Bill drew his head in from the window, and beckoned to Jack, who
followed him up; and as there was no time to be lost, he at once dropped
down on to the top of the wall. Jack came next, fortunately without
dislodging any stones, which might have rattled down and betrayed their
proceedings. Bill leading, they made their way on hands and knees along
the top of the wall, which, being fringed in most places with bushes,
contributed to conceal them from any passers-by. They had to move
cautiously for the reason before given, and also to avoid the risk of
falling down any gap in the wall which time might have produced.
As Bill had expected, the further end of the wall was broken gradually
away, forming an easy descent. Down this they climbed, feeling their
way with their feet, and not letting go of one mass of ruin till they
had found a foothold on a lower. Thus they at length had the
satisfaction of standing on the firm ground outside the walls.
They had now to consider in which direction they should direct their
flight.
The river was on one side of them, and though they might swim across
they would run the risk of being discovered while so doing. They
finally decided to make for the sea shore, to the westward of the bay,
and to lie hid among the rocks till the search for them should be given
up.
They accordingly stole round the building, keeping on the side away from
the guard-room, till they got into a lane which led at the back of the
village down towards the shore. If they could once get there they hoped
to be safe.
Few lights in the village were burning, as the inhabitants retired early
to bed; but two or three still twinkled from some cottages at the
farther end. Possibly the owners had gone out fishing, and had only
lately returned.
They had got some distance from the tower, and no cottage was near, when
Jack stopped.
"I've been thinking that we might get on board one of the fishing-boats,
which have just come in, and go off in her," he whispered.
"I could not do it," said Bill. "I have said before--what would the
poor fishermen think in the morning when they found their boat gone, the
only means they may have of supporting their wives and families?"
Jack did not agree with Bill in this, but it was not a time to argue the
point, so they set off again, and continued running till they reached a
gap in the cliff, down which the road led. They then made their way to
the left, under the cliffs, in the direction of the village where they
had so long resided.
The tide was out, and they wisely kept close down to the water, so that
the returning sea might obliterate their footsteps.
Jack proposed returning to Captain Turgot's, but Bill observed that that
would not be fair to their friends, who would, of course, be exposed to
great danger by again harbouring them, and who yet would not like to
deliver them up.
"No, no, we must not do that," he said. "The sooner we can find a place
to hide in the better. The cliff hereabouts appears to be broken, and
full of hollows, and perhaps, if we search for it, we shall discover
some spot fit for our purpose."
While they were talking the moon rose; and, though on the decrease,
afforded a good deal of light, and greatly assisted them in their
search.
The sea where they were would, they saw, at high tide, completely cover
the whole beach, so they must take care to find a place beyond its
reach.
They anxiously searched about. The night was drawing on, and they must
find concealment before daylight, which would expose them to the view of
any boats passing near the beach, or to people looking for them from the
cliffs above.
They climbed up at several places without discovering any hollow
sufficiently deep to conceal them effectually; still they persevered,
and at last they reached a black rock which projected out from the
cliff, and ran some way down the beach. From its appearance they saw
that it must be covered at high-water. They made their way round it, as
the sides were too smooth to climb over, and then once more reached the
foot of the cliff.
The tide was now rising rapidly, and they saw that they would be exposed
to the danger of being caught by the sea, could they not get some
distance up the cliff. They were hurrying on when Bill exclaimed--
"There's a cave, and it may perhaps run some way back in the cliff. We
shall soon find out by the feel of the rock whether the water fills it
up, and if not, we couldn't have a better hiding-place."
They climbed up the slippery rock, and found themselves in a cavern with
a low arched entrance. This looked promising. They groped their way
onwards. As they advanced, their ears caught the gentle sound of a tiny
streamlet, which issued from the rock, while the ground beneath their
feet was perfectly dry, consisting in some places of hard rock, in
others of soft, warm sand.
Looking back, they could distinguish the ocean, with the moonlight
shining on it.
"We shall be safe here, I think," said Bill. "When daylight comes, we
shall be able to find our way farther in, and perhaps discover some nook
in which we may remain hidden, even were people to come to the mouth of
the cave to look for us."
Jack agreed that there was no risk of the tide rising to the place where
they then were, so they sat down on the dry sand, and being tired from
their exertions, very soon fell fast asleep.
Jack was not much addicted to dreaming. When he went to sleep he did so
in right earnest, and might have slept through a general engagement, if
he had not been called to take a part in it.
Bill had a more imaginative mind, which was seldom altogether at rest.
He fancied sometimes that he was escaping from the top of the tower, and
tumbling head over heels to the bottom; at others that he was running
along, with the Frenchmen shouting after him to stop. Then he fancied
that one with a long pair of legs had overtaken him, and was grasping
him tightly by the arm.
He awoke with a start, and found that Jack was trying to arouse him.
Daylight was streaming through the mouth of the cavern; beyond could be
seen the blue sea shining brightly in the rays of the sun, with a
chasse-maree, or some other small vessel, gliding swiftly across it,
impelled by a smart breeze off shore.
Jack had taken it into his head that the people on board might see them.
"I don't think there's much chance of that," said Bill. "Even if they
happen to turn their glasses this way, depend on it, if we sit quiet,
they'll not discover us."
The vessel soon disappeared, and they then looked about to examine more
carefully the cavern in which they had taken refuge.
The tide was still at its highest, and the water washed up to the ledge
in front of the cavern. The ground rose considerably above that point
to where they sat, and on looking round they saw that it continued to
rise behind them for some distance.
Bill advised that they should at once explore it, observing that though,
even at spring-tide, with the wind off shore, the water might not reach
to where they sat; yet should a gale blow from the northward, it might
drive the waves far up the cavern, and expose them to great danger. "We
cannot tell what may happen," he said, "and it's as well to be prepared
for the worst. Besides, if the soldiers come to look for us, they may
find the mouth of the cavern, and make their way some distance in, but
if they do not discover us they'll fancy we are not here, and go away
again as wise as they came."
Jack saw the wisdom of this proposal. They accordingly groped their way
on, aided by the light, which, though dim, pervaded the part of the
cavern they had reached. Every now and then they stopped, and, on
looking back, could still see the entrance, with the bright sea beyond
it.
At length they came to a rock, which seemed to stop their further
progress; but, feeling about them, found that the cavern made a turn
here to the left. They now proceeded with the greatest caution, for
fear of coming to some hole down which they might fall.
"If we had a torch we might see what sort of a place we have got to,"
observed Jack.
"But we haven't got a torch, and no chance of getting one; and so we
must find out by making good use of our hands," answered Bill. "We must
move slowly on, and feel every inch of the way, putting out one hand
before we lift up the other."
They were groping forward on their hands and knees, and were in total
darkness; still, as they looked back, there was a faint glimmer of
light, which appeared round the corner of the rock, and this would
enable them to find their way back again. Hitherto they had met only
with smooth rock, gently inclining upwards; possibly it might lead them,
if they went on long enough, to the top of the cliff, though they hoped
that there was no opening in that direction.
Here, at all events, they thought that they should be secure, even
should their pursuers enter the cavern.
As they were getting hungry, they agreed to go back and eat their
breakfast in daylight near the spring, which would afford them a draught
of cool water. They returned as they had come, feeling their way along
the rock.
Just before they reached the turning in the cavern, they discovered a
recess which would hold both of them; and they agreed to make it their
hiding-place should the soldiers by any chance come to look for them.
Without much difficulty they got back to the spot where they had slept,
which was close to the stream. Here they sat down, and produced the
provisions which they had brought from the tower. On examining their
stock, they calculated that they had sufficient to last them for a
couple of days.
"When that's gone, what shall we do?" asked Jack.
"We must try to pick up some shell-fish from the rocks," answered Bill.
"The soldiers by that time will have got tired of looking for us, and if
any persons from the top of the cliffs see us they won't know who we
are, and will fancy we are fisher-boys getting bait. Perhaps before
that time a smuggling lugger may come off here, and we may manage to
hail her before we run short of food; at all events, there's no use
being frightened about what may happen."
Every now and then one or the other went towards the mouth of the cave
to look out. As long as the tide remained high there was no danger of
their being discovered; but at low water the French soldiers were very
likely to come along the sands, and could scarcely fail to see the mouth
of the cavern.
The tide was now rapidly going down, black rocks appearing one by one
above the surface.
They accordingly determined to retire to the inner part of the cavern,
and to wait there till they calculated that the tide would once more
have come in.
"We must make up our minds to enjoy six hours of daylight, and to endure
six of darkness," observed Bill.
"I sha'n't care much about that; we can but go to sleep and amuse
ourselves the best way we can think of while the tide is in," said Jack.
"If we had some hooks and lines we might fish," said Bill.
"We should only catch rock fish, and they are not fit to eat," replied
Jack.
The boys carried out their plan. It was an easy matter to get through
the sleeping-time, but they became somewhat weary from having nothing to
do during the period that the tide was in. They could do little more,
indeed, than sit looking at the sea, and watching the few vessels which
appeared in the offing. Now and then they got up and walked about to
stretch their legs. They were afraid of bathing, lest while swimming
about they might be seen from any part of the cliff above.
Whether the soldiers had come to look for them they could not tell; one
thing was certain, they had not been discovered, and there were no signs
of any persons having approached the mouth of the cavern.
They husbanded their food, but it was rapidly diminishing. At night
they therefore, when the tide had gone out, crept down on the sands, and
managed to cut off some limpets and other shell-fish with their knives
from the rocks. These would have sustained them for some days had they
been able to cook them, but they had no means of lighting a fire.
Though limpets may help to keep body and soul together for a short time,
they are not wholesome food, especially when raw. Their bread was all
gone, but as long as they had some figs and cheese they got down the
limpets very well; but both figs and cheese came to an end, and they
both felt that they were getting very weak.
"If we don't take care we shall starve," said Bill.
"We must do something or other. I don't see anything but trying to get
on board a lugger, as we talked of; but then in searching for her we
should run the chance of being made prisoners again."
"You must come round to my plan, and run off with a boat of some sort,"
said Jack.
"That's just what I cannot do," said Bill.
"It's either that or starving," said Jack.
"We should have to get food first, even if we did run off with a boat,"
observed Bill. "It would never do to put to sea without something to
eat. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll try and make my way back to
Captain Turgot's. It cannot be far from this. I'll ask them to give us
some food. They are sure to do that, though they might not like hiding
us; and perhaps they might tell us of some boat in which we could get
off without the owner being the worse for the loss. If you'll stay
here, I'll go this very evening as soon as the tide is out. I calculate
that I should have time to get there and back before the flood is up;
and I'm not afraid of being refused, at all events." Jack wanted to go
too; but Bill urged that one was less likely to be discovered than two,
and that it would be better for him to go alone. Jack at last agreed to
this, and directly the sand appeared below the mouth of the cavern, Bill
set out.