you are not doing it right,” said the o on But you haven't turned enough”

”It wants the proper key,” said Aleck